War Cemetery in Narvik, Norway

[Ichhabe]

In a cemetery just outside of the town of Narvik is the Chapel of Peace. Far away from their homes, soldiers from the Commonwealth, France, Germany and Poland have found their last resting place.

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/2011/dsc01971ru9.jpg


Sign telling where War Cemeteries are situated


http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/1843/dsc01972wu0.jpg

Chapel of Peace



http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/5259/narvikcemetary2yy2.jpg

Cross of Sacrifice between Commonwealth War Graves



http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/4586/commonwealthwargravesnalm0.jpg

Commonwealth War Graves



http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/5881/morrisonhga1.jpg

Far away from home



http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/456/sailor21vs8.jpg

Known unto God



http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/7669/dsc01968hb5.jpg

The Cross in the French section



http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/2167/dsc01970ej2.jpg

French graves



http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/6998/dsc01967au8.jpg

A plaque commemerating major Guedj, shot down outside the coast of Norway
http://resistancememoires.over-blog.com/article-3149280-6.html#comment12110846

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/6905/dsc01966ks0.jpg

Plaque for the fallen from the French Destroyer "Bison"



http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/6718/dsc01927sy7.jpg

In front of the German War Cemetery



http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/2628/dsc01922cn0.jpg

The German Cross



http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/4784/dsc01924xc9.jpg

Plaque in front of cross



http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/985/dsc01926zl9.jpg

The German Cemetery



http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/4751/dsc01925ol9.jpg

Map over the German Cemetery



http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/3508/dsc01928my9.jpg

The Polish War Grave



http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/9703/dsc01929ut2.jpg

Names of the fallen

[Guerrier_Franc]

Thanks you for this post it's a forgotten theatre of WWII

[Jarhead]

Thanks for this post, great photos.
Ruhet in Frieden Kameraden

[Abrahamsen]

Nice post, thanks. :)

[NavyTimes]

It really strikes me how far many of these men were from home. This summer i drove from my home in Bergen to Bodo, that trip took three days, and we still had quite a distance left to Narvik.

There are different memorials of the victims off the war pretty much all along the way, thought i might post some pics:


Memorial of sovjet slave labours who built the railway to Bodo
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/7062/nordlandsbanen1zm5.jpg

Similar memorial, of Jugoslav prisoners, from Saltfjell (Arctic circle)
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/3884/saltfjellyr1.jpg

RAF memorial in Bodø, at the Air Force Museum:
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/5972/bodowo7.jpg



Place where norwegian patriots where executed, Trondheim:
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/6559/trondheimny7.jpg


KNM Uredd Memorial, norwegian submarine sunk by a minefield, both norwegian and british sailors, Helgeland Coast
http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/2662/knmureddyr7.jpg



Hegra Fortress, where a small norwegian army detachment kept on fighting until they were basically out of supplies, during the 1940 invasion.
http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/521/hegraqg6.jpg


Trip map:
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/3024/triphk5.jpg

[eechoss]

excellent pictures.

[Insane Tadpole]

Wow, wonder how that Kiwi got all the way over there. RIP

[JoeyCape1977]

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/5881/morrisonhga1.jpg

What a great thread, a New Zealander so far from home interested me and this is what I could find on Lt Morrison on the web.

He flew Grumman FM-2 Wildcats with 882 Squadron F.A.A from the escort carrier HMS Searcher. On the 4th of May 1945 aircraft from the Searcher took part in Operaton Judgement, the destruction of U-711, the submarine depot ship M/S Black Watch and the M/S Senja at Kilbotn.

This excellent site (mainly in Norwegian) deals with the attack in great detail. http://www.vrakdykking.com/blackwatch.htm

The log for HMS Searcher lists Lt Morrison as "missing" after his aircraft was "reported to have been hit and disintegrated" presumably by flak.

RIP Lieutenant Hugh Morrison.

[KB]

Narvik has a nice war museum (or at least it did in 1981) with some interesting exhibits surrounding the naval battles fought there in spring 1940.

