Guards - Poland Cemeteries list

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• KRAKOW RAKOWICKI CEMETERY
• MALBORK COMMONWEALTH WAR CEMETERY

 

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• Krakow Rakowicki Cemetery

KRAKOW RAKOWICKI CEMETERY

• Country: Poland
• Locality: unspecified
• Location Information: Krakow is a city in the south of Poland about 290 kilometres south of Warsaw. From the A4 WROCLOW to KRAKOW motorway continue to the end, following signs for KRAKOW CENTRUM. The road then changes to the A7 PASTERNIK. Continue for approx 4 kilometres to a roundabout. At the roundabout follow straight ahead along JOZEFA CONRADA then OPOLSKA. Continue for approx 4 kilometres then turn right into AL. 29 LISTOPADA (at a large crossing after passing under a railway bridge). Take the first left into JANA PRANDOTY (there is a petrol station on the corner). Please note that there is limited parking around the cemetery during holidays. On entering the cemetery continue straight for approximately 100 metres then turn left (CWGC signposted) and continue for a further 200 metres where the Commonwealth War Graves plot can be found. The cemetery address is:- Cmentarz (Cemetery) Rakowicki Ulica Jana Prandoty 31-519 Kraków Poland GPS Location is:- N 50 04 43 E 19 57 19
• Historical Information: At the end of the Second World War, the graves service of the British Army of the Rhine gathered together Commonwealth graves from all over Poland into three cemeteries, this being the largest. Those buried here died while prisoners of war during the German occupation, most of the graves coming from the cemetery at the large camp at Lamsdorf, Stalag VIIIB (after 1943 known as Stalag 344), where there was a hospital of 450 beds used only for Commonwealth prisoners. Before this hospital came into being the sick at Lamsdorf were treated at the hospital at Langenbielau: those who died were buried in Langenbielau Catholic Cemetery, and these graves were also moved to the Commonwealth plot at Krakow. Other graves brought into the cemetery were those of airmen who lost their lives during the Warsaw supply drop and the bombing of factories, railways and other strategic objectives. Some of these airmen were originally buried in Warsaw. There are now 483 Commonwealth casualties of the Second World War buried or commemorated in Krakow Rakowicki Cemetery. There are also 24 non war graves, those of civilian internees (including two Imperial War Graves Commission gardeners) and 15 Polish war graves.
• No. of Identified Casualties: 499

1. 2735645 Guardsman Richard James BARTLETT, 2 Welsh Guards: PoW, 27/11/1944 Grave Reference 4. B. 2.
2. 2735542 Guardsman David BLYTHIN, 2 Welsh Guards: PoW, 11/03/1943 Grave Reference 4. A. 6.
3. 2657484 Guardsman Sydney Wilson MARGERRISON, 1 Coldstream Guards: PoW, 22/06/1941 Grave Reference 1A. C. 8.
4. 2695837 Guardsman Thomas Turnbull MAXWELL, 2 Scots Guards : PoW, 05/04/1943 Grave Reference 1A. C. 2.
5. THOMAS, JOSEPH EDWARD J E GUARDSMAN 3RD BN. Coldstream Guards 2657824 10.03.1945 Grave Reference 4. B. 3.

 

MALBORK COMMONWEALTH WAR CEMETERY

• Country: Poland
• Locality: unspecified
• Location Information: The town of Malbork (formerly known as Marienburg) lies in the north of Poland approx 60kms south east of Gdansk. From the main A1 GDANSK to LODZ take the exit for the Road 22 MALBORK / GNOJEWO Continue for approx 24kms and immediately after crossing the river at Malbork Castle turn right following Road 55 GRUDZIADZ (CWGC sign). This road is called ALEJA ARMII KRAJOWEJ. Continue for approx 2kms (road name changes to 500-LECIA) and the cemetery can be found on the left The cemetery address is:- 500-Lecia 82-200 Malbork Poland GPS Location is:- N 54 01 16 E 19 00 48
• Historical Information: The Second World War burials at Malbork are mostly of men who died while prisoners of war in the nearby camps. Stalag XXB was a camp of some size at Malbork itself, Stalag lA was situated at Stablack, between Malbork and Gdansk, Stalag 2A at Starogard, a few kilometres south of Stablack, and Stalag XXA, at Torun (Thorn), about 120 kilometres south of Malbork. When hostilities had ceased, the graves service of the British Army of the Rhine moved the graves from the local burial grounds to this war cemetery, together with other Commonwealth graves in outlying places in the area where their permanent maintenance could not be assured. The largest number came from Torun, and the next largest from burial grounds in Malbork itself and Gdansk. MALBORK COMMONWEALTH WAR CEMETERY contains 232 Second World War burials. There are also 13 First World War burials which were moved from Gdansk (Danzig) Garrison Cemetery in 1960. The cemetery also contains the MALBORK MEMORIAL, commemorating 39 First World War casualties buried in Heilsberg Prisoners of War Cemetery (changed in 1953 to Lidsbark War Cemetery) where their graves could no longer be maintained.
• No. of Identified Casualties: 240

1. 2658341 Guardsman Harold Leslie ANDERSON, 1 Coldstream Guards: PoW, 17/12/1940 Grave Reference 1. A. 11.
2. 2719731 Guardsman Albert Stanley BUTLER, 2 Irish Guards: PoW, 10/05/1942 Grave Reference 7. B. 11.
3. 2615600 Guardsman Ralph William FORTUNE, 3 Grenadier Guards: PoW, 27/01/1943 Grave Reference 4. A. 6.
4. 2732386 Guardsman Alfred JONES, 2 Welsh Guards: PoW, 23/01/1941 Grave Reference 5. B. 8.
5. 2735068 Guardsman Hughie John JONES, 2 Welsh Guards: PoW, 25/07/1943 Grave Reference 2. A. 13.
6. 2615590 Guardsman George Alfred SPENCE, MiD, 3 Grenadier Guards: PoW, 24/04/1944 Grave Reference 4. B. 14.