Commonwealth War Graves (British) Cemetery

1,241 Commonwealth soldiers (consisting of 973 British, 173 Australian, 31 New Zealanders, 1 Indian) are buried here. They fought and died in the battles over Gaza and Be’er-Sheva during World War I. During the fighting over 40,000 infantry attacked the city from the west and took over the trenches from west Be’er Sheva. In the meanwhile approximately 800 mounted forces (after a long flanking movement) fought east of the town and after whole day of fighting the Australian Light Horse charged the town just before sundown and liberated Be’er-Sheva.

Among the fallen is a Jewish Englishman named Seymour van den Bergh, who fell in battle five days before the liberation of the city.

His Commanding officer Maj Alexander Malins Lafone, Middlesex Hussars was awarded the Victoria Cross along with Lt Col Leslie Cecil Maygar, Australian Light Horse and Capt John Fox Russell, Royal Army Medical Corps attached to Royal Welsh Fusiliers.