War Cemeteries overseas

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"If any resting places under heaven are made beautiful by men's hands, these will be, upon which the whole affection of the Empire will lavish its care."
Where the Australians Rest, Department of Defence, Melbourne, 1920.

More than 90,000 Australians never returned from the World Wars. Those who were able to be identified now lie in marked graves in over 78 countries around the world. Every Australian war grave is and always will be cared for in perpetuity by a grateful nation.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Office of Australian War Graves (as its agent) share responsibility of maintaining Australian war graves in close to 800 cemeteries from the First and Second World Wars. Australia, as a member government, also contributes to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in proportion to the number of its war dead (6.05%).

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War cemeteries overseas with more than 200 Australian war dead

Belgium | Egypt | France | Germany | Greece | Indonesia | Israel | Japan | Lebanese Republic | Libya | Malaysia | Myanmar | Papua New Guinea | Singapore | Syria | Thailand | Türkiye | United Kingdom

Notes

  • The numbers in the following lists include both identified and unidentified remains. The names of all whose remains were never identified are listed on Memorials to the Missing.
  • Links in the lists take you to more information about each cemetery, provided on Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Other information

Belgium

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Egypt

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France

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Germany

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Greece and Crete

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Indonesia

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Israel and the Palestinian Territories

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Japan

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Lebanese Republic

  • Beirut War Cemetery
    269 Australian burials or cremations from the First and Second World Wars

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Libya

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Malaysia

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Myanmar

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Papua New Guinea

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Singapore

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Syria

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Thailand

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Türkiye

All of Gallipoli

2,848 Australian burials or cremations from the First World War including:

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United Kingdom

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Terendak Military Cemetery, Malaysia

Location

The Terendak Military Cemetery is situated within the Terendak Camp, Malacca. The Camp is located on the West Coast, thirteen miles north of Malacca on the Malacca-Masjid Tanah Road.

The camp at Malacca was built by the governments of Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand during 1957-1959 to house the 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade on its move from North Malaysia in 1959-1960.

History

The first units of 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade moved into Terendak Camp in late 1959 and the Camp was fully occupied by mid-1960 (though building carried on until 1964 when the hospital was completed).
From 1963 until 1966, units of 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade were actively engaged in Borneo, particularly in confrontations with Indonesia. Some casualties from this campaign are buried in the cemetery. Some Australian and New Zealand casualties from the Vietnam War were flown to Terendak and buried there.

The remainder of the graves are those of Commonwealth troops and their dependants who died during the Brigade’s occupation of the Camp, plus the remains of some Service personnel which were exhumed from outlying cemeteries and reburied in Terendak.

The Camp was vacated by 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade from November 1969-February 1970 and handed over to the Malaysian Army on 28 March 1970. Terendak Camp is now home to the Malaysian Army’s 3rd Division and 10th Parachute Brigade.

The Terendak Repatriation

On 25 May, 2015 the Australian Government extended an offer of repatriation to the families of all the Australians interred in the Terendak Military Cemetery, Malaysia. The offer was also extended to the one remaining Australian casualty of the Vietnam War interred in the Kranji War Cemetery, military Annex in Singapore.

The Government’s offer acknowledged the request was outside the established repatriation policy and prefaced primarily on issues surrounding the difficulties of access to the Terendak Military Cemetery, i.e. due to the location, approval to access the Terendak military base required prior approval obtained approximately thirty days in advance of any proposed visit.

Australian servicemen returned in the Terendak repatriation

  • Private Norman George Allen
  • Private Gary Alex Archer
  • Lieutenant Robert Graham Birse
  • Corporal Robert Walter Bowtell
  • Lieutenant David John Brian
  • Sergeant Ronald Thomas Carroll
  • Private Thomas William Checkley
  • Private Christopher Clark
  • Warrant Officer Class Two Kevin George Conway
  • Private Ronald Eric Field
  • Warrant Officer Class Two John Garrigan
  • Warrant Officer Class Two Max Powell Hanley MM
  • Corporal Reginald Hedley Hillier
  • Trooper Tony Holland
  • Private Neville Wayne Horne
  • Second Lieutenant Alan Douglas Jellie
  • Signalman Kenneth Charles Johnson
  • Warrant Officer Class Two Ronald Victor Lees
  • Corporal John Gregory Stinson Pearce
  • Warrant Officer Class Two Thomas Dudley Phillips
  • Lance Corporal Thomas Ross
  • Lance Corporal Thomas Ruduss
  • Corporal Francis John Smith
  • Signalman John Darrell Tassell
  • Private Mervyn Arthur Frederick Wilson

Visiting the Terendak Military Cemetery

Australians seeking to visit the Terendak Military Cemetery require permission from the Malaysian authorities to do so. This requires the prior submission of a number of documents well in advance. Given notice, visits can be facilitated by the Defence Section at the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur enabled by the very good relationship with the Malaysian Armed Forces.

First contact can be made through the Office of Australian War Graves at wargraves [at] dva.gov.au (wargraves[at]dva[dot]gov[dot]au) to guide the family/visitor through what is required. This contact needs to occur three months prior to a planned visit to ensure that access can be facilitated.

If you are a non-Australian citizen please contact your Embassy or High Commission in Malaysia for assistance with facilitating access to the Terendak Military Cemetery.

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