Bot at 13:52, 15 August 2021

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{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox Military Memorial
|name = Alamein Memorial
|body = [[Commonwealth War Graves Commission]]
|image = File:AlameinCommCemet6.jpg
|caption =
|commemorates = land force soldiers of the Commonwealth who died in the campaigns in Egypt, Libya and in the operations of the Eighth Army in Tunisia up to 19 February 1943, and airmen of the Commonwealth who died in the campaigns in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Greece, Crete and the Aegean, Ethiopia, Eritrea and the Somalilands, the Sudan, East Africa, Aden and Madagascar, and in service of the Rhodesian and South African Air Training Scheme and have no known grave.
|unveiled = 24 October 1954
|coordinates =
|nearest_town = [[El Alamein]], Egypt
|designer = [[Hubert Worthington]]
|inscription =
|commemorated = 11,866
|source={{cwgc cemetery|131900}}
}}

The '''Alamein Memorial''' is a [[Commonwealth War Graves Commission]] war memorial in the El Alamein War Cemetery, [[El Alamein]], [[Egypt]]. The memorial commemorates 11,866 Commonwealth forces members who died during World War II. The memorial was designed by [[Hubert Worthington]] and unveiled by [[Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein|Viscount Montgomery of Alamein]] on 24 October 1954.<ref name="cwgc">{{cite web|url=http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/131900/ALAMEIN%20MEMORIAL |title=Alamein Memorial |publisher=Commonwealth War Graves Commission |access-date=2013-12-28}}</ref>

The memorial commemorates a collection of different areas of service and geography. For land forces the memorial largely commemorates those who died during the [[Western Desert campaign]] as well as in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Iran and have no known grave. For airmen the memorial commemorates those that died in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Greece, [[Crete]] and the Aegean, Ethiopia, [[Eritrea]], [[Somaliland|the Somalilands]], the [[Sudan]], East Africa, [[Aden]] and [[Madagascar]] and in service of the Rhodesian and South African Air Training Scheme and have no known grave.<ref name="cwgc"/> The memorial is collocated with El Alamein War Cemetery, which largely contains the graves of men who died at all stages of the Western Desert Campaign.

When designing the memorial, Worthington followed similar principles to First World War memorials, but made modifications on account of the climate and environment in Africa. This included building tall walls to keep out drifting sand, providing shelters from the sun, and planting [[Succulent plant|succulents]], including cacti in place of plants more common in Europe.<ref>{{cite book |first=Julie |last=Summers | title=Remembered: The History of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission |year=2007 |publisher=Merrell |location=London |isbn=978-1-85894-374-9}}</ref>

==References==
{{commons|Category:Alamein Memorial}}
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Find a Grave cemetery|1966588|El Alamein War Cemetery}}

[[Category:Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorials]]
[[Category:Western Desert campaign]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1954]]
[[Category:World War II memorials]]
[[Category:El Alamein]]

Alamein Memorial - Revision history

Bot at 13:52, 15 August 2021