Frequently Asked Questions

Your safety is very important to us. Our cemeteries and memorials are located in over 150 countries, each with unique landscapes and features. Whilst we try to display safety signs where specific hazards exist, it’s not possible to cover every risk.

Many graves, especially in the UK, are in churchyards or sites we do not control. We therefore ask visitors to take care and be aware of potential risks. Before your visit, we recommend checking the CWGC website and other sources such as maps, online images, and local travel advice for details on weather, parking, and road conditions. If visiting abroad, please also review any travel restrictions or safety guidance from the Foreign Office.

When you arrive, please keep these tips in mind:

• Watch for uneven ground; stick to paths and take care on steps
• Plan visits during daylight hours
• Be cautious in wet, icy, or extreme weather
• Wear suitable clothing and footwear for the conditions
• Avoid sheltering under trees in storms
• Do not disturb livestock or wildlife
• Avoid leaning on or climbing memorials or headstones—they may be unstable
• Always supervise children

No, many of the over 23,000 sites that contain war graves are not owned or managed by us, rather by an external authority such as a local government or church authority. This means different arrangements are in place for maintenance here when compared to sites designed and constructed by us.

We do not provide this service. The Royal British Legion provide a service of overseas wreath-laying.

Visitors are welcome to place fresh flowers, wreaths, and poppy crosses as a tribute. These will be removed once the flowers have faded or the items are no longer in good condition, to help keep the cemetery looking cared for.

We kindly ask that personal items are not left on graves, as this makes it difficult for us to maintain the graves and headstone borders. It can also affect the overall appearance of the cemetery. For these reasons, any items left will be removed. We also ask that visitors do not attach anything to the surface of a headstone or memorial or plant flowers.

No, we do not organise battlefield tours or offer detailed travel advice. Independent organisations provide such tours, which you can find online or via travel agents. For guided battlefield tours, we recommend starting with the Guild of Battlefield Guides.

Yes, we offer free guided tours at many CWGC sites: 

UK: At around 120 cemeteries and memorials, led by our Public Engagement team and CWGC Volunteers. Book a tour here. For help, email public.engagement@cwgc.org.

Malta: Tours at Imtarfa Military Cemetery (Mondays & Fridays), and at Pieta Military Cemetery and Kalkara Naval Cemetery on request. Email maltatours@cwgc.org for details.

France & Belgium: Seasonal tours at Thiepval Memorial and Tyne Cot Cemetery, led by CWGF Guides.

CWGC are responsible for the commemoration of personnel who died between
4 August 1914 and 31 August 1921 and
3 September 1939 and 31 December 1947
whilst serving in a Commonwealth military force or specified auxiliary organisation.

Personnel who died between 
4 August 1914 and 31 August 1921 and
3 September 1939 and 31 December 1947
after they were discharged from a Commonwealth military force, if their death was caused by their wartime service.

Commonwealth civilians who died between 
3 September 1939 and 31 December 1947
as a consequence of enemy action, Allied weapons of war or whilst in an enemy prison camp.

Find out more by reading our eligibility policies.

Visit our Headstone Cleanliness & Legibility page for more information on how we care for our headstones and war graves.

Read this leaflet to learn about war graves in the UK.

If you are interested in volunteering to support in the maintenance of headstones, our Eyes On, Hands On volunteer programme (UK and Iceland only) and National Volunteering Program (Canada and North America) is a way of getting involved. 

You can find out more about volunteering opportunities here.

The CWGC has no responsibility for the war memorials that were erected by local communities, churches and work places after both world wars.

Those who established these memorials could decide who they wished to include, so the names on a local memorial may be different to the individuals who are official war casualties commemorated by the CWGC.

To learn more about UK memorials and their care, visit War Memorials Register | Imperial War Museums

Please respect any signs that prohibit dogs from entering. *Assistance dogs are always permitted.

Most cemeteries, burial grounds, and churchyards in the UK that contain CWGC war graves are not under our direct control. If you have questions about dog admittance at these sites, please contact the relevant local council or church authority.

Please fill out our event application form with the details of your proposed event and our team will respond.

Military casualties buried in a grave are commemorated with a CWGC headstone or pedestal marker. If they have been identified, their military details are engraved in a standard layout. Some may also have a religious emblem and personal inscription chosen by their family.

Those with no known grave are commemorated on one of the Memorials to the Missing, according to where and when they died.

Individuals who died away from the battlefield, or after they were discharged may have been buried by their family in a churchyard or civil cemetery and their grave marked by a private memorial which is a headstone not erected by us and not of the design used by the CWGC.

