World War 2, Middle East, Egypt, El Kantara, 9 Division, 1942
1942Informal outdoor group portrait of unidentified soldiers 9 Division AIF at El Kantara
El Qantara is a northeastern Egyptian city on both sides of the Suez Canal 160 kilometres northeast of Cairo and 50 kilometres south of Port Said. The two parts of the city are connected by a high-level fixed road bridge, the Mubarak Peace Bridge.
During World War I, Kantara, as it was referred to by the Allied troops, was the site of Headquarters No. 3 Section, Canal Defences and Headquarters Eastern Force during the latter stages of the Defence of the Suez Canal Campaign and the Sinai Campaign of 1916. The massive distribution warehouse and hospital centre supported and supplied all British, Australian and New Zealand operations in the Sinai from 1916 until final demobilization in 1919.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery and Memorial is located outside of town. It was begun in February, 1916 and remained in use until late 1920. Formally designed in 1919 by Sir Robert Lorimer,[2] the cemetery contains 1,562 Commonwealth burials from World War I and 110 from World War II. There are also 341 war graves of other nationalities. The Kantara Memorial bears the names of 16 New Zealand World War I servicemen presumed killed in action at Rafa and Rumani.
In 1961, panels bearing the names of 283 World War I Indian servicemen, interred in the now inaccessible Kantara Indian Cemetery, were affixed to the wall behind the Stone of Remembrance, forming the Kantara Indian Cemetery Memorial.
The town's importance as a hospital centre was renewed during World War II when General Hospital No. 1 was located there from July 1941 to December 1945, and General Hospitals Nos. 41 and 92 at different periods. No. 8 Polish General Hospital was constructed adjoining the war cemetery.
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Nearest geotagged records:
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 234 ANDREWS, 10 Light Horse (4.09km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, JONES, 10 Light Horse (4.09km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 1185 MOULTON, 10 Light Horse (4.09km away)
- World War 1, 46 COOKE, 10 Light Horse, 1914 (4.09km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 1046 SWEETING, 10 Light Horse (4.09km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 829 SINCLAIR, 10 Light Horse (4.09km away)
- World War 2, Middle East, ANDERSON, 2/11 Battalion, 1941 (4.1km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 1998 BARRY, 10 Light Horse (4.1km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 1182 MacLAREN, 10 Light Horse (4.1km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 932 BELL, 10 Light Horse (4.1km away)
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Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
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