The Bayeux War Cemetery is the largest

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

cemetery of Commonwealth soldiers in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, located in Bayeux,

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

. The cemetery contains 4,648 burials, mostly of the Invasion of Normandy. Opposite this cemetery stands the Bayeux Memorial which commemorates more than 1,800 casualties of the Commonwealth forces who died in Normandy and have no known grave. The cemetery grounds were assigned to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

perpetuity A perpetuity is an annuity that has no end, or a stream of cash payments that continues forever. There are few actual perpetuities in existence. For example, the United Kingdom (UK) government issued them in the past; these were known as conso ...

by France in recognition of the sacrifices made by the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

in the defence and

liberation of France The liberation of France in the Second World War was accomplished through diplomacy, politics and the combined military efforts of the Allied Powers, Free French forces in London and Africa, as well as the French Resistance. Nazi Germany inv ...

during the war. In addition to the Commonwealth burials, there are 466 graves of German soldiers. The cemetery contains the

Cross of Sacrifice The Cross of Sacrifice is a Commonwealth war memorial designed in 1918 by Sir Reginald Blomfield for the Imperial War Graves Commission (now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission). It is present in Commonwealth war cemeteries containing 40 or ...

or War Cross, designed by Sir

Reginald Blomfield Sir Reginald Theodore Blomfield (20 December 1856 – 27 December 1942) was a prolific British architect, garden designer and author of the Victorian and Edwardian period. Early life and career Blomfield was born at Bow rectory in Devon, w ...

for the

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations m ...

(CWGC). Queen Elizabeth II and

President of France The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (french: Président de la République française), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency i ...

Jacques Chirac attended ceremonies at the cemetery on 6 June 2004, marking the 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.Staff
"Queen's tribute to D-Day veterans"
''

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

'', June 6, 2004. Retrieved December 16, 2008. Queen Elizabeth II and

François Hollande attended ceremonies at the cemetery on 6 June 2014, marking the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.

History

The CWGC is responsible for marking and maintaining the graves of those members of the Commonwealth forces who died during the two world wars. Of the 18 Commonwealth cemeteries in Normandy containing 22,000 casualties of the invasion, Bayeux is largest. Although there was not a particular battle fought in Bayeux itself, casualties were brought to this cemetery from around the region. This includes field hospitals and soldiers who died on

Sword Beach Sword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase, Operation Neptune, of Operation Overlord. The Allied invasion of German-occupied Fr ...

Notable graves

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

Corporal

Sidney Bates Corporal Sidney Bates VC (14 June 1921 – 8 August 1944) was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Ear ...

, a member of the 1st Battalion

The Royal Norfolk Regiment The Royal Norfolk Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army until 1959. Its predecessor regiment was raised in 1685 as Henry Cornwall's Regiment of Foot. In 1751, it was numbered like most other British Army regiments and named ...

, was awarded the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

for his gallant actions on 6 August 1944 near

Sourdeval Sourdeval () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, the former commune of Vengeons was merged into Sourdeval.Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

Flying Officer B.E. Bell (pilot); Flying Officer H.D. Clark (air gunner); Sergeant J. Holden (wireless operator/air gunner); Sergeant J.J. Reed (air gunner); and

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

Flying Officer D. MacFadyen. They all died 10 June 1944.

The Bayeux Memorial

The Bayeux Memorial was erected in white stone facing the cemetery. The Latin epitaph along the frieze of the memorial is reference to

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...

and the Invasion of England in 1066: NOS A GULIELMO VICTI VICTORIS PATRIAM LIBERAVIMUS. The translation reads: "We, once conquered by William, have now set free the Conqueror's native land." bayeuxcemetery12

On this memorial are engraved the names of the 1,808 men of the Commonwealth who died in the Battle of Normandy and who have no known grave. The Bayeux Memorial in Normandy, France commemorates 270 Canadian servicemen and women. Among the names are the 189 men of the 43rd Divisional Reconnaissance Regiment who were aboard the ill-fated MV ''Derrycunihy''. On the night of 23 July 1944, the ship was anchored off the coast of

Ouistreham Ouistreham () is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy region in northwestern France. Ouistreham is a small port with fishing boats, leisure craft and a ferry harbour. It serves as the port of the city of Caen. The town borders the ...

(

), and the regiment was awaiting to disembark. At 0800 the ship's engines detonated a submerged German mine, ripping the hull apart. This was the biggest British loss of life off the Normandy beaches. The 189 missing men's names are engraved on the wall in Bayeux.

Location

The cemetery is located in Bayeux, in the

Calvados Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples or pears, or from apples with pears. History In France Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Nor ...

commune, on the Boulevard Fabian Ware (D.5). It is located 24 kilometres north-west of Caen and 13 kilometres south of Arromanches-les-Bains.

In culture

The cemetery is the subject of a poem by

Charles Causley Charles Stanley Causley CBE FRSL (24 August 1917 – 4 November 2003) was a British poet, school teacher and writer. His work is often noted for its simplicity and directness as well as its associations with folklore, legends and magic, espec ...

, "At the British War Cemetery, Bayeux". He later stated that he had been inspired to write by his visit to the cemetery because it was the first war cemetery he had ever visited.http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=123

References

External links

* * *
At the British War Cemetery, Bayeux (poem)
by

Maple Leaf Legacy Project

Australian War Grave Photographic Archive

South Africa War Graves Project

United Kingdom National Inventory of War Memorials

A guide to Bayeux War Cemetery
{{Subject bar , portal1=Architecture , portal2=France , portal3=United Kingdom , portal4=World War II , commons=y , commons-search=Bayeux War Cemetery Bayeux British military memorials and cemeteries Canadian military memorials and cemeteries Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in France 1944 establishments in France Operation Overlord cemeteries World War II memorials in France