Greenwich Cemetery Explained

Greenwich Cemetery (also known as Shooters Hill Cemetery) is a cemetery in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in southeast London. It is situated on the southwestern slopes of Shooter's Hill, on the western side of the A205 South Circular, Well Hall Road, approximately halfway between Woolwich, to the north, and Eltham, to the south.[1]

The cemetery was established in 1856 by Greenwich Burial Board, has two "lumpish" Gothic chapels,[2] and a 1920s entrance lodge. Its hillside position gives views towards Crystal Palace and the City of London. Due to its proximity to the Royal Military Academy, Royal Arsenal, the Royal Herbert Military Hospital and other military establishments, numerous army personnel are buried in the cemetery.[3]

Memorials

Greenwich Cemetery contains 558 World War I Commonwealth service war grave burials. Over half are scattered throughout the cemetery, but 263 form a large war graves plot known as 'Heroes' Corner', where two curved screen walls bear the names of casualties buried both in the plot and in unmarked graves in the cemetery.[4]

An adjoining World War II plot contains 75 graves; in total, the cemetery contains 124 Second World War burials, 3 of which are unidentified British soldiers, and 30 Norwegian service graves. Other memorials include:

External links

51.4697°N 0.0541°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Greenwich Cemetery. Royal Borough of Greenwich. 14 March 2016.
  2. Book: Meller. Hugh. Parsons. Brian. London Cemeteries: An Illustrated Guide and Gazetteer. 2013. The History Press. 9780752496900.
  3. Web site: Greenwich Cemetery. London Gardens Online. 14 March 2016. 14 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160314213811/http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=GRN026. dead.
  4. Web site: Greenwich Cemetery. Commonwealth War Graves Commission. 14 March 2016.
  5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/386007/WILBERFORCE%20VAUGHAN%20EAVES/ Captain Wilberforce Vaughan Eaves
  6. Web site: Greenwich Cemetery. Deceased Online. 14 March 2016.
  7. http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1757119 Stone, Walter Napleton