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The
'Old' Christian Cemetery It is believed that the original plot of land for this cemetery was given as a gift by the Ruler of Bahrain, Shaik Isa Bin Ali Al Khalifa, in response to a request from the British Assistant Political Agent, Mr. John Calcott Gaskin. The title deed was dated June 1901 (12th Rabia Thani 1319). An early photograph of the cemetery (1903) shows the boundary wall and gate with no roads or buildings in the immediate vicinity. Such has been the development of Bahrain since that time, the cemetery is now completely surrounded by roads and buildings and is in the midst of a very busy area of Manama. A plan , produced 1932/3 shows what appears to be the original wall with a gate on the West side only. The dimensions of the wall were, West to East, 80.3 ft (24.4m) by 82 ft (25m), North to South. The overall size of the plot is shown as 155.3 ft (47.2m) by 82 ft (25m).
First burial: Shortly after the first burial, the remains of five British Royal Navy Officers and men who had died in Bahrain between 1872 and 1889 and been buried outside the walls of what is now the Police Fort, opposite St. Christopher's Cathedral, were transferred to the 'Old' cemetery. It is interesting to note that the Memorial Inscriptions on the 'Fort' headstones were recorded by Dr. Samuel M. Zwemer in 1893. By 1901 all but one of the grave markers had disappeared. The surviving marker, that of Michael Kearney M.D. Surgeon, HMS Beacon, who died on the 19th July 1879, cause of death unknown, age 33 years, was transferred to the 'Old' cemetery. The marker, made of teak wood, survives to this day (2004) and is still legible and in remarkably good condition.
Epidemics: At the end of April 1904 another epidemic hit the island. This time the scourge was cholera. Ten percent of the population from Manama and Muharraq were hit with the disease, with an astounding two thirds of them dying from its effects. [It is not known if any plague, smallpox or cholera victims were buried in the cemetery.] In June 1904, when the epidemic was beginning to subside, all four Zwemer children (Dr. Samuel M. Zwemer of the Mason Memorial Hospital, later known as the American Mission Hospital) went down with a severe attack of measles. [From 100 years of AMH, published December 2002.] The following month two of the daughters, Ruth aged 4 and Amy aged 7 died on the 7th and 15th respectively, and were buried in the same grave. Between February 1905 and January 1906 there were three burials where the cause of death was given as typhoid fever. The first of these was Arthur Ashbull Lockyer, an able seaman from the Royal Navy gunboat HMS Redbreast. The entries in the ship's logbook read as follows: " Tuesday 7th February 1905. Died at the Mason Memorial Hospital, Bahrein Arthur Ashbull Lockyer ABSG sightsetter, of an acute attack of typhoid fever. Wednesday 8th February 1905. 7.40am Landed escort and bearers to attend the funeral of the late A. Lockyer AB at the Indian Government's burial ground at Manama; interred the remains with naval honours - Rev. S. M. Zwemer officiating." [From research by Kevin Patience] The second and third victims were also associated with the American Mission Hospital. Dr. Marion Wells Thoms died on 25 April 1905 and Jessie Vail Bennet, the wife of Dr. A.K. Bennet, was buried on 21 January 1906.
Seamen:
Extensions:
Last burial:
Neighbours:
Stewardship: Correspondence in 1931/2 between the British Political Agent, Mr. Charles Belgrave1, Advisor to the Bahrain Government and the Commanding Officer of HMS 'Emerald' regarding the burial of Lt. Peter Dabney Heinemann R.N. stated:
Flight Lieutenant Peter Dabney Heinemann R.N. died on 21 December 1931 when his 'flycatcher' float plane crashed into the sea whilst machine gunning floating targets as part of a display for local dignitaries. He was buried with full military honours on 22 December 1931. It was recorded that: "the following were present at the pier and accompanied the coffin to the cemetery and remained there till the burial ceremonies were over:-
Shaikh Sulman 38 - 4 - 0 for the funeral expenses. Plot plans As a result of the incident and correspondence above, a plot plan was produced (believed to be the first). The plan is undated but given the fact that the most recent grave recorded is that of Lt. Heinemann it can safely be assumed to have been drawn between late1931 and 1932. This plan shows the dimensions of the cemetery at that time, with a single gate on the Western side and records a total of 40 graves, 13 of which are identified. The rows shown correspond to Rows 6 to 13 on the most recent plot plan. A plan of the cemetery, compiled on 13 February 1945 by Capt. A. Nielson Hutton of the Graves Registration unit (Drawing No: GRE/30/187) shows 104 marked Christian graves and one grave marked with the Star of David, unfortunately, there is no listing of names or Memorial Inscriptions. The drawing also shows that between 1933 and 1945 an Eastern gate had been added to the cemetery which now measured 150 ft. (45.6m) by 82 ft. (25m). A
plan drawn in October 1964 shows that the Western and Eastern gates
had been walled off and a single entrance gate installed on the
North side (as it is today). The plan shows only the grave plots of
British Military personnel, but indicates that the West / East
measurement had now increased to its final length of 306
ft.(93.25m).
