Netley Hospital CWGC

[spconnolly007]

Having visited a good number of war graves in France and Belgium, I was quite surprised by a Boxing Day visit to the above. After spending Christmas at the in-laws down in Hampshire, we made plans to divert across to Victoria country park on the way home. Having stopped at the odd graveyard on my travels, you never expect to visit anything that comes close to our european partners efforts when it comes to burying our war dead. Netley may not be as grand as those of the Somme or Ypres, but it has a nice balance between that rigid architectural balance and at its entrance a fluidity which you dont expect to see in a CWG. What looks like the original part of the graveyard is plotted around a large tree topped mound, which leads on to smaller plots hidden away from view and then on to the main area which is laid out as you would expect. The difference with Netley is that you never know who you will come across next, british soldier, indian, belgium, german, canadian, austrian, they are all there and you dont even have to cross the channel. If you need a Great War grave fix and you haven't got the time for a weekend break to France, all you need to do is drive to Southampton for the day, its all there!

[spconnolly007]

1.Entrance to Netley Cemetery

2.German Headstones dotted amongst Allied soldiers

[museumtom]

A lot of Irishmen died in Netley Hospital.

Cheers.

Tom.

[spconnolly007]

3.Belgium Headstones with Allied soldiers dotted in between

[spconnolly007]

4. German and British dotted about private graves

[spconnolly007]

5. Plate at base of cross giving numbers of war dead and country of origin. Edit, apologies for poor image, numbers as follows: United Kingdom 558, Australia 49, Canada 42, New Zealand 12, South Africa 6, Undivided India 5, Belgium 15, Poland 1, Austria 1, Germany 68. This total number include 36 servicemen/women from WW2 also.