RANVILLE WAR CEMETERY
The Ranville War Cemetery is a Second World War cemetery containing predominantly British soldiers killed during the early stages of the Battle of Normandy. It is located in and named after Ranville in the Calvados department, east of Caen in lower Normandy. A large proportion of those interred were members of the British 6th Airborne Division.
The village of Ranville was the first to be liberated by elements of the British 6th Airborne Division on the morning of 6 June 1944 (D-Day) when the nearby bridge (Pegasus Bridge) was attacked and captured. The cemetery contains the grave of Lieutenant Den Brotheridge - considered to be the first Allied death on D-Day.
The churchyard was immediately used to accommodate battlefield dead. Following the end of the war, the war cememtery was created which gathered burials from locations including Amfreville, Colleville-sur-Colombelles, Houlgate, Orne and Villers-sur-Mer.
RANVILLE WAR CEMETERY
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Casualty Record Detail 12345 RANVILLE WAR CEMETERY Print this image
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Country:
France
Locality:
Calvados
Identified Casualties:
2139
Location Information
Ranville is best reached by taking the D513 north-eastwards out of Caen, and after about 9 kilometres turning left at Herouvillette. Go north for one kilometre and then turn left into Ranville village. The War Cemetery is on Rue des Airbornes.
Historical Information
The Allied offensive in north-western Europe began with the Normandy landings of 6 June 1944.
Ranville was the first village to be liberated in France when the bridge over the Caen Canal was captured intact in the early hours of 6 June by troops of the 6th Airborne Division, who were landed nearby by parachute and glider. Many of the division's casualties are buried in Ranville War Cemetery and the adjoining churchyard
The CEMETERY contains 2,236 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 90 of them unidentified. There are also 323 German graves and a few burials of other nationalities.
The CHURCHYARD contains 47 Commonwealth burials, one of which is unidentified, and one German grave.
RANVILLE WAR CEMETERY
Normandy British Commonwealth War Cemeteries in Calvados, France
Roll of Honour
Location: Next to, and south of, Ranville village church and churchyard. From the west take the D514 over the Caen Canal and River Orne then take the 2nd exit at the roundabout onto the D37. At 650 yards (594 metres) take a right turn onto the Rue de la Vallée and take the first left onto Chemin de Longueville. At the next crossroads, next to the church, at 280 yards (256 metres), continue straight across along the Rue des Airbornes. The cemetery is on your right after the church.
2,567 Burials
1,945 British Army (+ 39 unknown), 268 Heer (German Army) + 54 unknown,
85 Royal Marines (+ 1 unknown), 67 Canadian Army, 47 unknown Commonwealth soldiers,
16 Royal Air Force, 16 Royal Canadian Air Force, 5 Royal Navy (+ 8 unknown),
5 French Army, 3 Royal New Zealand Air Force, 2 Luftwaffe (German Air Force),
2 Merchant Navy unknown, 2 Royal Australian Air Force, 1 Belgian Army, 1 Polish Army,
A total of 151 burials are unidentified.
The Australians, Belgian and French are buried in Plot V.
The Pole, an engineer and Colonel in the 1st Polish Armoured Division, is buried in Plot IVA. E. 9.
The New Zelanders are buried in Plots, VA, V and IX.
The German forces fatal casualties are buried in Plots VI and VII.
Of those buried in Ranville War Cemetery, 70 (all Allied) are buried in 6 collective graves:
II. F. 21 (4 identified), III. D.10 (3 unknown), IV. C. 22-27 (6 identified), V. B. 1-22 (22 identified),
VA. D. 3-8 (6 identified), VA. H. 5-8 (1 identified and 3 unknown) VIA. C. 1-25 (25 identified).
18 casualties (all Allied) are buried in joint graves:
V. D. 4 . (2 identified), V. D. 5. (2 identified), V. F. 7 & 8 (2 identified), VIII. A. 20 & 21 (2 identified),
VIII. D. 18 (2 identified), VIII. D. 23 (2 identified), VIII. F. 5 (2 identified), IX. E. 17 (2 unknown).
2 casualties (both Allied) buried in this cemetery have Special Memorials to mark their grave:
Special Memorial Type 'A' (British Army), bearing the inscription 'Known to be buried in this cemetery.
Private CLIFFORD MELBOURNE OXTOBY, Special Memorial Type 'C' (Canadian Army), bearing the inscription 'Buried near this spot'.
