El Alamein Memorial Cemetery
El Alamein memorial is a war memorial in the El Alamein War Cemetery. The memorial has 11,866 member who died during world war 11.
The memorial commemorates a collection of different areas of service and geography. For land forces the memorial largely commemorates those who died during the Western Desert campaign as well as in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Iran and have no known grave.
Location Information
Alamein is a village, bypassed by a main coast road, approximately 130 kilometers west of Alexandria on the road to Marsa Matruh.
The first Commission road direction sign is located just beyond the Alamein police checkpoint. Furthermore, all cemetery visitors should turn off the main road onto the parallel old coast road. The cemetery lies off the road beyond the ridge. The road direction signs are in place approximately 25 meters before the low metal gates and stone wing walls. The walls are situated centrally at the road edge at the head of the access path into the cemetery. The cross of sacrifice feature may be seen from the road.
Visiting Information
The Alamein memorial forms the entrance to El Alamein War Cemetery. Furthermore, the cemetery is open every day from 0700 to 1700. There is also wheelchair access available.
History Information
The campaign in the Western Desert was fought between the Commonwealth forces. These were based in Egypt. The Axis forces were based in Libya. The battlefield, across which the fighting surged back and forth between 1940 and 1942, was the 1,000 kilometers of desert between Alexandria Egypt and Benghazi in Libya. Furthermore, it was a campaign of manoeuvre and movement. The objectives were in control of the Mediterranean, which is the link with the east through the Suez Canal, the Middle East oil supplies and the supply route to Russia through Persia.
The Alamein Memorial forms the entrance to Alamein War Cemetery. Furthermore, the land forces panels commemerate more than 8,500 soldiers of the commonwealth who died in the campaigns in Egypt and Libya, and in the operations of the Eighth Army in Tunisia up to February 19, 1943. It also commemorates those who served and died in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Persia.
The Air Forces panels commemorate more than 3,000 airmen of the commonwealth who died in the campaigne in Egypt, Libya,Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Greece, Crete and the Aegean, Ethiopia, Eritrea and the Somalilands, Sudan, East Africa, Aden and madagascar, who have no known grave.
Those who served with the Rhodesian and South African Air Training Scheme and have no known grave are also commemorated here. The memorial was designed on October 24 1954.
El Alamein War
The El Alamein cemetery contains graves of men who died at all stages of the western Desert Campaign. Furthermore, they were brought in from a wide area, but especially those who died in the Battle of El Alamein at the end of October 1942 and in the period immediately before that.
The cemetery now contains 7,239 Commonwealth burials of the second World War, of .which 814 are unidentified. There are also 102 war graves of their nationalities.
The Alamein Cremation Memorial
This memorial stands in the south eastern part of El Alamein War Cemetery. Furthermore, it commemorates more than 600 men whose remains wee cremated in Egypt and Libya during the war, in accordance with their faith.
El Alamein War Cemetery and Museum
The El Alamein War Cemetery contains graves of Allied soldiers lost during the 1940 to 1942 Western Desert campaign of World War II. Alongside the nearby El Alamein Museum , it serves as a memorial to the campaign. The turning point of the campaign was the 1942 Battle of El Alamein.
The Basics
Located at the edge of the town of Alamein, the El Alamein cemetery houses 7,432 graves of Commonwealth ad Allied soldiers. While most belong to those who died during the wider campaign. Furthermore, visitors can view the graves, scan the names of the missing. At the cemetery’s Alamein memorial, visitors can also explore artifacts and personal testimonials at the nearby museum. Visitors can enter and explore the cemetery independently, but many choose to visit during private tours from Cairo or Alexandria to avoid any transportation worries.
Things to know before you go
The cemetery and museum are a short walk from each other. the cemetery offers free admission. The museum has a small fee to enter.
The cemetery has wheelchair accessible walkways.
Bring water, a sunhat, and sunscreen, because there is no shade when viewing the gravestones.
The museum has restrooms.
How to get there
The El Alamein War cemetery and museum are located just south of the coastal 40 highway between Alexandria and Marsa matruh. They are most easily reached by taxi cab, car or tours that include round-trip transport from Alexandria or Cairo. Some public minibuses ply the Alexandria–Marsa highway. You will need to ask the driver to stop at El Alamein and a visit to New Alamein City is a must now.
Best Time to get there
The cemetery is open daily from early morning until late afternoon. plan to visit in the morning before the hottest sun and see the visitor register books. These books are removed in the afternoon. The museum also is open every day, although with slightly shorter opening hours.
