PHALERON WAR CEMETERY
HISTORY INFORMATION
The site of what is now PHALERON WAR CEMETERY was chosen originally by the 4th Division as a burial ground for Commonwealth casualties of the Greek Civil War (December 1944-February 1945). Subsequently, the military authorities, in conjunction with the Greek Government and the Army Graves Service, decided that it would be the most suitable site for a Second World War cemetery for the whole mainland of Greece. The 23rd and 24th Graves Registration Units and the 21st and 22nd Australian War Graves Units worked together to bring in graves of the 1941 campaign from the battlefields, temporary military cemeteries and from various civil cemeteries.
There are now 2,029 Commonwealth servicemen of the Second World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 596 of the burials are unidentified. Special memorials commemorate casualties known to have been interred in certain groups of graves in the cemetery, but whose individual graves cannot be precisely located within these groups. Other special memorials commemorate casualties re-buried in the cemetery from original graves which, owing to the destruction of local records, could not be identified.
Also within the cemetery are:
The PHALERON CREMATION MEMORIAL, commemorating 74 men of the army of undivided India who died during the campaigns in Greece and Crete during the Second World War and who were accorded the last rite required by their religion - committal to fire.
The ATHENS MEMORIAL, commemorating nearly 3,000 members of the land forces of the Commonwealth who lost their lives during the campaigns in Greece and Crete in 1941 and 1944-1945, in the Dodecanese Islands in 1943-1945 and in Yugoslavia in 1943-1945, and who have no known grave.
In the north-east corner of the cemetery, a plot contains the graves of servicemen and civilians who after serving in the Crimean War, died in Greece, and were buried in the Anglo-French Crimean Cemetery, New Phaleron. The graves were moved in 1966 when that cemetery could no longer be maintained.
The CEMETERY and the ATHENS MEMORIAL were designed by Louis de Soissons.
-
SURNAMEHickerton FORENAMEArthur Edward UNIT624 Squadron (R.A.F.V.R.) RANKFlight Sergeant NUMBER1199782 DATE OF DEATH1st December 1943 AGE29 GRAVESITEPhaleron War Cemetery,Greece Coll.grave 5.D.1-12 ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONson of Charles and Elsie Hickerton,Birmingham
husband of Renee Frances...
-
SURNAMEEdwards FORENAMEArthur Ernest UNIT624 Squadron (R.A.F.V.R.) RANKFlight Sergeant NUMBER1331655 DATE OF DEATH1st December 1943 AGE21 GRAVESITEPhaleron War Cemetery,Greece Coll.grave 5.D.1-12 ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONson of James Emerson and Edith Wade Edwards,North Finchley,Middlesex
air...
-
SURNAMEAtkinson FORENAMERaymond Percival UNIT624 Squadron (R.A.F.V.R.) RANKFlight Sergeant NUMBER988591 DATE OF DEATH1st December 1943 AGE21 GRAVESITEPhaleron War Cemetery,Greece Coll.grave 5.D.1-12 ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONson of Raymond Percival and Elizabeth Atkinson,Penrith,Cumberland
husband...
-
SURNAMEHowlett FORENAMEDennis John UNIT624 Squadron (R.A.F.V.R.) RANKFlight Sergeant NUMBER1386233 DATE OF DEATH1st December 1943 AGE22 GRAVESITEPhaleron War Cemetery,Greece Coll.grave 5.D.1-12 ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONson of Frederick Albert and Nesta Catherine Howlett,Kingsdown,Kent
pilot
Op...
-
SURNAME
Miller
FORENAME
Vernon Leslie
UNIT
624 Squadron (R.C.A.F.)
RANK
Flight Sergeant
NUMBER
R/161298
DATE OF DEATH
1st December 1943
AGE
19
GRAVESITE
Phaleron War Cemetery,Greece Coll.grave 5.D.1-12
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born 9.1.1924
8th son of Alexander and Maud...
-
SURNAME
Astley
FORENAME
Denzil Payne
UNIT
6 Bn
RANK
Sergeant
NUMBER
3974764
DATE OF DEATH
11th December 1944
AGE
20
GRAVESITE
Phaleron War Cemetery, Greece 19.D.3
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born 1924 Montgomeryshire
son of Evan and Agness Bella Astley, Llanfair Caereinion...
-
SURNAME
Bartlett
FORENAME
Colin
UNIT
6 Bn
RANK
Private
NUMBER
5387533
DATE OF DEATH
7th December 1944
AGE
25
GRAVESITE
Phaleron War Cemetery, Greece Joint grave 18.E.3
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Glamorgan
resided Oxfordshire
son of Arthur and Rachel Bartlett, Barry...
