HISTORY

The cemetery is three quarters of a mile West of Sedd el Bahr village. It stands on a small ridge named Karaja Oghul Tepe, 300 feet above the sea and overlooking "W" Beach. The greater part of the cemetery (Rows A to J and part of Row L) were made between the landing in April 1915, and the evacuation in January 1916. Row I contains the graves of 86 men of the 1st Lancashire Fusiliers (82 of them unidentified) who fell in the first two days. Row K, and part of Row L, were made after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from other cemeteries mentioned at the end of this Introduction. The actual cemetery covers an area of about 1,666 square yards, and is enclosed by stone walls on all sides. Thirty feet outside the walls is a wire fence, and between the fence and the wall is a belt of pines, tamarisk and evergreen oaks. The Cross rises from the wall at the back of the cemetery, and the War Stone stands in front of it; and cypresses are planted on either side of the Cross.

The following inscription is engraved on the right-hand entrance pier:- THE 29TH DIVISION LANDED ALONG THE COAST ON THE MORNING OF APRIL 25TH, 1915.

The 97 graves in Row K and graves 31 to 83 in Row L were brought from the islands of the Aegean. The following were the more important of the cemeteries from which they came:

KEPHALOS BRITISH CEMETERY, on the island of Imbros, was 700 yards inland from Kephalos Pier. There were buried in it 84 British, Australian and New Zealand sailors and soldiers, three Greeks, and one German prisoner. Near the cemetery a memorial was raised to the officers and men of the "bulge Grafton." cruiser.

KUSU BAY CEMETERY, on the island of Imbros, contained the graves of 45 officers and men (14 of them unidentified) of the monitors "Raglan" and "M 28," which were sunk by the German battle cruiser "Goeben" and cruiser "Breslau" in a sortie from the Dardanelles on the 20th January, 1918.

PANAGHIA CHURCHYARD, on the island of Imbros, contained the graves of one officer and five men from the monitors and four airmen of the 62nd Wing, Royal Air Force. There is a brass plate on the church hall, erected by the islanders to commemorate the six sailors.

PARASKEVI CEMETERY, near the South-West shore of the island of Tenedos, contained the graves of four sailors, one soldier and one marine. The Register of Lancashire Landing Cemetery records particulars of I, 227 British, Dominion and Mule Corps burials.

LOCATION

The Cemetery is 1 kilometre west of Sedd ul Bahr village on the minor road to Krithia (Alcitepe). It stands on a small ridge named Karaja Oghul Tepe, 110 metres above the sea and overlooking "W" Beach. It is well signposted from the village.

GRAVES OF INTEREST:

- Died 18th December 1915, aged 17.
- The inscription on his grave reads: "Without fear, he went where duty called."

- Died 29th June 1915, aged 29.
- Son of John and Margaret Kenealy, of 361 Bolton Road, Stubshaw Cross, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancs.
- VC Citation London Gazette 24th August 1915:

"On 25th April, 1915, three companies, and the Headquarters of the 1st Bn. Lancashire Fusiliers, in effecting a landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula to the West of Cape Helles, were met by a very deadly fire from hidden machine guns which caused a great number of casualties. The survivors, however, rushed up to and cut the wire entanglements, notwithstanding the terrific fire from the enemy, and after overcoming supreme difficulties, the cliffs were gained and the position maintained. Amongst the many very gallant officers and men engaged in this most hazardous undertaking, Capt. Willis, Serjt. Richards, and Pte. Kenealy have been selected by their comrades as having performed the most signal acts of bravery and devotion to duty."

- Died 4th June 1915.

- Died 6th June 1915, aged 44.