Bayeux War Cemetery
About Bayeux War Cemetery
The largest Commonwealth World War II cemetery in France, located on the southwestern outskirts of Bayeux. Contains 4,144 Commonwealth graves and 505 war graves of other nationalities, with white Portland stone headstones arranged across 27 plots. The cemetery was established in July 1944, shortly after D-Day, when Bayeux became the first French town of importance liberated by Allied forces. Opposite the cemetery stands the Bayeux Memorial bearing the names of over 1,800 Commonwealth servicemen with no known grave. The grounds are maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and feature a Cross of Sacrifice, two stone chapels with burial registers, and the CWGC 'For Evermore' app for self-guided tours. Open 24 hours daily with free admission. Parking available at the nearby Musée de la Bataille de Normandie, about 300 meters away.
Interesting Facts
The Bayeux Memorial bears a Latin inscription: 'NOS A GULIELMO VICTI VICTORIS PATRIAM LIBERAVIMUS' meaning 'We, once conquered by William, have now set free the Conqueror's native land.' This links the 1066 Norman Conquest of England with the 1944 British liberation of Normandy.
Plot XIV contains nearly all the D-Day dead from 48 (Royal Marine) Commando who landed on Juno Beach on June 6, 1944. These men are buried together as a unit.
The memorial commemorates 189 men of the 43rd Divisional Reconnaissance Regiment who perished when their ship MV Derrycunihy struck a German mine off Ouistreham (Sword Beach) on July 23, 1944 - the single biggest British loss of life off the Normandy beaches.
Corporal Sidney Bates of the Royal Norfolk Regiment, buried here, was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions near Sourdeval on August 6, 1944. His medal is now displayed at the Royal Norfolk Regiment Museum in Norwich.
Planning Your Visit
Opening Hours
Location & Practical Info
Address
Boulevard Fabian Ware (D5), 14400 Bayeux, France
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