Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Commonwealth War Graves Commission We ensure those who died in service or conflict are commemorated so that they are remembered forever.

What’s the best way to plan a visit to a CWGC cemetery or memorial, to see war graves, and to experience the battlefield...
20/06/2026

What’s the best way to plan a visit to a CWGC cemetery or memorial, to see war graves, and to experience the battlefields of the past?

Such places are areas tinged with memory, meaning, and tragedy. Planning your battlefield trip will help you gain a better understanding of where you’re going, why these places matter, and how to approach them respectfully.

Our cemeteries and memorials often sit on the sites of former battlefields. They are inextricably connected, not only to time and place, but to our shared Commonwealth history too.

Our guide on our website will help you prepare for a visit to a former battlefield in a responsible way to help maximise your time and understanding of these powerful spaces.

It’s been a week since An Evening at Brookwood 2026.Thank you to all the performers who made it such a special night — a...
19/06/2026

It’s been a week since An Evening at Brookwood 2026.

Thank you to all the performers who made it such a special night — and to everyone who joined us, braving the dismal (but thankfully dry) British weather!

By attending, you helped support the work of our charity in telling the stories of the 1.7 million people from across the Commonwealth who died in the two World Wars.

We can’t wait to return to Brookwood next year for an even bigger evening of music, history and commemoration.

18/06/2026

It’s now been a month since our biggest War Graves Week yet, with events taking place across the globe. But our work doesn’t stop there!

We run public engagement activities throughout the year, so do keep an eye on our website for what’s coming up next.

Here's a look at our team in Jakarta, delivering one of their fantastic events as part of War Graves Week and helping share the stories of those we commemorate.

🎁Give a gift that keeps stories alive.Just in time for Father’s Day, you can now gift a membership to the Commonwealth W...
16/06/2026

🎁Give a gift that keeps stories alive.

Just in time for Father’s Day, you can now gift a membership to the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation.

It’s more than a present — it’s a way to help preserve the stories of the 1.7 million people we commemorate, ensuring they are remembered for generations to come.

Perfect for fathers, grandfathers, and anyone with a passion for history.

🎁 Discover more and give a meaningful gift today (link below).

15/06/2026

At Brookwood, a landscape designed to grow and change over time.

A space shaped to evolve naturally — reflecting how commemoration itself changes across generations.


🎞️ Landscape Architect Tom Stuart-Smith

Football can feel like a world of noise and colour, but some of its most enduring stories are held in quieter places. In...
13/06/2026

Football can feel like a world of noise and colour, but some of its most enduring stories are held in quieter places.

In our cemeteries and on memorials worldwide, you can find the names of footballers who died in the First World War and the Second World War, commemorated not as athletes, but as individuals in service. Whether a player was famous or little known, their commemoration follows the same equality principle - the same care, the same standards, the same permanence.

Around 2,000 or so professional footballers served in the British Armed Forces during the First World War. Famously, 11 players of Hearts of Midlothian, then the Scottish league leaders, volunteered to join McCrae’s Battalion, alongside 16 other members of Hearts staff. They were joined by players and staff from other Scottish sides, such as Hearts’ city rivals Hibernian, Raith Rovers, Falkirk, Dunfermline Athletic, and East Fife.

Football’s wartime story is not limited to one country. The individuals we commemorate came from across the Commonwealth, reflecting different leagues, cultures and local traditions of the game. If you are researching a former player or local club member, you can begin by searching our war records, exploring a story through For Evermore, or planning a visit to the place where they are commemorated.

📷Troops of the 1st Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment, playing football near Bouzincourt, September 1916 (© IWM (Q 1108))
📷Thiepval Memorial - Sunset - Philip Amey

13/06/2026

Our best wishes to our Patron, His Majesty The King

Six men from Essex, London, Bradford, Bristol and the Northampton who served and died together, have finally been buried...
12/06/2026

Six men from Essex, London, Bradford, Bristol and the Northampton who served and died together, have finally been buried at Tyne Cot Cemetery more than 100 years after their death.

"When this case was passed to the Commission by our Belgian partners, I was hopeful that all six casualties might be identified given the specific context of their recovery in a shell hole with Lewis Gun parts and regimental insignia. The Battalion ledger confirmed that these six men were listed as missing on the same day, no other names being recorded alongside them, providing a compelling avenue for further research. Having now been identified, it was a privilege to support their families with their choices for the new headstones, which the Commission will care for in perpetuity." Dr Daniel Seaton, CWGC Commemorations Case Officer

👉Discover more on our website

12/06/2026

At our new memorial at Brookwood 600 trees will be planted as part of our flagship 39,000 Trees for 2039 programme. Trees are vital to the ongoing health of biodiverse landscapes, aiding soil health, providing shelter and food for local wildlife, and shading for people to sit, contemplate, and enjoy their surroundings.

More than 100 years after their deaths, the graves of two soldiers of the Queens Royal West Surrey Regiment who made the...
11/06/2026

More than 100 years after their deaths, the graves of two soldiers of the Queens Royal West Surrey Regiment who made the ultimate sacrifice during the First World War have finally been identified.

“It is with great reverence that, after more than a century, we can now mark the graves of Lance Corporal Springate and Serjeant Stevens with headstones that identify their names and bear the details of their service. The memory of these soldiers is now etched in stone, honouring their sacrifices at their final place of rest in Hooge Crater Cemetery." Sean Phillips, CWGC Commemorations Support Coordinator.

📷Eric Compernolle

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2 Marlow Road
Maidenhead
SL67DX

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

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