Tall al Kabir
Encyclopedia
Tall al Kebir or Tel-el-Kebir (الكبير Arabic) ("great mound") is 110 km north-north-east of Cairo
and 75 kilometres south of Port Said
on the edge of the Egyptian desert at the altitude of 29 m. Administratively, it is a part of Muhafazat al Isma`iliyah, Egypt
.
In the ancient times the city of On
(modern Matariyah) mentioned in Genesis 41:45 was identified by some as located south-west of the mound, which according to the Egyptian legend was the first place where cotton
was cultivated.
The location is famous for the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir which was fought between the Egyptian army led by Ahmed Urabi and the British military. The ancient runs of On were fortified into an entrenched camp by the Egyptian troops.
reinforcements, No 2 Australian Stationary Hospital, and also a site of a large prisoner of war
camp. Some 40,000 Australians camped in a small tent city at Tel-el-Kebir of six miles in length. A military railway was eventually constructed to take troops from the camp to their vessels in Alexandria and elsewhere for embarkation to Gallipoli landings.
The Tel-el-Kebir village was described by an Australian soldier in 1916 as
The Allied War Memorial Cemetery is situated about 175 metres east of the railway station and the Ismailia Canal. The War Memorial Cemetery was used from June 1915 to July 1920, and was enlarged after the Armistice
many grave
s were transferred in from other temporary internment sites. The camp was converted for use as a holding camp for refugees from what used to be southern Russian Empire
.
vehicle park, a military hospital
and a large ordnance depot, with many military mechanical and electrical repair workshops including the RAOC Base Vehicle Depot Tel-El-Kebir, Egypt BVD(E) which remained for several years after the war as part of the Tel el-Kebir Garrison which was surrounded by a perimeter wire and minefield, and heavily guarded due to the tense atmosphere in Egypt at the time, that supplied every type of vehicle used by the British Army in the Middle East Theatre until the Suez Emergency
was declared, and fought in the Canal Zone.
The cemetery now contains 65 Commonwealth
graves from the First World War and 526 from the Second World War. There are also 84 military graves of other nations in the cemetery.
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
and 75 kilometres south of Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
on the edge of the Egyptian desert at the altitude of 29 m. Administratively, it is a part of Muhafazat al Isma`iliyah, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
In the ancient times the city of On
Heliopolis (ancient)
Heliopolis was one of the oldest cities of ancient Egypt, the capital of the 13th Lower Egyptian nome that was located five miles east of the Nile to the north of the apex of the Nile Delta...
(modern Matariyah) mentioned in Genesis 41:45 was identified by some as located south-west of the mound, which according to the Egyptian legend was the first place where cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
was cultivated.
The location is famous for the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir which was fought between the Egyptian army led by Ahmed Urabi and the British military. The ancient runs of On were fortified into an entrenched camp by the Egyptian troops.
First World War
During the First World War, Tel el Kebir was a training centre for the First Australian Imperial ForceFirst Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
reinforcements, No 2 Australian Stationary Hospital, and also a site of a large prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camp. Some 40,000 Australians camped in a small tent city at Tel-el-Kebir of six miles in length. A military railway was eventually constructed to take troops from the camp to their vessels in Alexandria and elsewhere for embarkation to Gallipoli landings.
The Tel-el-Kebir village was described by an Australian soldier in 1916 as
a very dirty little place with a few dirty shops in it
The Allied War Memorial Cemetery is situated about 175 metres east of the railway station and the Ismailia Canal. The War Memorial Cemetery was used from June 1915 to July 1920, and was enlarged after the Armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
many grave
Grave (burial)
A grave is a location where a dead body is buried. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as graveyards or cemeteries....
s were transferred in from other temporary internment sites. The camp was converted for use as a holding camp for refugees from what used to be southern Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
.
Second World War
During the Second World War, Tel el Kebir was a site for the Eighth ArmyEighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
vehicle park, a military hospital
Military hospital
Military hospital is a hospital, which is generally located on a military base and is reserved for the use of military personnel, their dependents or other authorized users....
and a large ordnance depot, with many military mechanical and electrical repair workshops including the RAOC Base Vehicle Depot Tel-El-Kebir, Egypt BVD(E) which remained for several years after the war as part of the Tel el-Kebir Garrison which was surrounded by a perimeter wire and minefield, and heavily guarded due to the tense atmosphere in Egypt at the time, that supplied every type of vehicle used by the British Army in the Middle East Theatre until the Suez Emergency
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
was declared, and fought in the Canal Zone.
The cemetery now contains 65 Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
graves from the First World War and 526 from the Second World War. There are also 84 military graves of other nations in the cemetery.