Free tour of war graves on Remembrance Sunday to tell 'remarkable' stories

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is hosting a free tour of Buxton Cemetery on Remembrance Sunday.

There are a combined 76 casualties from both World Wars buried in its grounds, and the tour aims to bring their stories to life. 

Just over a third of the graves are of Canadian servicemen, many of whom were treated at the Canadian Red Cross Hospital in what is now Buxton Museum and Art Gallery. 

It had a capacity of 275 patients, while one of its doctors, Federick G Banting, won a Nobel Prize for his work on using insulin to treat diabetes. 

Tour organiser Colin Agar said: “It will provide local people the chance to discover the remarkable stories of the men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the First and Second World Wars who are buried in their community. 

“2024 is a significant year for commemoration and the CWGC launched ‘The Legacy of Liberation’ campaign to mark the 80th anniversaries of several pivotal moments during the Second World War.  

“From Kohima, Monte Cassino, Imphal, the D-Day Landings and Arnhem. This will be the final free tour of the year and will provide local people the opportunity to remember those who died during the two World Wars and to learn about the stories of their local heroes.” 

The CWGC cares for the graves of 1.7 million casualties of war from across the Commonwealth. 

The meeting point for the tour is at the Cross of Sacrifice, 75 metres inside the main entrance on Ashbourne Road, and begins at 2:15pm on Sunday, November 10.