Perth War Cemetery: Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery

Statement of Significance

The Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery has aesthetic, historic and social cultural heritage significance. It demonstrates tangible evidence, in the form of war graves, principally of Australia's involvement with World War II and its immediate aftermath (the relevant time period being 1939-47). lt also reflects World War I and Vietnam, and the toll in human lives of Australian servicemen and servicewomen. There is also tangible evidence of Allied involvement with Western Australia. It is part of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's world-wide network of cemeteries and plots. Of particular significance is the plan of the graves which were arranged to form a Maltese Cross.

Physical Description

The Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery has 513 war graves in a landscaped lawn setting, featuring a stone Cross of Sacrifice in the centre.

History

The War Graves Organisation in Australia. This background account is taken from Chinn (1996). All war cemeteries, war graves and other commemorations in Australia and neighbouring areas, as well as the official post-war commemorations of veterans who meet certain eligibility criteria, are administered by the Office of Australian War Graves. Although the Office has the War Graves Act 1980 (Commonwealth) it functions as an element of the Department of Veterans' Affairs (Chinn 1996, p.5). It was created in December 1974 when the Anzac Agency of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (formerly the Imperial War Graves Commission, created by Royal Charter ·in 1917 with a Supplemental Charter of 1964) was wound up. The Office now has a dual role: a.) as an agent of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to mark and maintain the graves and Memorials to the Missing for members of Commonwealth Forces who died during the periods 4 August 1914 to 31 August 1921 (World War I) and 3 September 1939 to 31 December 1947 (World War II) (Chinn 1996, p.11). b.) The offical commemoration of eligible veterans who have died post-war or whose deaths are accepted by the Repatriation Commission as being caused by war service (Chinn 1996, p.25). A pertinent discussion of World War II war cemeteries and war memorials in Western Australia is given in Richards (1996). According to notes prepared locally in 1998, there are three main focal points at the Perth War Cemetery. These are described separately below as Places K3(a), K3(b), and K3(c). COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES CEMETERY (Place K3(a)) Unless otherwise indicated, the information in this section is taken from The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (1962, pp. 24-53) which includes a 'Register of names of those who fell in the 1939-1945 war and are buried in Cemeteries in Western Australia'with 'particulars ... compiled from information furnished by the Records Offices concerned and by the next-of-kin' (p. ii), hereinafter termed 'the 1962 Register'. Information from the set of notes prepared locally in 1998 has also been used. Originally known as the Perth War Cemetery it was established in the south-east corner of the Karrakatta Cemetery by the Australian Army's Graves Registration Service in 1942, the first burial taking place on 16 November 1942 (West Australian, 16 November 1942). The cemetery was laid out in the form of a Maltese Cross and continued to be used in its intended sense 'War of 1939-45' until late December 1947. One of only two permanent war cemeteries in Western Australia (the other being at Geraldton), this Cemetery was taken over by Commonwealth War Graves Commission in February 1949 and has the Index Number of AUS.530. ). About that time the Anzac Agency of that Commission was formed to care for war graves in Australia. Commencing in January 1975 it became the responsibility of the newly created Office of Australian War Graves (as an agent for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission), that arrangement continues today, with maintenance being carried out 'to the standards laid down by the Commission' (Chinn 1996, p.7). According to Richards (1996, p.277) 'it is the third largest war cemetery in Australia'. The statistics in Chinn (1996, pp.103-4) confirm this if the Japanese War Cemetery at Cowra NSW is excluded. From research carried out in connection with the preparation of these Historical Notes, it seems possible that burials (at least 16) relevant to World War II may have occurred after 1962. Further research into the post-1947 history of this Cemetery would be needed to clarify this aspect, also as to when the sixteen World War I and the four Vietnam War burials took place. According to The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (1962, p.25) the burials from the World War II period total 477, including 26 'other' (non-Australian) Commonwealth and two Dutch. The panel at the entrance to the Cemetery as inspected in August 1998 also gives these figures. However, a count of the headstones by the writer in August 1998 has ascertained that the World War II burials actually total 493, which figure is confirmed by Chinn (1996, p. 104); this disparity has not yet been explained. Whilst they are predominantly members of the Australian services (including six women per the 1962 Register), the burials include members of the forces of Britain, New Zealand, Canada, and Hong Kong, and from the Royal Netherlands Navy. The latter comprises two personnel who are not named in the Register by The Commonwealth War Graves Com.nllssion (1962) probably because they are not 'war dead of the Commonwealth'. The writer has ascertained that they are Stoker P.J.H. Gereadts KM (Plot M, Row C, No. 2; + 13-10-45) and Steward P. van den Bos KM (Plot G, Row C, No. 15; +21-12-43) - see also Tyler (1987, p. 60The writer recollects that a number of United States service personnel (mostly US Navy but probably including some American Red Cross women) were buried at this cemetery during the World War II period (marked with characteristic white wooden crosses) but their remains were removed by to the USA in 1948 by an American War Graves expedition which came to Australia by ship (Barker and Jackson 1996, pp. 250-1). The World War II graves in this Cemetery comprise those who died locally from accident (including one large training accident at Moora in March 1943 when at least fourteen Australian soldiers were killed}, sickness or tragic circumstances and include a number of remains which were reinterred from civil and temporary militaJ;y burial grounds elsewhere in Western Australia. In the 1962 Register, the earliest date of death listed is 6 November 1939 (Steward D. Gordon RANR) and the most recent date of death is 24th December 1947 (Corporal T.W. North, Australian Corps of Signals). A number of those buried in this Cemetery died in Hollywood Military Hospital from wounds or sickness after being returned from operational areas. The best known person buried in this Cemetery is the famous RAAF air ace and hero, Squadron Leader Keith W. ('Bluey') Truscott DFC and Bar, who was killed in a flying accident in Exmouth Gulf on 28th March 1943 whilst commanding No. 76 Squadron. Another burial is Colonel W.B. Robinson DCM ED, who, whilst he was the Commanding Officer of the Volunteer Defence Corps in Western Australia, died on 18th May 1945. The oldest person to be buried in this Cemetery is Private A.B. Parker, Army Catering Corps, who died aged 70 years on 12th April 1945. Richards (1996, p. 278) states that 'although the cemetery was officially closed at the end of World War II, four Vietnam servicemen are also buried there'. The writer has conftrmed this by inspection. There are also sixteen graves from the World War I period comprising twelve Australian Army, two Australian Flying Corps, one Australian Nurse, and one New Zealand Army (these burials were originally at the Woodman Point Quarantine Station and seem to be related to the worldwide influenza epidemic of 1919). These twenty graves are located in two groups and form an extra row on the western side of the lawn area of this Cemetery. The World War I graves are not shown on the map of the Cemetery in The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (1962, p. 26). There are thus a total of 513 graves in this Cemetery from three Wars. The gravestones are made from local grey granite and are uniform in shape. They are set out in over numbered graves which are in lettered rows which have been further grouped into twelve lettered Plots. In the middle is a stone Cross of Sacrifice. The Main Entrance (with a room for shelter from the weather, formerly the Records Building) is located in Smyth Road on the east side of the Cemetery. This room has the Western Australia [sic] Cremation Memorial, Perth (Index No. AUS. 530A) on its eastern internal wall in the form of a bronze panel. It lists the names of seven Australian servicemen who died during World War II. The panel inspected in connection with the preparation of these Notes differs slightly from the wording given by The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (1962, p. 53) in that it relates to those whose 'remains were cremated and the ashes scattered or rest where full commemoration cannot be given'. It is not known at this point if this is a replacement panel.

Integrity/Authenticity

High

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update