World War II memorials and cemeteries in the Netherlands

The Netherlands in World War II was the scene of heavy fighting during the Allied advance in the south of the country in 1944–45. Thousands of soldiers and others of many nations were killed, and their war graves in various locations are in the care of the Dutch War Cemetery Organisation (Oorlogsgravenstichting). In the Netherlands are found over 3,900 WWII cemeteries and memorials, the highest absolute number and the density in the whole of Europe, according to the official national government committee for 4 and 5 May.[1] Many of the memorials are dedicated many of the over 3,000 crashed Allied warplanes and their crews.(.[2] The largest memorial and cemetery is the U.S. Military Cemetery Margraten with over 8,000 graves.

The largest WW-II-related cemetery and also the most controversial, but no memorial, is the Nazi cemetery of Ysselsteyn, that describes itself falsely as "German military war cemetery", with almost 32,000 graves, only about 70% of them military, the rest SS and also Dutch traitors. The designation "German" is incorrect because about 20 other nationalities are buried there, among others Dutch members of the Waffen-SS, Dutch torturers and executioners, and also Austrians, Georgians, Poles, Czechs.

List of World War II memorials and cemeteries in the Netherlands

Dutch war graves

In the Netherlands, about 9,000 war graves are located.[3]

  • Field of Honour Loenen
  • Field of Honour Grebbeberg
  • Rusthof Amersfoort

Australian, British and Canadian war graves
  • Arnhem Oosterbeek Airborne War Cemetery
  • Beilen cemetery
  • Holten Canadian War Cemetery
  • Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • Mierlo War Cemetery
  • Mook War Cemetery
  • Nederweert War Cemetery
  • Swartbroek Churchyard
  • Rusthof Leusden
  • Vredenhof Schiermonnikoog
  • Uden War Cemetery
  • Jonkerbos War Cemetery

U.S. war graves

With few exceptions, all American war graves are located at the U.S. Military Cemetery Margraten.

  • U.S. Military Cemetery Margraten

Belgian war graves
  • Belgian Field of Honour 1940 (Maastricht) – 43 soldiers
  • Belgian Military Field of Honour 1940 (Willemstad) – 153 soldiers
  • Bergen op Zoom War Cemetery – 2 Belgian graves
  • Dokkum Roman Catholic Cemetery – 1 Belgian grave
  • Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery – 3 Belgian graves
  • Harlingen General Cemetery – 3 Belgian graves
  • Holten Canadian War Cemetery – 1 Belgian grave
  • Nijmegen Jonkerbos War Cemetery – 4 Belgian graves
  • Vlissingen Noorder begraafplaats – 1 Belgian grave

French war graves
  • France Military Field of Honour (Kapelle) – 229 soldiers
  • Beilen General Cemetery – 1 soldier
  • Schiermonnikoog Drenkelingenkerkhof Vredenhof – 9 soldiers [6]
  • Soesterberg – 15 soldiers of World War One[7]
  • Swartbroek (gem. Weert) Churchyard – 1 soldier
  • Vlissingen Noorder Cemetery – 2 soldiers
  • Beilen General Cemetery
  • Vredebhof Schiermonnikoog
  • Swartbroek Cemetery

Soviet war graves

Georgian war graves
  • Field of Honour of the Georgians under Loladse (Texel) – 476 soldiers
  • Georgian Field of Honour Leusden
  • Field of Honour Georgiërs Loladse

Polish war graves

About 500 Polish war graves are located in the Netherlands.[8]

  • Pools Militair Field of Honour Breda
  • Vredenhof Schiermonnikoog
  • Mook war cemetery

Nazi war graves
  • Ysselsteyn, German War Cemetery
  • Monument at Ysselsteyn, German War Cemetery

Other memorials

Cemeteries with Commonwealth War Graves

If Allied war graves are present at a cemetery, a green identification plate is placed at the entrance carrying the text: Oorlogsgraven van het Gemenebest (Commonwealth War Graves)

References
  1. https://www.4en5mei.nl/oorlogsmonumenten
  2. https://studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/projects/lossregister-phase-1/
  3. "Oorlogsgravenstichting". Oorlogsgravenstichting.
  4. www.grebbeberg.nl, Stichting De Greb -. "Het Militair Ereveld Grebbeberg – De Slag om de Grebbeberg en Betuwestelling in mei 1940". www.grebbeberg.nl.
  5. "Dutch Honorary Cemetery Bloemendaal".
  6. "Vredenhof Schiermonnikoog". www.vredenhof.org.
  7. "Diepgeroerd door vondst graf opa in Soesterberg". www.ad.nl.
  8. "Polish War Graves". www.polishwargraves.nl.
  9. "Alphen". www.polishwargraves.nl. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  10. "Duitse Oorlogsbegraafplaats Ysselsteyn – Ysselsteyn – TracesOfWar.nl". www.oorlogsmusea.nl.

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