Commonwealth civilian casualties from the Second World War are commemorated in specially bound volumes of the Roll of Honour held at Westminster Abbey in London. 

We look after a vast global estate, with around 1.1 million headstones under our care. More information on how we care for our sites can be found at the following link - Gravestone Maintenance, Cemetery Restoration & Care. 

Climate change is affecting the way we maintain our sites. For more information on the challenges we are facing, please see this page on our website - Tackling staining on our headstones – an update

The CWGC has no responsibility for the war memorials that were erected by local communities, churches and work places after both world wars.

Those who established these memorials could decide who they wished to include, so the names on a local memorial may be different to the individuals who are official war casualties commemorated by the CWGC.

To learn more about UK memorials and their care, visit War Memorials Register | Imperial War Museums

We do not provide this service. The Royal British Legion provide a service of overseas wreath-laying.

Visitors are welcome to place fresh flowers, wreaths, and poppy crosses as a tribute. These will be removed once the flowers have faded or the items are no longer in good condition, to help keep the cemetery looking cared for.

We kindly ask that personal items are not left on graves, as this makes it difficult for us to maintain the graves and headstone borders. It can also affect the overall appearance of the cemetery. For these reasons, any items left will be removed. We also ask that visitors do not attach anything to the surface of a headstone or memorial or plant flowers.

CWGC are responsible for the commemoration of personnel who died between
4 August 1914 and 31 August 1921 and
3 September 1939 and 31 December 1947
whilst serving in a Commonwealth military force or specified auxiliary organisation.

Personnel who died between 
4 August 1914 and 31 August 1921 and
3 September 1939 and 31 December 1947
after they were discharged from a Commonwealth military force, if their death was caused by their wartime service.

Commonwealth civilians who died between 
3 September 1939 and 31 December 1947
as a consequence of enemy action, Allied weapons of war or whilst in an enemy prison camp.

Find out more by reading our eligibility policies.

CWGC are responsible for the commemoration of personnel who died between
4 August 1914 and 31 August 1921 and
3 September 1939 and 31 December 1947
whilst serving in a Commonwealth military force or specified auxiliary organisation.

Personnel who died between 
4 August 1914 and 31 August 1921 and
3 September 1939 and 31 December 1947
after they were discharged from a Commonwealth military force, if their death was caused by their wartime service.

Commonwealth civilians who died between 
3 September 1939 and 31 December 1947
as a consequence of enemy action, Allied weapons of war or whilst in an enemy prison camp.

Find out more by reading our eligibility policies.

The Roll of Honour records the names of members of the British Armed Forces who have died in military service since the end of the Second World War. This searchable website provides details about the type of service, regiment or corps, burial place (if known) and whether someone’s name is on the National Memorial in the National Memorial Arboretum.

We maintain the graves of some military personnel who died in non-world war conflicts on behalf of other governments and agencies. We may hold very limited information about their grave. Please contact: enquiries@cwgc.org

It is possible that the person you are looking for is not a war casualty commemorated by the CWGC. Check that your casualty matches our criteria for commemoration.

Try entering in just the surname, initials and war. Results can then be refined.

If you still cannot find the casualty, please contact us, providing as much of the following information as possible:
Full name
Regiment (or branch of service)
Service Number
War
Rank
Date of Death
Hometown 

We only hold records relating to grave registration, cemetery and memorial registers and headstone schedules. Digital images of these can be seen with the entry for each casualty on our website.

Our records generally indicate a casualty’s military details, date of death, place of burial or commemoration and, in some instances, their age and the names and address of their next-of-kin. 

Occasionally their family provided comments such as ‘severely wounded at Gallipoli’ or ‘Mentioned in Despatches in Palestine’. These details are displayed on a casualty’s entry as ‘additional information.’

More information about their military service might be found in their personal service record or in the records other units with which they served. Not all records have survived and some are still confidential. Many military records can be viewed by subscribing to one of the genealogy websites.

United Kingdom forces: Surviving First World War service records have been digitised by The National Archives, and can only be viewed online.

Second World War service records are still held by the Ministry of Defence as they remain confidential. You may apply for a copy if you are the next-of-kin of a service person who has died. Application forms are available online.

Australian forces: First and Second World War service records are held by National Archives of Australia.

Canadian forces: First and Second World War service records are held by Library and Archives Canada.

New Zealand forces: First and Second World War service records are held by the New Zealand Defence Force.

South African forces: First and Second World War service records are held by the SA National Defence Force. Military Historical Services can be contacted at archive@dod.mil.za

Indian forces: Guidance for locating First and Second World War records can be found here.

