265 British soldiers, 14 RAF airmen and 1 Dutch sergeant, a member of the Prinses Irene Brigade, are buried on this British Commonwealth War Cemetery. Most graves date from the fall of 1944 when there was fierce batlle between units of the German army with elements of the Fallschirmjaegers and American and British forces. The fighting was in the Overloon and Venray area in the Netherlands. The Allied forces stood on the doorstep of the Third Reich but were kept back in this area after operation Market Garden. Elements of the 4th Battalion Coldstream Guards fought here and some are burried on the cemetery. In the Liberty Park Museum nearby you find vehicles and more information of the Coldstream Guards, part of the 6th Guards Armoured brigade.
The cemetery is very well taken care of. Each grave has a similar white gravestone. Standing tall in the center at the entrance of the cemetery rises a Portland-stone “Cross of Sacrifice” mounted with a bronze sword. Fresh rosaries were lying at the base on our visit. The cross is a symbol for all the British and Commonwealth soldiers that died in the Second World War around the world. The gravestones hold the names, rank and insignias of the units the men belonged to. The design of this war cemetery is of Sir Reginald Blomfield and identical to all the other British War Cemeteries and is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in 140 countries.
Visit
You can combine a visit to this war cemetery with a visit to Liberty Park Overloon. The cemetery is on the Vierlingsbeekseweg, be careful not to miss it. The lies very peacefully near a wooded area.
