Cannock Chase German Cemetery

Discussion in 'War Cemeteries & War Memorial Research' started by von Poop, Jan 28, 2007.

  1. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Visited the Cannock German Cemetery again on Thursday.
    Hard frost was the perfect weather.

    Still a strange and beautiful place where between 1959 & 1969 around 5000 German and Austrian nationals who died during the first and second wars were gathered. Includes a Field Marshal, many internees (the youngest only one year old), flat slabs marking the entire crews of downed aircraft, a seperate area for four complete zeppelin crews and an interesting memorial slab to 'Ukranian Volunteers' in a section with nothing but Eastern European names on the markers (Galizia Division?).

    There is also a small CWGC cemetery nearby; largely full of German and New Zealand Casualties from WW1 (there was a large POW hospital nearby) with a handful of second war stones. I was puzzled why the Germans hadn't been moved to the main cemetery but apparently those already interred in CWGC plots were left alone (If I remember correctly leaving approximately 1000 still scattered around the country).
    Well worth a Visit.

    Some pictures:
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    CWGC Cemetary:
    [​IMG]

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    Cheers,
    Adam.
     
    Lindele likes this.
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Great Adam,
    Must visit oneday.
    from CWGC CWGC :: Cemetery Details
    The agreement provided for the transfer to a central cemetery in the United Kingdom of all graves which were not situated in cemeteries and plots of Commonwealth war graves maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in situ.
     
  3. GRW

    GRW Pillboxologist

    Just on that last note, there are two German airmen still buried in the churchyard at Lennoxtown, Scotland, who were killed during the Clydebank Blitz.
    I'll try to get over and photograph the headstones.
     
  4. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Just on that last note, there are two German airmen still buried in the churchyard at Lennoxtown, Scotland, who were killed during the Clydebank Blitz.
    I'll try to get over and photograph the headstones.

    Would that be Campsie Cemetery?

    CWGC :: Cemetery Details
     
  5. Kitty

    Kitty Very Senior Member

    Everyone must visit Cannock if you can. Amazing place. You'll need to pick up the little road signs for cemetery and follow them. You'll come to the CWGC site first, by the side of the road. Can't be more than 100 graves in it, and as Adam has said nearly all WW1 (I believe the influenza epidemic hit the hospital hard).
    You then need to take the road down the side of this cemetery to reach the German site. You can't actully see the graves from the road, only the entrance building which is a bit like 60's toilet block architecture (sorry). Walk in here and you'll find a book listing all internees by name and grave number. Walk out of here and you enter a roofless 'building' with the statue of the fallen soldier (based on The Dying Celt?). Through a doorway to the right is the Zeppelin crews, then to the left is the doorway to the main cemetery. You'll be left astounded by how many graves there are.
    By memory there are 4 men per headstone? not sure. Been a while since I visited.
    The Chase Visitor centre a couple of miles away has some information on the military hospital as it is built on the site of it.


    Just a note for everyone: Cannock Chase is known as a major site for vipers. And the road down to the German cemetery is a favourite basking spot for them. Just be careful.
     
  6. GRW

    GRW Pillboxologist

    Owen,
    It might well be. My old man was a War Reserve Constable in Stirling during the Clydebank Blitz, and a squad of them were sent to Lennoxtown after reports came in of German aircrew seen bailing out over the town. They found at least one them in the grounds of Lennoxtown Castle; his 'chute hadn't opened.
     
  7. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Fascinating page on German war memorials from the Third Reich in Ruins site mentioned recently:
    German War memorials
     
  8. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    <TABLE width="98%" border=1><TBODY><TR><TD width="50%">[​IMG]

    </TD><TD width="50%">[​IMG]

    </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle width="100%" colSpan=2>This memorial of an unusual design honors World War I soldiers. It is in the shape of an Iron Cross, laid out as a low wall enclosing a grove of 64 oak trees. The cross is located on a hillside to the west of Burgbernheim in northern Bavaria. The cross shape is difficult to see from ground level, without snow on the ground, but it shows up clearly in the aerial photo on the right. (aerial photo copyright Bayerische Vermessungsverwaltung) (MapQuest Map Link)

    </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

    From that link, I saw this.Then found it on Google Earth 49°26'48.41"N 10°18'13.59"E
     
  9. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  10. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Great colour photo of a German cemetry in the desert .
    http://www.ww2talk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=1054
    Nice shot. Wonder how many of those blokes are still there?
    Since I first visited Cannock I've been fascinated by the rounding up of the scattered dead but have read very little on it. Wonder if there's a decent book or memoir that covers it?
     
  11. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  12. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    That nice chap Croonaert just sent me these.
     

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  13. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    At Owen's request; (I only exist to do his bidding), Google Earth coordinates for the German Cemetary at Cannock.

    52°44'20.05"n 2° 1'19.02"w

    Nice and clear coverage, Copper roof is the main building and the small CWGC cemetary is to the Southwest.
     
  14. ourbill

    ourbill Senior Member

    I've been to Cannock Chase Cemetary quite a few times in all weathers, you must have got one of the fine days. It never fails to impress, if such a area can but it always brings a lump to the throat.

    Lichfield is just down the road from Cannock Chase and is also worth a visit. Whittington Barracks(on the Tamworth Road) has a small but well-formed museum and a WW1 archive about the Staffords.There is a WW1 trench that the kids will enjoy. If you are into camping there's a good camp site on Cannock Chase.

    Whittington Barracks Home page

    Don't forget Lichfield Cathederal, one of the best in the country. End of plug for Lichfield!
     
  15. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    We stumbled across the Staffords museum on the way back, good old fashioned Regimental museum with some good airborne stuff... I spent most of my time poking about their Bren Carrier, real shame they haven't got indoor storage for it.
     
  16. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Whittington Barracks, I'll dig a photo of me there in 1986 out of the loft next week.
     
  17. kfz

    kfz Very Senior Member

    Im down there for a weekend at the in laws soon and at loose end for the day. Looking forward to seeing both.

    Kev
     
  18. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Found it, cor nearly 21 years ago. Me as a "stuid TA b*st*rd". :)
    Just think this is an historical photo as these Regiments aren't around anymore.
     
  19. Kitty

    Kitty Very Senior Member

    I'm not laughing!
     
  20. ourbill

    ourbill Senior Member

    Im down there for a weekend at the in laws soon and at loose end for the day. Looking forward to seeing both.

    Kev

    If you get to Lichfield opposite Woolworths there's Lichfield Book Shop that has a collection of WW2 books and many others-cheap and new.

    There's also a Cafe Nero.
     

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