We have created a series of bitesize guides to help you begin your research, which can be found here.

Our archive contains records relating to the burial and commemoration of war casualties and the sites and memorial we maintain, as well as documenting the history of the CWGC, and includes papers, plans and photographic material. 

Further details on our archive documents can be viewed by clicking here.

CWGC does not hold birth, death, or marriage certificates and we are therefore unable to provide them. Below, you’ll find guidance on the organisations that can assist you with these requests.

Copies of certificates can be obtained from the following organisations. You may have to provide a reference and pay a fee.

Birth, marriage and death certificates for England and Wales from 1837 are held by the General Register Office.

Certificates for Northern Ireland from 1864 are held by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 

National Records of Scotland have made birth and death certificates from 1855 available through ScotlandsPeople.

Birth and death certificates for the Republic of Ireland are available from 1864, access to these documents is administered by the Civil Register Office.

Some indexes (not the certificates themselves) for registrations in other Commonwealth countries can be viewed online via one of the genealogy websites.

We do not hold record pertaining to medals.

Most servicemen and women received campaign medals in recognition of their service in particular theatres of war at specific times.

Gallantry awards were presented to those who displayed bravery, courage or leadership.

Some Foreign governments acknowledged the contribution of Commonwealth personnel to their nations war effort by awarding their own decorations.

Information about what campaign and gallantry medals Commonwealth casualties may have been entitled to is provided by the Ministry of Defence.

The London Gazette published official lists of recipients of gallantry awards. For some medals they also provided the citation, a description of the act for which the award was made.

Indexes were prepared by the different services to record the medal entitlement of their personnel. Some of these documents for the First World War can be searched and viewed online, either through The National Archives website or one of the online genealogy sites.

Australian forces: First and Second World War medal information provided by Australian Government Department of Defence.

Canadian forces: First and Second World War medal information provided by Veterans Affairs Canada.

New Zealand forces: First and Second World War medal information provided by the New Zealand Defence Force.

South African forces: First and Second World War medal information provided by the SA Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans.

Indian forces: First and Second World War medal information provided by the Ministry of Defence Medal Office.

We do not hold personal information for present-day descendants. It is important to be mindful that not all descendants would wish to receive contact, and that their details are protected under data protection and privacy laws.

The details we hold were supplied to us by the military authorities and the next-of-kin in the years after the First and Second World Wars to enable the Commission to engrave the commemoration for each casualty. We do not always hold full names as only initials were engraved.

They reflect the choices made by the casualty themselves with regards to the spelling of their names, their next-of-kin and other personal details. The address we record is that of the next-of-kin when they corresponded with the Commission, sometimes many years after the end of the war.

Therefore, the details we hold may be different to those you see in other records. The accuracy of our records is very important to us and we regularly make amendments, however we will only do so if you provide documentary evidence to support any correction. We will not alter a choice made by the casualty themselves. Further details on how to submit a request can be found here.

The CWGC and its Member Governments follow the principle that the war dead should, as far as possible, be allowed to rest in peace and not be disturbed. Therefore, the CWGC does not permit exhumations from the graves of Commonwealth war casualties for the purposes of identification.

Occasionally new evidence is sent to us suggesting a name for an individual who was buried as an unknown casualty. If the military authorities accept that the documentary evidence is clear and convincing, the grave will be rededicated with a new headstone bearing the name of the casualty. Guidance is available for how to submit an Identification Case.

Where human remains are discovered in former battlefield areas during farming, building work or land developments the local police will confirm that they are First or Second World War casualties. The CWGC will then coordinate with the relevant military authorities who will carry out any investigation as to identity. 

In the vast majority of cases from the First World War period it is not possible to establish the identity of the casualty. However, occasionally artefacts found with the remains, together with historical information, might suggest that the remains belong to a particular regiment/unit or a named individual. Every effort is then made by the military authorities to trace present day relatives and, where appropriate carry out DNA.

We do not collect or directly handle DNA ourselves, and that we cannot accept speculative offers of DNA from the public

Whether identification is successful or not, the CWGC will support the relevant authority in making arrangements for a military burial with full honours in a CWGC cemetery close to where they were found. The grave will be marked and cared for by the CWGC in perpetuity.

Copyright and database rights in all material on this site are the property of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission unless otherwise stated. This material may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium for personal use only, provided it is not altered or used in a misleading context and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is acknowledged as the source of the material.

Please refer to our Website Terms and Conditions for the definition of personal use.

This permission does not extend to any material on this site which is identified as the copyright of a third party - authorisation to reproduce this material must be obtained from the copyright holders concerned. 