Honours and Awards
1 Air Force Cross, 1 Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar, 1 Distinguished Service Order,
1 Distinguished Service Order and Bar, 2 Distinguished Conduct Medals,
3 British Empire Medals, 3 Territorial (Efficiency) Decorations,
4 Officers of the Order of the British Empire, 4 Distinguished Flying Crosses,
13 Mentioned in Despatches, 11 Military Crosses, 19 Military Medals.
Cemetery and Casualty Information
Ranville War Cemetery is the third largest Second World War Commonwealth War Cemetery in Normandy, France. Designed by Architect Philip D. Hepworth it was built, and is still maintained by, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (formerly the Imperial War Graves Commission). Ranville has been referred to as the airborne cemetery, since the majority of the British 6th Airborne Division fatal casualties (655) now rest here.
Some 82 regiments and corps from the British Army are represented in this cemetery, 203 men were killed on D-Day, Tuesday 6th June 1944. All identified casualties in this cemetery (with the exception of 11 German forces casualties) were killed, or died, between May and September 1944.
Casualties range from 16 to 49 years of age. Among those buried in this cemetery are 1 pair of British Brothers, Corporal CYRIL ALBERT JAMES ECKERT (VIA. B. 13) and STANLEY GEORGE THOMAS ECKERT (VIA. B. 23) and 1 pair of Canadian Borthers, JOSEPH MAURICE ROUSSEAU (V. A .G7) and JOSEPH PILIPPE ROUSSEAU (VA. G. 8).
More casualties also lost other family members in conflict: 1 had a father who had been killed in the First World War. 16 lost another brother, 1 who lost a twin brother and 1 lost 2 brothers elsewhere in the Second World War.
7 men who rest in this cemetery served under an alias:
Private MURRAY ADAMS-ACTON served as Private MURRAY ACTON.
Lance Corporal HANS ARENSTEIN served as Lance Corporal HARRY ANDREWS.
Private FREDERICK FLIESCHER served as Privater FREDERICK FLETCHER.
Serjeant EUGEN KAGERER-STEIN served as Serjeant EUGENE FULLER.
Lance Corporal KURT MEYER served as Lance Corporal PETER MOODY.
Private ERNST NATHAN served as Private ERNEST NORTON.
Private BERNARD TAYLOR served as Private BERNARD TUCHMANN.
An Alsatian paradog called GLEN, also rests in this cemetery, he rests with his 19 year old keeper Private EMILE SERVAIS CORTEIL (IA. G. 13).
RANVILLE WAR CEMETERY
The Ranville War Cemetery is a Second World War cemetery containing predominantly British soldiers killed during the early stages of the Battle of Normandy. It is located in and named after Ranville in the Calvados department, east of Caen in lower Normandy. A large proportion of those interred were members of the British 6th Airborne Division.
The village of Ranville was the first to be liberated by elements of the British 6th Airborne Division on the morning of 6 June 1944 (D-Day) when the nearby bridge (Pegasus Bridge) was attacked and captured. The cemetery contains the grave of Lieutenant Den Brotheridge - considered to be the first Allied death on D-Day.
The churchyard was immediately used to accommodate battlefield dead. Following the end of the war, the war cememtery was created which gathered burials from locations including Amfreville, Colleville-sur-Colombelles, Houlgate, Orne and Villers-sur-Mer.
RANVILLE WAR CEMETERY
Print page
Casualty Record Detail 12345 RANVILLE WAR CEMETERY Print this image
See Casualty Records View Image Download Cemetery Plan
Country:
France
Locality:
Calvados
Identified Casualties:
2139
Location Information
Ranville is best reached by taking the D513 north-eastwards out of Caen, and after about 9 kilometres turning left at Herouvillette. Go north for one kilometre and then turn left into Ranville village. The War Cemetery is on Rue des Airbornes.
Historical Information
The Allied offensive in north-western Europe began with the Normandy landings of 6 June 1944.
Ranville was the first village to be liberated in France when the bridge over the Caen Canal was captured intact in the early hours of 6 June by troops of the 6th Airborne Division, who were landed nearby by parachute and glider. Many of the division's casualties are buried in Ranville War Cemetery and the adjoining churchyard
The CEMETERY contains 2,236 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 90 of them unidentified. There are also 323 German graves and a few burials of other nationalities.
The CHURCHYARD contains 47 Commonwealth burials, one of which is unidentified, and one German grave.
RANVILLE WAR CEMETERY
Normandy British Commonwealth War Cemeteries in Calvados, France
Roll of Honour
Location: Next to, and south of, Ranville village church and churchyard. From the west take the D514 over the Caen Canal and River Orne then take the 2nd exit at the roundabout onto the D37. At 650 yards (594 metres) take a right turn onto the Rue de la Vallée and take the first left onto Chemin de Longueville. At the next crossroads, next to the church, at 280 yards (256 metres), continue straight across along the Rue des Airbornes. The cemetery is on your right after the church.
