Marsa Matruh War Cemetery

The Marsa Matruh War Cemetery lies on the eastern edge of town and is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Rows of white Portland stone headstones stand in a walled garden, each bearing name, rank, regiment and date of death where known. The graves represent soldiers from Britain, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa and other nations who fell during the North Africa campaign.

It is a quiet, carefully kept place with none of the tourist infrastructure you find at El Alamein. There are no admission charges and no guided tours — you simply walk in and walk among the graves. The register at the entrance lists the names and grave locations. Allow thirty minutes to an hour.

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The cemetery holds the graves of 1,048 soldiers from the Second World War, many of them killed in the fighting around Marsa Matruh in June and July 1942 when Rommel's forces swept through the town. More than a third of the graves are unidentified — the chaos of the desert campaign made thorough identification impossible. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has maintained the site since 1943.

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