On Monday 31st October we travelled south to participate in the Service of Remembrance at Be’er Sheva Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery. It is organised by the Australian and New Zealand Embassies, in association with the Be’er Sheva Municipality, and is followed by a similar event in the nearby Mustapha Kemal Attaturk Square, organised by the Turkish Government and the Municipality.
This is our third year as participants. As in previous years, the Australian Ambassador, Andrea Faulkner, spoke with depth and sincerity and clarity. And the New Zealand Embassy Deputy Head of Mission, Tui Dewes, opened and closed her speech in the Māori language – and that feels important and respectful. And after the laying of the wreaths, we moved to the Square, where the Turkish Ambassador spoke. It is very powerful to hold these two ceremonies, one after the other. To stand together and respect the memory of the dead on all sides in the conflict is to respect the humanity of all.
The Mayor of Be’er Sheva, Ruvik Danilovich, spoke at both ceremonies, saying that Be’er Sheva is the city of Abraham, and that Abraham is important to Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths. He also reminded everyone that Be’er Sheva is the site of the first recorded peace treaty – Abraham’s Well (Genesis 21), the treaty with King Abimelech. Invoking aspirations for peaceful co-existence seemed very relevant – both in the context of events 94 years ago and today (it was later reported that a Grad rocket from Gaza was destroyed in the air that evening – it was headed towards a populated area of Be’er Sheva).
Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery. In the forefront two unknown soldiers from the Black Watch
After the ceremony, as we walked back to our car, we walked slowly through the cemetery. Rows and rows of graves for soldiers who died on 31st October 1917. And other dates, including the 6th November 1917 – the majority of the graves for that date were for Black Watch soldiers.
We did not stay long, because we needed to be back in Jerusalem for an event in the late afternoon. We stopped off at a cafe just off the motorway, for a quick lunch. We just managed to get our order taken before a group of about fifteen young soldiers, men and women, joined the queues to order their lunches to carry out. They looked like new recruits, or in the early days of their national service. Only one of them was carrying a rifle – acting as a guard perhaps. I found myself watching them, very aware of their interactions, and of the group dynamics. The fifteen seemed to gather in small groups, and there was energetic conversation. A few had separated themselves, talking on their mobile phones. The style and the hang of the uniform was obviously important to some of the young woman – it seemed more an outfit than a uniform. One young man looked like his uniform was about three sizes too big for him. One young woman seemed a bit lost for quite a while – not part of any of the small animated groups – struggling to look unconcerned – shy, perhaps – then suddenly and thankfully swallowed up into a discussion.
I found I was enjoying their youthful energy. I thought I was getting to know their personalities just a little bit. They were like any group of decent youngsters anywhere in the world – and I thought it would be a great crime if anyone hurt them, or if they became capable of hurting anyone. And I thought of young Scottish soldiers – of similar ages and probably of a similar range of personality – alive and energetic at one time… and then dead in warfare somewhere nearby on 6th November 1917.
Lest we forget their humanity!
When we talk about the Black Watch, we usually mean a Scottish regiment with a long and proud history. However, during the First World War, only two battalions of that regiment were posted to then-Palestine, and that at different times.
In 1917 the 14th battalion (Fife and Forfar) were a part of the 229 Brigade, 74 Division, XX Corps, and in 1918 they transferred to France, but the 2nd Battalion arrived, from Mesopotamia.
Note – a WW1 battalion is 1000 soldiers including all the command, support and other functions as well as the front-line fighters.
Fifty-one identified graves in BeerSheva are of men of the Black Watch who were killed on the 6 November 1917, or succumbed to their wounds in the days after the capture of the Sheria Position.
In addition a further ten have no known grave and are listed on the Jerusalem Memorial to the Missing.
All in all the Black Watch lost one hundred and fourty seven men during the First World War in Palestine, as well as a further 12 during the years of the British Mandate.
That was one battalion at a time over just two years of the war, in an area that was widely regarded as a “sideshow”
Thank You Asher. I remember your name as one of the people involved in developing the ‘War Graves Photographic Project’. This is an international Website that is developing to provide anyone with access to photographs of War cemeteries and individual graves – something which might be of real value to those who cannot travel to the places where relatives are buried. The website is still developing, but you can find out more about it on http://www.twgpp.org. It is my understanding that information from the Mount Scopus, Ramla, Gaza and Be’er Sheva cemeteries will be uploaded in due course.