Major restoration:
War Memorial: Disasters: On 22nd August 1948 a British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) Plymouth Class flying boat G-AHZB, en-route on a scheduled flight from Hongkong to Poole, Dorset, UK, departed Karachi bound for Bahrain with a crew of eight under the Command of Captain R. F. Stone and 18 passengers. The flight to Bahrain was uneventful and the aircraft came in to land at the Marine Air base just before 0100 hours G.M.T. on 23rd August 1948. It was a dark moonless night. The visibility was 6 miles and the wind was North Westerly 6 mph. The aircraft touched down on the water and bounced. On the second contact with the water the forward part of the hull broke up and the starboard wing was badly damaged. The aircraft rapidly filled with water and sank to the seabed 12 feet below the surface. Three of the crew of eight and seven of the 18 passengers lost their lives. The remainder received injuries, mostly of a minor nature. [From research by Kevin Patience] Of the 10 crash victims, three crew and three passengers are buried in the cemetery. The other four were exhumed and repatriated.
The Air France crashes
1950: Search and rescue operations began immediately. The wreckage was located at about 05.20 hours on June 13th lying in approximately 12 feet of water at a bearing of 124 degrees True, 3.3 statute miles from the end of the runway at Muharraq. Six crew and 40 passengers were killed. Two crew and four passengers survived. Sir Charles Belgrave described the aftermath of the crash: " It was a day of macabre muddle. I was asked to help in making arrangements for the burial of the bodies which had been recovered from the sea in the little Christian cemetery which was looked after by the American Mission. The Mission clergyman offered to take part in the funeral service as well as the Catholic priest, as it was not known which of the people were Catholics and which were Protestants. The burials did take place in Manama, and after some months the coffins were taken to France." [From the book 'Personal Column' by Sir Charles Belgrave.] Two days later, on the 14th June 1950 another Air France DC-4 aircraft F-BBDM on the same scheduled flight as the previous aircraft, left Karachi at 16.43 hours with eight crew and 45 passengers. At 21.41 hours the aircraft reported it was over Bahrain Airport. At 21.52 hours the aircraft reported "Procedure turn" to the Bahrain Tower. The Tower replied "No.1 field clear for landing". Nothing further was heard. Search and rescue operations were begun at 22.10 hours. The first news of the aircraft came at 02.00 hours on June 15th when a vessel anchored off Sitra reported that one of its boats had rescued nine survivors. The second crash occurred in the same location as the first. Ironically, among the passengers of this second crash were officials from Air France en-route to Bahrain to carry out an investigation into the first crash. Three crew and 37 passengers were killed. Five crew and eight passengers survived.
Sir Charles Belgrave recorded the second crash, as follows: " In
what seemed the middle of the night, though in fact it was about
three o'clock in the morning, something disturbed me. I seemed to
hear a voice speaking about the Air France crash. When I went to
sleep my mind had been full of the disaster and the sights which I
had seen, and I thought I was dreaming. I roused myself and then I
saw a young British police officer standing by my bed. I was very
drowsy. ' An Air France aircraft has come down in the sea,' I heard
him say. ' Yes,' I muttered, 'of course, I know all about it. Why
have you come to talk about it now?' I then realized that he was
very excited and upset. 'Another Air France aircraft has come
down in the same place,' he said urgently. 'It's impossible,' I
replied. 'It couldn't happen again.' By this time I was wide awake.