If you wish to use CWGC material or data for any purposes which do not fall within the definition of “personal use” stated in our Website Terms and Conditions, please submit this Form to via the “Contact Us” page of the website and we will respond accordingly.

Data Request Form Contact Us

CWGC does not hold photographs of individual casualties, but you may find images, sound recordings and documents about the First and Second World Wars those who fought in the conflicts in the collections of the Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial or the Canadian War Museum.

Please fill out our event application form with the details of your proposed event and our team will respond.

Please email: media@cwgc.org

We do not provide this service. The Royal British Legion provide a service of overseas wreath-laying.

Visitors are welcome to place fresh flowers, wreaths, and poppy crosses as a tribute. These will be removed once the flowers have faded or the items are no longer in good condition, to help keep the cemetery looking cared for.

We kindly ask that personal items are not left on graves, as this makes it difficult for us to maintain the graves and headstone borders. It can also affect the overall appearance of the cemetery. For these reasons, any items left will be removed. We also ask that visitors do not attach anything to the surface of a headstone or memorial or plant flowers.

CWGC are responsible for the commemoration of personnel who died between
4 August 1914 and 31 August 1921 and
3 September 1939 and 31 December 1947
whilst serving in a Commonwealth military force or specified auxiliary organisation.

Personnel who died between 
4 August 1914 and 31 August 1921 and
3 September 1939 and 31 December 1947
after they were discharged from a Commonwealth military force, if their death was caused by their wartime service.

Commonwealth civilians who died between 
3 September 1939 and 31 December 1947
as a consequence of enemy action, Allied weapons of war or whilst in an enemy prison camp.

Find out more by reading our eligibility policies.

We are delighted that you would like to volunteer for us and play your part in keeping the stories of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice alive.

We have different volunteering opportunities to get involved in, such as our Eyes On Hands On scheme, or our Speakers and Tour Guide Programme.

To find out more about what is on offer in your area, please visit our Volunteer page.

We’re sorry to hear that you feel the need to raise a complaint, and we truly value your feedback. We have a dedicated process for handling complaints, which ensures fairness and transparency. You can find full details in the below link. 

Read our full complaints procedure

Complaints can be made via:

Online: Contact us at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Email: enquiries@cwgc.org

Post: CWGC Enquiries Team, 2 Marlow Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 7DX, UK

Copyright and database rights in all material on this site are the property of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission unless otherwise stated. This material may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium for personal use only, provided it is not altered or used in a misleading context and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is acknowledged as the source of the material.

Please refer to our Website Terms and Conditions for the definition of personal use.

This permission does not extend to any material on this site which is identified as the copyright of a third party - authorisation to reproduce this material must be obtained from the copyright holders concerned. 

If you wish to use CWGC material or data for any purposes which do not fall within the definition of “personal use” stated in our Website Terms and Conditions, please submit this Form to via the “Contact Us” page of the website and we will respond accordingly.

Data Request Form Contact Us

Military casualties buried in a grave are commemorated with a CWGC headstone or pedestal marker. If they have been identified, their military details are engraved in a standard layout. Some may also have a religious emblem and personal inscription chosen by their family.

Those with no known grave are commemorated on one of the Memorials to the Missing, according to where and when they died.

Individuals who died away from the battlefield, or after they were discharged may have been buried by their family in a churchyard or civil cemetery and their grave marked by a private memorial which is a headstone not erected by us and not of the design used by the CWGC.

Commonwealth civilian casualties from the Second World War are commemorated in specially bound volumes of the Roll of Honour held at Westminster Abbey in London. 

The Roll of Honour records the names of members of the British Armed Forces who have died in military service since the end of the Second World War. This searchable website provides details about the type of service, regiment or corps, burial place (if known) and whether someone’s name is on the National Memorial in the National Memorial Arboretum.

We maintain the graves of some military personnel who died in non-world war conflicts on behalf of other governments and agencies. We may hold very limited information about their grave. Please contact: enquiries@cwgc.org

Please email: media@cwgc.org

This presentation looks at the CWGC Archives, and explores both our Casualty Archive and the Commission Archive. It explains how you can research casualties and explains what we record. It will explain how to access the Commission Archives both in person and digitally and highlights some of the documents contained there, explaining their historical significance.

CWGC are responsible for the commemoration of personnel who died between
4 August 1914 and 31 August 1921 and
3 September 1939 and 31 December 1947
whilst serving in a Commonwealth military force or specified auxiliary organisation.

Personnel who died between 
4 August 1914 and 31 August 1921 and
3 September 1939 and 31 December 1947
after they were discharged from a Commonwealth military force, if their death was caused by their wartime service.

