Chatby Memorial
Egypt
Photo : Commonwealth War Graves Commission
For a photograph of the Chatby Memorial select here.
Chatby Military and War Memorial Cemetery (originally the Garrison cemetery) was used for burials until April 1916, when a new cemetery was opened at Hadra. Thereafter, burials at Chatby were infrequent, although some graves were brought into the cemetery after the war from other burial grounds in the area.
The Chatby Memorial is in this cemetery.
In March 1915, the base of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force was transferred to Alexandria from Mudros and the city became a camp and hospital centre for Commonwealth and French troops. Among the medical units established there were the 17th, 19th, 21st, 78th and 87th General Hospitals and No 5 Indian Hospital.
After the Gallipoli campaign of 1915, Alexandria remained an important hospital centre during later operations in Egypt and Palestine and the port was much used by hospital ships and troop transports bringing reinforcements and carrying the sick and wounded out of the theatres of war.
The Chatby Memorial stands at the eastern end of the Alexandria (Chatby) War Memorial Cemetery and commemorates almost 1,000 Commonwealth servicemen who died during the First World War and have no other grave but the sea. Many of them were lost when hospital ships or transports were sunk in the Mediterranean, sailing to or from Alexandria. Others died of wounds or sickness while aboard such vessels and were buried at sea.
2 soldiers who served with the Yorkshire Regiment are commemorated on the memorial.
Lieutenant John Ponsonby GILBERT
6th Jat Light Infantry. Died 30 December 1915. Aged 31.
From “Officers of the Green Howards 1688 - 1931” by M L Ferrar;–
Born at Ajmere, 12 September 1884, son of J C Gilbert.
2nd Lieutenant 2 March 1904; Indian Army 25 January 1906. Lieutenant 2 June 1906. Captain 2 March 1913.
Drowned in the wreck of the "Persia", 30 December 1915.
(Biographical information on Captain Gilbert is given by Peter H of the Find a Grave website. To read this please select here.
Private John Grayson
28332. 1031st M.T. Coy. Army Service Corps, formerly 25541 13th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 30 December 1917.
Born Huddersfield, Enlisted Huddersfield, Resided Huddersfield.
(Lost at sea when HT "Aragon" was torpedoed and sunk 30 December 1917, entering the port of Alexandria, with the loss of 380 officers and men of the Commonwealth forces.)
Photo : Commonwealth War Graves Commission