'Sir,' said the young officer, 'it's true, there has been
another crash, at exactly the same time and in the same place as the
one the day before yesterday". In each case the Boards of Enquiry attributed the crashes to pilot error and made a recommendation that consideration be given to equipping Bahrain Airport with radio landing aids and suitable runway approach lighting. [From a letter written by Eric J. Goodall, Manager Flight Safety, Gulf Air. Published in the Gulf Daily News 1995] Research into the crashes by Kevin Patience and his brother Colin, an airline engineer, found that the probable cause was a phenomenon associated with certain weather conditions known as 'microbursts' which would have created conditions that were beyond the recovery capabilities of both the pilots and the aircraft involved. The victims of both crashes were initially buried in the cemetery but were all subsequently exhumed and repatriated. On 9th December 1994 a Memorial was erected to commemorate the 86 victims of the two Air France aircraft crashes which occurred in 1950. The memorial consists of a plinth upon which is mounted one of the actual aircraft propellers, recovered from the crash site of the second aircraft in the sea off Muharraq island by Kevin Patience in 1994. In May 1999 in recognition of his efforts in connection with the Air France crashes, Kevin Patience was appointed a Chevalier of the Order of Merit by the French Government. At 9.35pm on the evening of February 19th 1958 the 7,440 ton British cargo vessel "Seistan" blew up in a shattering explosion in the Bahrain Explosives anchorage at Sitra. The explosion killed 57 people consisting of ships crew, stevedores and a tug crew alongside. The vessel had been carrying a mixed cargo which included cases of Toe Puff, a substance described in the "Dangerous Cargoes aboard Ships" listing as; 'Several layers of fabric impregnated with cellulose nitrate solvent, rosin and dye. Liable to spontaneous combustion. To be packed in hermetically sealed tins and packed in wooden cases and to be stowed away from inflammable cargo and not in the same hold as explosives.' Two cases of this material had been stowed in No. 5 hold which also contained 156 tons of commercial explosive consisting of Geophex and gelatine together with cases of safety fuses and detonators. On 17th February 1958 as the vessel was entering the Arabian Gulf, via the Mediteranean and Red Sea, smoke was seen issuing from a deck ventilator in the vicinity of No. 5 hold. The hold was immediately filled with steam to smother any flames. The steam smothering continued until 5.30 am on 18th February when the vessel anchored at Sitra where it was decided to discharge the explosives. Some 75 tons were subsequently discharged and steam smothering resumed. During the day the vessel was moved closer to the port. That evening, February 19th 1958, a glow was observed in the vicinity of No. 5 hold. Minutes later, at 9.35pm, a vast explosion blew the vessel in two - leaving a huge pall of smoke rising into the night sky. 'The shock wave from the explosion was felt in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. In Awali, the cinema screen shook like jelly. The ship's stern was completely shattered, the after part of the main deck being wrapped over the superstructure as if it were the top of a sardine can'. [ From 'The Islander' newspaper, published by BAPCO]. What remained of the vessel caught fire and sank by the stern in 40 feet of water leaving the bow and foredeck above the surface. The explosion killed Captain Chappel, almost the entire Indian crew in the after part of the vessel and five crew members of a tug alongside. There were 18 survivors. [ From articles written by Kevin Patience and published in the Gulf Daily News.] Three victims of the Seistan disaster remain in the cemetery.
Vandalism The public reaction to this incident was one of shock and horror that such a thing would happen in Bahrain, particularly given the Country's long history of peace and religious tolerance. Expatriates and local people alike immediately made generous donations to help with the repairs. The Bahrain authorities were immediately informed of the incident by H.E. Mr. Peter Ford, the British Ambassador and they too expressed their shock and sadness. As a result, the then Minister of Labour, H.E. Mr. Abdulnabi Abdulla Al-Shoa'la was delegated to deal with the matter. The damages were repaired by the C.C.C.C. and the walls of the cemetery (which were sadly in need of repair) were completely refurbished and topped with a tasteful 1 metre high wrought iron fence to improve security. All of these works were funded by the Bahrain Ministry of Finance. The works were completed on 8th October 2002. From 1901 to 1966 more than 500 burials took place. There have been a number of exhumations over the years. In the late 1940's the remains of 13 British Military personnel who died in Bahrain in 1942/3 ( during World War 2.) were exhumed and their remains transferred to the Basra Military Cemetery, Iraq. Three Burmese victims of the 1947 BOAC air crash were exhumed and returned to their families. The 86 victims of the two Air France crashes in 1950 were exhumed and returned to France and there have been a small number of other exhumations. A total of 407 known graves remain in the cemetery, 45 of which contain the remains of British Military personnel and 27 those of their dependants. [ The graves of British Military personnel and their dependants who die in peacetime are known as " Non - War graves" and are the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence (U.K.) and not the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.] The Nationals of 25 countries are known to rest in the 'Old' Christian cemetery, including:
In addition to Christians of many denominations, there is at least one person of the Jewish faith and a number of Buddhists buried in the cemetery.
A future project is to record all of the Memorial Inscriptions from the remaining headstones in this cemetery. ______________________________________________
Location: Salmabad is roughly midway between Manama and Isa Town.
First burial: Of the 24 plots in the 'Military' Compound, only one remains vacant. The last burial in this section, that of Sergeant Edward Daly, Royal Air Force, who died of heart failure on 25th February 1971. To date, (2003) the Nationals of 24 countries are known to rest in the 'New' cemetery, including:
In addition to the above there are a number of persons of unknown name or origin. It is anticipated that this cemetery will be full by 2006 - 2007 at which point a third Christian cemetery will need to be established in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Funding of the Cemeteries: Funds for the maintenance and upkeep of both cemeteries are derived from:
We are always in need of funds.
Kind donations, however small, will be gratefully received and put
to good use in maintaining the Christian Cemeteries in the Kingdom
of Bahrain as fit places of repose and remembrance. Footnotes: 1. Mr. Charles Belgrave1, Advisor to the Bahrain Government: His son, James Hamed D. Belgrave, who died on 29th June 1979 aged 50 years, is buried in the Salmabad Cemetery. Row 44, Plot 11.
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Last updated February 2004
