| Additional Information: | Son of Gillot and Annie Croft, of 73, Westgate, Rotherham. |
| Cemetery: | DEIR EL BELAH WAR CEMETERYIsrael |
| Grave or Reference Panel Number: | A. 209. |
| Location: | Deir El Belah is in Palestine about 16 kilometres east of the Egyptian border, and 20 kilometres south-west of Gaza. To reach the cemetery, travel along main road number 4 and the entrance is to be found down a sand track just before a junction. Look out for a sign over the road on the right of the junction. |
| Visiting Information: | Casual visits to the Cemetery are possible but can be difficult. If using vehicles, ie Israeli standard number plates, the vehicle MUST be parked at the crossing point outside of the barriers. For further information and guidance, visitors should contact the Local Supervisor in Israel; Tel: 008 9221220 / Fax: 008 9241493 |
| Historical Information: | On 28 February 1917, the cavalry of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force entered Khan Yunus, midway between the Egyptian border and Deir el Belah causing the Turks to withdraw to Gaza and Beersheba. The railway was pushed forward to Deir el Belah, which became the railhead in April 1917, and an aerodrome and camps were established there. The cemetery was begun towards the end of March and remained in use until March 1919. Most of the burials were made either from field ambulances from March to June 1917, or from the 53rd, 54th, 66th and 74th Casualty Clearing Stations, and the 69th General Hospital, from April 1917 until the Armistice with Turkey. A number of graves, the majority of which were originally at Khan Yunus, were brought into the cemetery after the Armistice. The cemetery contains 724 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. There are also ten war graves of other nationalities |