2,567 Burials
1,945 British Army (+ 39 unknown), 268 Heer (German Army) + 54 unknown,
85 Royal Marines (+ 1 unknown), 67 Canadian Army, 47 unknown Commonwealth soldiers,
16 Royal Air Force, 16 Royal Canadian Air Force, 5 Royal Navy (+ 8 unknown),
5 French Army, 3 Royal New Zealand Air Force, 2 Luftwaffe (German Air Force),
2 Merchant Navy unknown, 2 Royal Australian Air Force, 1 Belgian Army, 1 Polish Army,
A total of 151 burials are unidentified.
The Australians, Belgian and French are buried in Plot V.
The Pole, an engineer and Colonel in the 1st Polish Armoured Division, is buried in Plot IVA. E. 9.
The New Zelanders are buried in Plots, VA, V and IX.
The German forces fatal casualties are buried in Plots VI and VII.
Of those buried in Ranville War Cemetery, 70 (all Allied) are buried in 6 collective graves:
II. F. 21 (4 identified), III. D.10 (3 unknown), IV. C. 22-27 (6 identified), V. B. 1-22 (22 identified),
VA. D. 3-8 (6 identified), VA. H. 5-8 (1 identified and 3 unknown) VIA. C. 1-25 (25 identified).
18 casualties (all Allied) are buried in joint graves:
V. D. 4 . (2 identified), V. D. 5. (2 identified), V. F. 7 & 8 (2 identified), VIII. A. 20 & 21 (2 identified),
VIII. D. 18 (2 identified), VIII. D. 23 (2 identified), VIII. F. 5 (2 identified), IX. E. 17 (2 unknown).
2 casualties (both Allied) buried in this cemetery have Special Memorials to mark their grave:
Special Memorial Type 'A' (British Army), bearing the inscription 'Known to be buried in this cemetery.
Private CLIFFORD MELBOURNE OXTOBY, Special Memorial Type 'C' (Canadian Army), bearing the inscription 'Buried near this spot'.
Honours and Awards
1 Air Force Cross, 1 Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar, 1 Distinguished Service Order,
1 Distinguished Service Order and Bar, 2 Distinguished Conduct Medals,
3 British Empire Medals, 3 Territorial (Efficiency) Decorations,
4 Officers of the Order of the British Empire, 4 Distinguished Flying Crosses,
13 Mentioned in Despatches, 11 Military Crosses, 19 Military Medals.
Cemetery and Casualty Information
Ranville War Cemetery is the third largest Second World War Commonwealth War Cemetery in Normandy, France. Designed by Architect Philip D. Hepworth it was built, and is still maintained by, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (formerly the Imperial War Graves Commission). Ranville has been referred to as the airborne cemetery, since the majority of the British 6th Airborne Division fatal casualties (655) now rest here.
Some 82 regiments and corps from the British Army are represented in this cemetery, 203 men were killed on D-Day, Tuesday 6th June 1944. All identified casualties in this cemetery (with the exception of 11 German forces casualties) were killed, or died, between May and September 1944.
Casualties range from 16 to 49 years of age. Among those buried in this cemetery are 1 pair of British Brothers, Corporal CYRIL ALBERT JAMES ECKERT (VIA. B. 13) and STANLEY GEORGE THOMAS ECKERT (VIA. B. 23) and 1 pair of Canadian Borthers, JOSEPH MAURICE ROUSSEAU (V. A .G7) and JOSEPH PILIPPE ROUSSEAU (VA. G. 8).
More casualties also lost other family members in conflict: 1 had a father who had been killed in the First World War. 16 lost another brother, 1 who lost a twin brother and 1 lost 2 brothers elsewhere in the Second World War.
7 men who rest in this cemetery served under an alias:
Private MURRAY ADAMS-ACTON served as Private MURRAY ACTON.
Lance Corporal HANS ARENSTEIN served as Lance Corporal HARRY ANDREWS.
Private FREDERICK FLIESCHER served as Privater FREDERICK FLETCHER.
Serjeant EUGEN KAGERER-STEIN served as Serjeant EUGENE FULLER.
Lance Corporal KURT MEYER served as Lance Corporal PETER MOODY.
Private ERNST NATHAN served as Private ERNEST NORTON.
Private BERNARD TAYLOR served as Private BERNARD TUCHMANN.
An Alsatian paradog called GLEN, also rests in this cemetery, he rests with his 19 year old keeper Private EMILE SERVAIS CORTEIL (IA. G. 13).