-
SURNAME
Atkinson
FORENAME
George William Gorman
UNIT
6 Bn
RANK
Private
NUMBER
4547073
DATE OF DEATH
7th December 1944
AGE
20
GRAVESITE
Phaleron War Cemetery, Greece Joint grave 18.E.3
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Leeds, Yorkshire
son of Ernest Metcalfe and Elsie Naomi...
-
SURNAME
Aitken
FORENAME
Benjamin
UNIT
5 Bn
RANK
Private
NUMBER
2055553
DATE OF DEATH
4th January 1945
AGE
21
GRAVESITE
Phaleron War Cemetery,Greece 19.B.15
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Dundee
son of Benjamin and Annie Aitken,Dundee
former Royal Engineers
KIA Greece
-
SURNAME
Barrowclough
FORENAME
Reggie
UNIT
5 Bn
RANK
Private
NUMBER
3606498
DATE OF DEATH
12th December 1944
AGE
22
GRAVESITE
Phaleron War Cemetery, Greece 19.D.1
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Yorkshire
resided Oldham, Lancashire
son of Dyson and Mary Maud Barrowclough...
-
SURNAME
Barnes
FORENAME
John McCulloch
UNIT
4 Bn
RANK
Major
NUMBER
138657
DATE OF DEATH
6th January 1945
AGE
29
GRAVESITE
Phaleron War Cemetery, Greece 19.C.7
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born London
resided Oxford
son of Frederick Robert and Edith Mary Barnes, Sydenham...
-
SURNAME
Irwin
FORENAME
John Philip
UNIT
4 Bn (Royal Army Medical Corps,attached) (RMO)
RANK
Captain
NUMBER
202416
DATE OF DEATH
11th December 1944
AGE
28
GRAVESITE
Phaleron War Cemetery,Greece 21.D.14
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Birmingham
resided Surrey
son of John...
-
SURNAME
Arch
FORENAME
Douglas Charles
UNIT
4 Bn
RANK
Private
NUMBER
2734184
DATE OF DEATH
10th December 1944
AGE
26
GRAVESITE
Phaleron War Cemetery,Greece 19.D.13
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born 17.10.1918, Glamorgan
son of Thomas Arthur and Rosaline...
-
SURNAME
Phillips
FORENAME
Haydn Walter
UNIT
4 Bn (Royal Artillery,attached)
RANK
Lieutenant
NUMBER
162757
DATE OF DEATH
27th October 1944
AGE
24
GRAVESITE
Phaleron War Cemetery,Greece 15.B.12
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Newport,Monmouthshire
son of Walter G. and Lilian...
-
SURNAME
Marsh
FORENAME
Donald Carruthers
UNIT
4 Bn
RANK
Lieutenant
NUMBER
240661
DATE OF DEATH
12th October 1944
AGE
GRAVESITE
Phaleron War Cemetery,Greece 17.B.17
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Dorset
resided Birmingham
KIA Greece
-
SURNAME
Empson
FORENAME
Alan Howard
UNIT
SOE Military Mission to Greek Resistance Army
RANK
Major
NUMBER
2702
DATE OF DEATH
6th April 1946
AGE
28
GRAVESITE
Phaleron War Cemetery,Greece 7.E.6
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit 18 Bn,New Zealand Infantry
born 26.5.1917 Te...
-
SURNAME
Botha
FORENAME
Arthur Samuel (Ape)
UNIT
LRDG Z1 Patrol
RANK
Rifleman
NUMBER
RH18000046
DATE OF DEATH
11th December 1944
AGE
19
GRAVESITE
Phaleron War Cemetery,Greece 17.A.4
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit King's Royal Rifle Corps
son of Adriaan Jacobus and...
-
SURNAME
Sheppard
FORENAME
Leslie Frederick (Rufus)
UNIT
SOE Liaison Officer Greece
RANK
Lieutenant Colonel
NUMBER
157375
DATE OF DEATH
30th December 1944
AGE
39
GRAVESITE
Phaleron War Cemetery,Greece 19.A.11
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Intelligence Corps
born 1905...
-
SURNAME
Kingston
FORENAME
Frank Charles Norton
UNIT
Special Boat Squadron
RANK
Sergeant
NUMBER
7345605
DATE OF DEATH
24th April 1944
AGE
23
GRAVESITE
Phaleron War Cemetery,Greece 23.D.14
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Army Medical Corps
born Cardiff,Glamorgan...
-
SURNAME
Fishwick
FORENAME
William Owen
UNIT
Special Boat Squadron (M Detachment)
RANK
Private
NUMBER
66847
DATE OF DEATH
7th July 1944
AGE
35
GRAVESITE
Phaleron War Cemetery,Greece 10.E.7
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit East Yorkshire Regiment
former Corporal,Royal...