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On Remembrance Sunday, Ben Soppitt is set to pay tribute to his grandfather at the Basra War Cemetery in Iraq, where he will be part of a small group honoring the memory of the many who served. This solemn occasion will stand in stark contrast to the grand ceremony at the Cenotaph in London. Unlike the well-maintained war memorials found across Europe, the monuments in Iraq tell a different story of neglect and abandonment.
Ben Soppitt has been vocal about the failure of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) to properly honor the fallen in Iraq. He expressed disappointment in the lack of recognition for the sacrifice made by the men and women who lost their lives in the country. With over 50,000 soldiers from the UK and Commonwealth nations perishing in Iraq during the World Wars, the significance of these war cemeteries cannot be understated.
The CWGC removed headstones from the Basra War Cemetery after many were damaged or deteriorated, with plans to replace them in the future. However, their withdrawal from Iraq in the 1990s due to security concerns has left these sites abandoned. Basra War Cemetery, along with over a dozen others across the country, now lie deserted and neglected, with some locals even using them for activities like football and dumping garbage.
Despite promises from the CWGC to address the lack of proper commemoration, especially for Indian nationals, Ben Soppitt remains critical of the slow progress. He has been documenting his visits to various CWGC sites in Iraq, shedding light on the state of disrepair and neglect these places have fallen into. For Ben, this mission is not just about honoring his grandfather’s memory but also ensuring that the sacrifices made by these individuals are not forgotten
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