The British Expeditionary Force was involved in the later stages of the defence of Belgium following the German invasion in May 1940, and suffered many casualties in covering the withdrawal to Dunkirk. Commonwealth forces did not return until September 1944, but in the intervening years, many airmen were shot down or crashed in raids on strategic objectives in Belgium, or while returning from missions over Germany. Schaffen Communal Cemetery contains the graves of 20 Commonwealth airmen of the Second World War, and 28 Belgian Nationals who served in the Great War, and/or the Second World War.