[Hollis]

Thanks for the photos, Very excellent. Rest In Peace.

[capixaba]

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/5881/morrisonhga1.jpg

What a great thread, a New Zealander so far from home interested me and this is what I could find on Lt Morrison on the web.

He flew Grumman FM-2 Wildcats with 882 Squadron F.A.A from the escort carrier HMS Searcher. On the 4th of May 1945 aircraft from the Searcher took part in Operaton Judgement, the destruction of U-711, the submarine depot ship M/S Black Watch and the M/S Senja at Kilbotn.

This excellent site (mainly in Norwegian) deals with the attack in great detail. http://www.vrakdykking.com/blackwatch.htm

The log for HMS Searcher lists Lt Morrison as "missing" after his aircraft was "reported to have been hit and disintegrated" presumably by flak.

RIP Lieutenant Hugh Morrison.


Here's his entry on the Commonwealth War Graves Commision site...
http://www.cwgc.org/search/certificate.aspx?casualty=2186712
and also link to the cemetery report.

http://www.cwgc.org/search/cemetery_reports.aspx?cemetery=2016241&mode=1



Lieutenant (A) HUGH MORRISON

F.A.A. 882 Sqdn. H.M.S. Searcher, Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve
who died age 27
on 04 May 1945
Son of Rupert Donald Matthew and Amy Violet Morrison (nee Thompson), of Masterton, Wellington, New Zealand.
Remembered with honour
NARVIK NEW CEMETERY

He's not alone there.....

Pilot Officer JAMES LEON WILKIE

42170, 263 Sqdn., Royal Air Force
who died age 20
on 02 June 1940
Son of Leonard Raymond and Clare Percival Wilkie, of Wanganui, Wellington, New Zealand.
Remembered with honour
NARVIK NEW CEMETERY

[SkyUS]

Thanks for the pictures. No many remember that theatre. RIP to the fallen.

[Ichhabe]

He's not alone there.....

Pilot Officer JAMES LEON WILKIE

42170, 263 Sqdn., Royal Air Force
who died age 20
on 02 June 1940
Son of Leonard Raymond and Clare Percival Wilkie, of Wanganui, Wellington, New Zealand.
Remembered with honour
NARVIK NEW CEMETERY

...and this is his stone.

http://militaryphotos.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=42790&stc=1&d=1202223908

[mas-36]

Very good photos, thanks for sharing! I've always wanted to visit Narvik and learn more of the battle which took place there.

I was curious about the headstones. Naturally, local stones were used, but I noticed the headstones retain the same form of their respective nation in all the cemeteries across Europe, with the exception of the French headstones. Instead of the usual crosses, they are rectangular and flat on the ground. I wonder why that is?

Again, thanks for sharing, and I hope to visit Norway soon!

[capixaba]

Very good photos, thanks for sharing! I've always wanted to visit Narvik and learn more of the battle which took place there.

I was curious about the headstones. Naturally, local stones were used, but I noticed the headstones retain the same form of their respective nation in all the cemeteries across Europe, with the exception of the French headstones. Instead of the usual crosses, they are rectangular and flat on the ground. I wonder why that is?

Again, thanks for sharing, and I hope to visit Norway soon!

I visited there and the museum in Narvik back in 1985

The British/Commonwealth gravestones are Commonwealth War Graves Commision headstones http://www.cwgc.org The "standard" headstones are usually white Portland stone, which have the fine carvings, however the blacked in lettering is not done/approved by CWGC - been done by others - either due to weathering of the stones or to assist photography. The ones in Narvik look to be a mix of Portland stone, and some in Gray granite (which have official black lettering)- these do not have such detailed unit crests, being harder to carve. Obviously the harsh climate there has weathered the Portland stones - the CWGC will clean/replace them if required. They would have to be informed, as these graves are not in an officially maintained war graves cemetery.
It's a similar story in my home town graveyard - I was photographing all the CWGC headstones from both world wars recently and they are a mix of types too, and to my mind the granite is more suitable for climates like Scotland or Norway. In Wales some stones are made of black slate. Another thing to note the inscriptions on the lower part of the stones are by next of kin request, and there are often some pretty moving words.

