The damaged graves of more than a hundred Second World War heroes buried in the Iraqi desert have been restored to their former glory after decades of conflict prevented their upkeep.

The graves, which mark the final resting place of 173 Second World War casualties and 117 who died in conflicts in the late 1940s to 1950s, are to be given new headstones to honour those who lie within.

Situated in Habbaniya War Cemetery, 60 miles west of Baghdad, they have lain untended since 1990 thanks to war and political instability making it unsafe for staff at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) to manage the site.

Following an improvement in the security situation, stonemasons at the CWGC's operations base in Beaurains, France, began producing nearly 300 white Portland stone headstones in December last year to transport to Iraq.

Local contractors started work on the ground in March, with the stones now installed and the cemetery restoration on the cusp of completion.