| Cemetery: | BECKLINGEN WAR CEMETERY, Germany |
| Grave Reference/ Panel Number: |
8. C. 4. |
| Location: |
Becklingen War Cemetery is 13 kilometres south east of Soltau on the west
side of the road from Hamburg to Hannover. From Hannover travel north in the
direction of Hamburg on the Autoroute No.7 for 80 kilometres until the
junction with Soltau Sud, this is in fact the junction of the A7 with the B3
Hannover to Hamburg road. On leaving the A7 at Soltau Sud follow the B3 in
the direction of Celle and Bergen. The cemetery is on the right hand side of
the road, 7 kilometres from the motorway junction. |
| Historical Information: | Soltau, a small provincial town north of Hanover, adjoins Luneburg Heath, the pre-war training ground of the German army. The infamous concentration camp of Belsen lies about 14 kilometres to the south. Becklingen is a commune about 17 kilometres south of Soltau. The cemetery, known locally as "Englische Friedhof, Becklingen", is actually in the commune of Borkel, Kreis Becklingen. The site was chosen for the position on a hillside overlooking Luneburg Heath, where the German surrender was taken. To this final resting place were transferred soldiers, sailors and airmen from isolated graves in the countryside, small German cemeteries and prisoner of war camps cemeteries, including Fallingbostel, within a radius of about 80 kilometres. The majority of the graves are those of soldiers who gave their lives during the last two months of the war. There are now nearly 2400, 1939-1945 Commonwealth war casualties commemorated in this site, as well as a small number of post-war casualties. |