Vic Diehl Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 I was driving around yesterday and ran into this. I have seen a number of these British cemeteries in North Africa, Tripoli, Beghanzi, Tobruk, Cairo and they are all kept in an immaculate manner Nairobi War Cemetery The Memorial commemorates men of the British land forces who lost their lives in the advance from the south into Italian Somaliland and Ethiopia and during the occupation of those territories, and who have no known grave. Along with them are honoured those who died during the operations in Madagascar in 1942 and who have no known grave. Besides those who died in these campaigns, many men who were lost in the sinking of the troopship 'Khedive Ismail' en route to Ceylon on 12 February 1944 are commemorated here; they include a great part of the 301st Field Regiment, East African Artillery. In the Cemetery, a lawn about 23 metres long and 9 metres wide is surrounded by a hedge. Within this enclosure is a pier which bears the inscription: 1939 - 1945 THE COLUMNS IN THIS ENCLOSURE BEAR THE NAMES OF TWO THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED MEN AND WOMEN OF MANY RACES UNITED IN SERVICE TO THE BRITISH CROWN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN ITALIAN SOMALILAND, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA, KENYA AND MADAGASCAR, BUT TO WHOM THE FORTUNE OF WAR DENIED A KNOWN AND HONOURED GRAVE Flanking this pier on either side stand two rows of columns, twelve in number, on which are carved the names. (Since the erection of the memorial and engraving of the dedicatory panels the burial places of many casualties have since been discovered and they are now correctly commemorated by headstone at the graves). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Vic Diehl Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 Close to the cemetery in the old Karen coffee plantation is a bar and club frequented by many British officers of the period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Diehl Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 Be sure to stop in an order a Tusker Lager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Diehl Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 Just in case you are in the area, the cemetery is about 10 k south of Nairobi on the road to Mombassa, close to the entrance to the National Preserve. If you miss the cemetery this guy will greet you in the National preserve ;-)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mervyn Mitton Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Thankyou for posting these pictures Vic. I've been many times to Kenya and the old game park - but, never found this Cemetary. Pity - the old War Graves all have a story to tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hauptmann Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Great pictures Vic! Many thanks for sharing. Safe travels my friend! Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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