Bény-sur-Mer War Cemetery

Reviers, France

Bény-sur-Mer was created as a permanent resting place for Canadian soldiers who had been temporarily interred in smaller plots close to where they fell. As is usual for war cemeteries or monuments, France granted Canada a perpetual concession to the land occupied by the cemetery. The graves contain soldiers from the Canadian 3rd Division and 15 Airmen killed in the Battle of Normandy. The cemetery also includes four British graves and one French grave, for a total of 2049 markers. Bény-sur-Mer contains the remains of 9 sets of brothers, a record for a Second World War cemetery.

A large number of dead in the cemetery were killed in early July 1944 in the Battle for Caen. The cemetery also contains soldiers who fell during the initial D-Day assault of Juno Beach. The Canadian Prisoners of War illegally executed at the Ardenne Abbey are interred here. It also contains the grave of Rev. (H/Capt) Walter Brown, chaplain to the 27th Armoured Regiment (Sherbrooke Fusiliers) and the only chaplain killed in cold blood in World War 2. Rev Brown was murdered on the night of June 6/7 by members of III/25th SS Panzer Grenedier Regt near Galmanche, but his body was not found until July 1944. Canadians killed later in the campaign were interred in the Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

Les Ruraux, Reviers, France
See all sites in Reviers

Details

Founded: 1944
Category: Cemeteries, mausoleums and burial places in France

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.cwgc.org

Rating

4.9/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Iku Yeh (6 months ago)
Been here twice and will be back to pay my respects. This is a must see for Canadians. Thank you to all for your sacrifice. Lest we forget.
Hester Wiersma (8 months ago)
Beautiful cemetery, well cared for, lovely location overlooking fields with the ocean at the horizon. It was a bit cloudy which made that view quite heavenly. Many graves have personal inscriptions, very moving.
Jeremy Plaunt (8 months ago)
Unforgettable experience. Lest we never forget.
AL N (9 months ago)
"At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them."
Christina Eason (10 months ago)
A beautiful and peaceful place for my dad and his friends to rest after fighting for the peace we now enjoy.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Château de Foix

The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.

In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.