The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) will be offering free themed guided tours at Stonefall Cemetery next month to mark International Women’s Day and Commonwealth Day.
During the Second World War nearly 1,000 service personnel were buried at Stonefall Cemetery. Many of them came from across the Commonwealth and they include more than 600 Canadian and nearly 100 Australian servicemen alongside casualties from East Africa, the Caribbean, New Zealand and Fiji.
The guided tour for International Women’s Day on Sunday 8th March 2026 will put a spotlight on the six female casualties from the Second World War who are commemorated at the site. They include local women who served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service and the Territorial Army Nursing Service. One of the women, Sister Florrie Prest, served at Dunkirk and in the Atlantic and Icelandic waters. She was also Mentioned in Despatches for ‘service in the Middle East’.
Susie Cooper, who served in the Royal Corps of Signals for 23 years and now serves as a Captain in the Army Reserves, is a volunteer with the CWGC and will be leading the tour.
Susie Cooper said:
On International Women’s Day, it is a huge honour to speak about some of the female casualties of the Second World War who lost their lives in service to their country. Having served myself, I feel a deep personal connection to these women.
During the tours for Commonwealth Day on 9th March, the public will be able to learn more about the casualties from across the Commonwealth who are buried at Stonefall. These include Private Selemani Shabani who served with the African Pioneer Corps (East Africa) and is believed to have been taken as a Prisoner of War at the Fall of Tobruk in May 1942 as well as Flying Officer Ulric Leslie Look Yan, a fighter pilot from Trinidad.
Elizabeth Smith, Public Engagement Coordinator for the CWGC, said:
In the UK, the CWGC maintains war graves of those who served in the First and Second World Wars in over 12, 000 sites. Stonefall Cemetery contains the largest plot of war graves in the North of England and resembles our sites in Europe and around the world.
At Stonefall Cemetery, our themed guided tours offer a chance for locals to forge a personal connection with their past. These tours are a poignant reminder of the courage and resilience of those who served.
Such was the resonance of last year’s tours that spaces filled quickly. We strongly advise people to secure their place soon.
Bookings can be made via https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/war-graves-tours/
