30/07/2026
Destruction of Basra War Cemetery by the British Army - Freedom of Information disclosures now available.
The update regarding the discovery that the British Army destroyed the memorial panels and gravestones of over 3,000 men and women buried at Basra War Cemetery in 2005 and the subsequent cover up has created a great deal of interest. More can be read on the website but due to the level of interest I have made the FOI disclosures available on the site so anyone with an interest can read for themselves and draw their own conclusions.
Go to the "The Destruction of Basra War Cemetery by the British Army" page from the landing page and scroll down to access them.
To be clear the disclosure's are incomplete - whilst the MOD has claimed in its submission to the High Court seeking refusal of the Judicial Review into the matter that they have "historical evidence" showing the CWGC approved the removal of the material there is no such evidence in the disclosures. The only reference to a approval being sought was by the Padre of 1 RRW (1st Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Wales) for a tidy up of the cemetery to make it "more aesthetically acceptable" but this was after most of the material had been removed (see Annex 3).
A request for review has been made to the FOI office at the MOD for a full and complete disclosure.
What is clear is that for the entire period of 2003-2009 and the withdrawal of British forces from Basra soldiers and embassy staff continuously sought the help of the CWGC in improving both Basra War Cemetery and the nearby Basra Memorial to the Missing and got no help whatsoever.
The CWGC has maintained that they have a "5 year plan" for Iraq since at least the 1990s and we are still waiting.
Its also clear that the information regarding the destruction of the panels and gravestones in 2005 was not shared or known amongst the majority of the British Army in Iraq or indeed the Embassy.
If anyone was involved in the crushing of the material or has pictures of it or the site of the soak away it was used for please do get in touch so we can complete the hidden history of this sad affair.
In Annex 10 of the FOI disclosures this information was given regarding the units involved and location:
"(f) Commonwealth War Graves Headstones and Memorial Plates – SLB [Shaibah Logistics Base]. 40 pallets of previously vandalised Headstones and Memorial Plates have been transported to SLB [Shaibah Logistics Base] for use on the soakaway (a drainage pit for wastewater) adjacent to 7 LSR [7 Logistic Support Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps]. CIVSEC [Civilian Secretariat, i.e. the civilian contracting/administration office] are currently having difficulty locating a suitable contractor to crush the stones. On the advice of the MPF [likely Military Works Force, a Royal Engineers command overseeing specialist works units], 64 Wks Gp RE [64 Works Group, Royal Engineers — the Corps of Royal Engineers unit specialising in fuel production and distribution], it was suggested that a civilian work force be used to break down the Headstones. Due to the sensitive nature of the task, PROM [Property Management office, responsible for base infrastructure/works] is awaiting approval from the Padre [chaplain] 7 LSR [7 Logistic Support Regiment]."
British Embassy Iraq Ministry of Defence British Army Commonwealth War Graves Commission India in Iraq (Embassy of India, Baghdad)
13/07/2026
15/04/2026
07/04/2026