GRAVES IN PALESTINE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 186, 6 August 1918, Page 4

GRAVES IN PALESTINE.

I Major J. A. Sommerville, D.5.0., of I Stanley Bay, has received from the Holy Land, through Padre McDonald, Catholic j chaplain with the N.Z. Forces in the | i East, very interesting and highly-prized I photographs of the little cemetery one mile west of Jericho, and just south of the Jersusalem- road, where his (brother, Major Charles Sommerville, and other colonials, are buried. It is a place of great antiquity, and being so near an ; important road, has the . appearance of j having been much used in the days of long ago. The cemetery lies snugly at the bottom of a sloping hill, and has a very neat appearance. The ground has been cleared of stone, and after the graves have been carefully mounded up, the stones are used with good effect to enclose the area, which gives the appearance of compactness, and marks out the exact 6pot of each grave; and unless at any time disturbed, would last for many generations, because the ground of that •particular spot does not shift or lend I itself readily to change. Many brave New Zealanders are buried in this wellchosen spot. Most of "the graves have I wooden crosses erected over them, with I the name and date of death clearly marked. In the ease of Major SommerI ville's cross the letters of the inscription ! have been deeply carved in the wood by faithful hands in a most commendable way. In some quarters there has been a strong desire to forward a movement to try and get all the bodies located, and brought to one central spot, but this does not find general favour with the majority of the soldiers fighting in the East, who think that no better restingplace could be found for a j soldier than a spot near the plec where he fell fighting for all the principles of freedom and justice that his country holds dear. A proposition that, after the war, one great memorial somewhere near the Suez Canal should be put up by the soldiers themselves to the memory of their fallen comrades, does find favour, and no doubt in due course ■will be carried out. Another very realistic photograph which the esteemed padre has sent out is the camping ground above the village of Wady Sir, ir. the mountains of Moab, where the troops under the command of the late officer camped on Easter Sunday morning. The Major is easily see- at the door of his tent, talking to the doctor, and other officers well known in New Zealand are easily picked out. j The picture gives a very good idea of the | many activities of the troops when restI ing on the line of action, and shows the superb organisation of our troops, and ■ how troops move forward into' the ; enemy country.