 Due to local conditions it was sometimes necessary for the Commission to deviate from its standard design . In places prone to extreme weather or earthquakes , such as Thailand and Turkey , stone @-@ faced pedestal markers are used instead of the normal headstones . These measures are intended to prevent masonry being damaged during earthquakes or sinking into sodden ground . In Italy headstones were carved from <unk> Perla limestone because it was in more plentiful supply . In Struma Military Cemetery , in Greece , to avoid risk of earthquake damage , small headstones are laid flat on the ground . The smaller size of the markers mean that they often lack unit insignia . 
