Commonwealth War Graves week to honour 181 burials in Sutton Bridge, Spalding, Holbeach, Donington and Crowland
Men and women who gave their lives while serving in Commonwealth Forces will be honoured in the coming days.
First and Second World War cemeteries may seem far distance away but there are around 181 Commonwealth War Graves in South Holland.
Sutton Bridge has the highest number of graves with 60 as Australian, Czech, Canadian and Polish airmen were buried in St Matthew’s Churchyard.
Commonwealth War Graves Week will be running from tomorrow (Saturday) to remember the sacrifice made by those lying in our cemeteries.
Spokesman Lewis Brown said: “We’re delighted that the CWGC’s War Graves Week will be taking place in Lincolnshire.
“For us at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, remembrance and the sharing and caring for World War heritage is a daily duty. Behind every name on a war grave or memorial is a human story waiting to be discovered and War Graves Week is the perfect opportunity to do just that.”
The Sutton Bridge churchyard contains three First World War Graves, including that of G H Tuttle (38), of HMS Pembroke, who died on November 29, 1917.
But with the arrival of RAF Sutton Bridge, which became fully operational in 1926, saw servicemen from across the Commonwealth arrive in the village to fly some of the most iconic wartime aircraft, including the Supermarine Spitfire.
The churchyard now contains 14 Canadians, four airmen from New Zealand, an Australian along with German airman Heniz Schulz.
Churchwarden Kevin Wheeler would encourage people to go along and honour the service personnel by laying flowers.
He said: “I am passionate about Sutton Bridge having wargraves. They are looked after by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.”
Spalding Cemetery contains 33 Commonwealth war graves while 13 service personnel can be found in Holbeach and five in Donington.
Here are the other Commonwealth Graves in the area:
- One in Bicker
- One in Crowland
- One in Cowbit
- Six in Fleet
- One in Fosdyke
- One in Gedney
- One in Gedney Drove End
- Two in Gedney Hill
- Five in Gosberton Cemetery
- Two in Holbeach Hurn
- Nine in Kirton cemetries
- Three in Long Sutton churchyard and cemetery
- Two in Lutton
- Two in Moulton, including that of Leading Aircraft Woman Emily Goodyear (23) who died on June 26, 1944
- Five in Pinchbeck cemetery and churchyard
- One in Quadring St Margaret's Churchyard
- Two in Sutterton
- Two in Sutton St James
- Two in Surfleet
- Five in Swineshead
- Four in Tydd St Mary
- One in West Pinchbeck
- One in Weston
- Three in Whaplode
- Four in Whaplode Drove
- Three in Wigtoft