Ichhabe, below is some interesting information regarding the CWGC stones I'm guessing you maybe took pictures of all the headstones! These guys may be far from thier homelands, but certainly not forgotten!

The War Graves Photographic Project website has been launched, 1 February.

Their website address is: http://www.twgpp.org (http://www.twgpp.org/)


"The aim of The War Graves Photographic Project is to photograph every war grave, individual memorial, MoD grave, and family memorial of serving military personnel from WWI to the present day and make these available within a searchable database."


Also

"The War Graves Photographic Project is now recognised by the CWGC and is regarded as a joint venture in providing photographs of Commonwealth forces war graves. Working in parallel with them considerably helps both organisations by bringing together two significant archives"

[Ichhabe]

I was curious about the headstones. Naturally, local stones were used, but I noticed the headstones retain the same form of their respective nation in all the cemeteries across Europe, with the exception of the French headstones. Instead of the usual crosses, they are rectangular and flat on the ground. I wonder why that is?



That I did not know. I will try to contact either the people responsible for the cemetary or some historians who might know why the French headstones are made like that in Narvik.

To capixaba; I am a voulenteer for that organisation. That is why I have taken pictures of all the Commonwealth wargraves I know of in Bodø, Narvik and Tromsø.
I know learned about some more graves in the Narvik-area and will return this summer so that those also can be photograpehed and being arcived in their database.

[yvanfrance]

Hello Ichhabe,
I am Yvan webmaster of http://www.todayisfree.com . With the help of an international team of helpers, I am able to show panoramic photos of 1st and 2nd World War Military cemeteries on this website. In this way we can help others to discover these cemeteries, memorials and battlefields. We take photos from all over world, for example - France, Italy, Russia, Poland, Israel, and others too.
The panoramic photos of British Cemeteries are going to be used by the CWGC on their website.
The reason I am writing to you is because we have not got any volunteers from Norway yet and I wondered if you would be interested in joining the team or if you know anyone who would be interested.
This is my email webmaster@todayisfree.com
I look forward to hearing from you,
Thanks you
Yvanfrance

[Herrmannek]

Thanks Ichabe & nice project yvanfance.
What one needs to join the project?

[Ichhabe]

Thanks Ichabe & nice project yvanfance.
What one needs to join the project?

Two things I guess. A camera and dedication... :)

[Herrmannek]

Two things I guess. A camera and dedication... :)
I was asking for quality standards :) I see most of the pics are well lit and so on.. I'm not sure I could do that so nicely.. Although I have canon s3 and tripod so it should be possible to achieve good results following some couching. I did only few panoramas just for fun and they weren't too spectacular... I have one military memorial(soviet soldiers) That I could make panorama of.

[Ichhabe]

I was asking for quality standards :) I see most of the pics are well lit and so on.. I'm not sure I could do that so nicely.. Although I have canon s3 and tripod so it should be possible to achieve good results following some couching. I did only few panoramas just for fun and they weren't too spectacular... I have one military memorial(soviet soldiers) That I could make panorama of.


I don't think you should be too concerned about the quality. Better with one "****ty" photo than none at all. It can always be replaced with a better one down the road.

[yvanfrance]

Thanks Ichabe & nice project yvanfance.
What one needs to join the project?

Hello from France

if it can help you,

http://www.todayisfree.com/360/notice_br.html

Many thanks

Yvan

[Para]

Here is a link to the British and Commonwealth War Graves site, it lists every person in the forces that died during WW2 and where they are buried or where there is a memorial to them. When you find the person that you are looking for you can click on their name and find their address the family and often a photo of the cemetery.

http://www.cwgc.org/content.asp?menuid=4&id=4&menuname=Education&menu=main