1915-08

Portianos Military Cemetery established

Location

Presentation folder with photograph of the grave of 868 Private Arthur Leslie ‘Les’ Healy of the 21st Battalion. A painter from Preston, Victoria, Healy enlisted on 6 Jan. 1915, aged 19 years, and embarked at Melbourne aboard HMAT Ulysses on 8 May 1915. He was killed aboard HMT Southland on 2 Sept. 1915, the direct result of an explosion, and was buried at East Mudros Cemetery, Lemnos. — PRESENTATION FOLDER WITH PHOTOGRAPH OF THE GRAVE OF 868 PRIVATE ARTHUR LESLIE ‘LES’ HEALY OF THE 21ST BATTALION. FROM PRESTON, VICTORIA, HEALY ENLISTED ON 6 JANUARY 1915, AGED 19, AND EMBARKED AT MELBOURNE ABOARD HMAT *ULYSSES* ON 8 MAY 1915. HE WAS KILLED ABOARD HMT *SOUTHLAND* ON 2 SEPTEMBER 1915, THE DIRECT RESULT OF AN EXPLOSION, AND WAS BURIED AT EAST MUDROS CEMETERY, LEMNOS. C2628911 - AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL

The Portianos Military Cemetery operated from August 1915. Located outside Portianos village, it was established near the civilian cemetery.

It comprises 347 Commonwealth graves. These include the graves of 50 Australians, 29 New Zealanders and 262 Britons. Three Egyptian Labour Corps men, one Turkish officer and two Canadian nurses are also buried here. When the Old Square Tower Cemetery closed in August 1915, the bodies of five Britons and four Australians were re-interred here.

More than half of the Australians in this cemetery lost their lives in the two months from the beginning of the August offensive on Gallipoli.