War grave

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War grave

A war grave is a burial place for people who died during war or war-related operations. This includes soldiers and also civilians. War graves can be on land, at sea (ships that sank in war), or in the air (military aircraft that crashed). Someone doesn’t have to die in combat to be in a war grave; it can also be due to disease, accidents, or other service-related causes.

War graves are often grouped in a single area because many deaths happened in a relatively short time and place. In big wars, cemeteries can cover large areas. For example, Brookwood Military Cemetery in the UK holds thousands of World War I and II graves. In Finland, after the Second World War, most fallen soldiers were returned to their home parishes, so war graves are found mainly in local churchyards.

Who takes care of war graves (jurisdiction)

- Australia: The Office of Australian War Graves maintains cemeteries, plots, and memorials.

- Commonwealth: The Commonwealth War Graves Commission commemorates about 1.7 million deceased Commonwealth service members at over 23,000 burial sites in 153 countries. It is funded by six member states: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, and South Africa.

- United Kingdom: The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 protects shipwrecks and underwater military remains as “protected places,” limiting exploration and salvage.

- Spain: War graves are protected by Law 60/1962.

- United States: War graves are managed by the United States National Cemetery System and the American Battle Monuments Commission.

- Germany: The state cares for war graves at home; abroad, the German War Graves Commission looks after German dead. Most German war graves are in civil cemeteries.

In popular culture

- Rupert Brooke’s poem The Soldier reflects on dying far from home. The War Graves Photographic Project aims to collect names and photos of military graves from 1914 to today, focusing on Commonwealth soldiers.

Gallery (examples)

- Normandy American Cemetery (France)

- Tyne Cot, in the Ypres Salient (Belgium)

- War graves at St. Mary’s Church, Turku (Finland)

- Graves of soldiers from other countries and periods around the world

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