British Cemetery Photos
More like British Cemetery
Recommended Reviews - British Cemetery
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
Bottom Line: A place to remember four brave British sailors who made the ultimate sacrifice while assisting the United Sates during WWII. I have an overwhelming appreciation for our veterans, whether modern day or before my time, and it is important to me that I honor and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. Although this cemetery is not for United States veterans, it is for British sailors who were assisting the United States during WWII. For that reason, I wanted to take a few moments to visit this site and pay my respects. As other Yelpers have noted, the young men buried here were aboard the Bedfordshire patrolling for German U-boats. The Bedfordshire was struck by a torpedo and all men aboard, four officers and 33 enlisted men, perished. Four bodies, two known, and two unknown, washed up on shore and the brave soldiers were buried here. Per the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (an agreement between six countries for marking graves of WWI and WWII casualties) the graves have been marked, recorded and maintained by the United States with the same degree of care that is provided for its own deceased veterans. I think the British Cemetery is worth a quick stop to pay respects to the four young men buried here and to take a moment to remember veterans of the United States and allied forces.
Such a unique interesting place. The place is small, but has lots of different plots and stones. It's so old and so fragile. I'm surprised it's not protected better, given the trailer park neighbor. Standing there looking at the site, it makes you wonder what history is behind all of this. I will have to read up on it!
On Ocracoke Island, the British Cemetery commemorates four British Royal Navy sailors who lost their lives on May 11, 1942, when German U-boat 558 attacked their ship, the HMT Bedfordshire. Only four remains were found when the ship sank off the coast of North Carolina while searching for enemy submarines; they washed up close to the settlement. Residents of Ocracoke gave a tiny piece of land for their burial as a token of appreciation and respect; this area is now permanently leased to the British Commonwealth, making it, metaphorically, British soil. Each year on the anniversary of the sinking, a memorial ceremony is held with representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, British Royal Navy, and Canadian forces, honoring the sacrifice of these men who died defending American shores. [Review 778 of 2025 - 4210 in North Carolina - 24338 overall] read more
9 years ago
In the early stages of WWII Germany sent several U-boats to the coast of North Carolina in an attempt to reek havoc with shipping and supply routes. During the first three months of 1942, U-boats sank 39 vessels off Ocracoke so needless to say the Germans initial strategy proved highly effective. In response The United States borrowed two dozen merchant vessels from England, armored and mounted them with guns and set them to patrol the area off the Outer Banks which came to be called Torpedo Alley. One of those ships, the HMS Bedfordshire, was torpedoed on May 11, 1942 by U-558 and quickly sank. All thirty-seven crew on board perished. Three days later, two bodies washed up on Ocracoke, followed by two a few days later. All were buried in a small plot next next to the existing Howard-Wahab Cemetery thus creating what you see today with the British Cemetery on Ocracoke Island. Sub-Lieutenant Thomas Cunningham and Ordinary Telegraphist Stanley Craig were the two bodies that were identified along with two others that were never identified. A fifth unidentified body from the Bedfordshire washed up near Hatteras Island and was buried next to Michael Cairns who washed ashore from the sinking of the tanker San Delfino in 1941. www.yelp.com/biz/british-cemetery-buxton Crosses made for the U.S. Navy by locals in 1942 marked the gravesites of the four sailors. For the next forty-one years the crosses remained then were replaced with regulation British markers from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in 1983. That year David Esham, who was President of Ocracoke Preservation Society, was able to save the crosses from being destroyed and kept them stored under the Pony Island Motel. The crosses were eventually moved to the Ocracoke Preservation Society building for storage and in May of 2001 the Commonwealth War Graves Commission granted permission so the crosses could be displayed at the cemetery. Most noteworthy is that every year on the Thursday and Friday closest to May 11th, a memorial service is held by the U.S. National Park Service, U.S. Coast Guard and members of the British and Canadian Royal Navies at both cemeteries on Ocracoke and in Buxton. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YKEk6SA_GA If you come, the cemetery is not terribly difficult to find simply because nothing on Ocracoke is. But assuming you are coming from the Hatteras Ferry dock you just go down 12 until you get to the main village. Then you follow 12 to the right going around the perimeter of Silver Lake then turn right on to British Cemetery Road. The cemetery will be on your right in a quarter mile. Parking is tough in this area as there are signs everywhere telling you not to park on lawns or to block the driveway to the adjacent campground. There is a small parking area in front of the cemetery that holds maybe three cars. On the day we visited we were the only car there as other visitors had either walked or taken a golf cart. read more
8 years ago
Bottom Line: A place to remember four brave British sailors who made the ultimate sacrifice while assisting the United Sates during WWII. I have an overwhelming appreciation for our veterans, whether modern day or before my time, and it is important to me that I honor and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. Although this cemetery is not for United States veterans, it is for British sailors who were assisting the United States during WWII. For that reason, I wanted to take a few moments to visit this site and pay my respects. As other Yelpers have noted, the young men buried here were aboard the Bedfordshire patrolling for German U-boats. The Bedfordshire was struck by a torpedo and all men aboard, four officers and 33 enlisted men, perished. Four bodies, two known, and two unknown, washed up on shore and the brave soldiers were buried here. Per the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (an agreement between six countries for marking graves of WWI and WWII casualties) the graves have been marked, recorded and maintained by the United States with the same degree of care that is provided for its own deceased veterans. I think the British Cemetery is worth a quick stop to pay respects to the four young men buried here and to take a moment to remember veterans of the United States and allied forces. read more
Such a unique interesting place. The place is small, but has lots of different plots and stones. It's so old and so fragile. I'm surprised it's not protected better, given the trailer park neighbor. Standing there looking at the site, it makes you wonder what history is behind all of this. I will have to read up on it! read more
The British Cemetery was created in May 1942 for four sailors, two known and two unknown, that washed ashore from the HMS Bedfordshire after she was torpedoed by German U-boat. To this day the United States Coast Guard station at Ocracoke maintains the property. A British flag flies at all times over the graves of those British sailors. The flag is replaced each year with a new one sent by the Queen of England. read more
10 years ago
15 years ago