Commonwealth civilians who died between 
3 September 1939 and 31 December 1947
as a consequence of enemy action, Allied weapons of war or whilst in an enemy prison camp.

Find out more by reading our eligibility policies.

Military casualties buried in a grave are commemorated with a CWGC headstone or pedestal marker. If they have been identified, their military details are engraved in a standard layout. Some may also have a religious emblem and personal inscription chosen by their family.

Those with no known grave are commemorated on one of the Memorials to the Missing, according to where and when they died.

Individuals who died away from the battlefield, or after they were discharged may have been buried by their family in a churchyard or civil cemetery and their grave marked by a private memorial which is a headstone not erected by us and not of the design used by the CWGC.

Commonwealth civilian casualties from the Second World War are commemorated in specially bound volumes of the Roll of Honour held at Westminster Abbey in London. 

We only hold records relating to grave registration, cemetery and memorial registers and headstone schedules. Digital images of these can be seen with the entry for each casualty on our website.

Our records generally indicate a casualty’s military details, date of death, place of burial or commemoration and, in some instances, their age and the names and address of their next-of-kin. 

Occasionally their family provided comments such as ‘severely wounded at Gallipoli’ or ‘Mentioned in Despatches in Palestine’. These details are displayed on a casualty’s entry as ‘additional information.’

More information about their military service might be found in their personal service record or in the records other units with which they served. Not all records have survived and some are still confidential. Many military records can be viewed by subscribing to one of the genealogy websites.

United Kingdom forces: Surviving First World War service records have been digitised by The National Archives, and can only be viewed online.

Second World War service records are still held by the Ministry of Defence as they remain confidential. You may apply for a copy if you are the next-of-kin of a service person who has died. Application forms are available online.

Australian forces: First and Second World War service records are held by National Archives of Australia.

Canadian forces: First and Second World War service records are held by Library and Archives Canada.

New Zealand forces: First and Second World War service records are held by the New Zealand Defence Force.

South African forces: First and Second World War service records are held by the SA National Defence Force. Military Historical Services can be contacted at archive@dod.mil.za

Indian forces: Guidance for locating First and Second World War records can be found here.

We have created a series of bitesize guides to help you begin your research, which can be found here.

CWGC does not hold birth, death, or marriage certificates and we are therefore unable to provide them. Below, you’ll find guidance on the organisations that can assist you with these requests.

Copies of certificates can be obtained from the following organisations. You may have to provide a reference and pay a fee.

Birth, marriage and death certificates for England and Wales from 1837 are held by the General Register Office.

Certificates for Northern Ireland from 1864 are held by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 

National Records of Scotland have made birth and death certificates from 1855 available through ScotlandsPeople.

Birth and death certificates for the Republic of Ireland are available from 1864, access to these documents is administered by the Civil Register Office.

Some indexes (not the certificates themselves) for registrations in other Commonwealth countries can be viewed online via one of the genealogy websites.

We do not hold record pertaining to medals.

Most servicemen and women received campaign medals in recognition of their service in particular theatres of war at specific times.

Gallantry awards were presented to those who displayed bravery, courage or leadership.

Some Foreign governments acknowledged the contribution of Commonwealth personnel to their nations war effort by awarding their own decorations.

Information about what campaign and gallantry medals Commonwealth casualties may have been entitled to is provided by the Ministry of Defence.

The London Gazette published official lists of recipients of gallantry awards. For some medals they also provided the citation, a description of the act for which the award was made.

Indexes were prepared by the different services to record the medal entitlement of their personnel. Some of these documents for the First World War can be searched and viewed online, either through The National Archives website or one of the online genealogy sites.

Australian forces: First and Second World War medal information provided by Australian Government Department of Defence.

Canadian forces: First and Second World War medal information provided by Veterans Affairs Canada.

New Zealand forces: First and Second World War medal information provided by the New Zealand Defence Force.

South African forces: First and Second World War medal information provided by the SA Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans.

Indian forces: First and Second World War medal information provided by the Ministry of Defence Medal Office.

We do not hold personal information for present-day descendants. It is important to be mindful that not all descendants would wish to receive contact, and that their details are protected under data protection and privacy laws.

The Roll of Honour records the names of members of the British Armed Forces who have died in military service since the end of the Second World War. This searchable website provides details about the type of service, regiment or corps, burial place (if known) and whether someone’s name is on the National Memorial in the National Memorial Arboretum.

We maintain the graves of some military personnel who died in non-world war conflicts on behalf of other governments and agencies. We may hold very limited information about their grave. Please contact: enquiries@cwgc.org

The details we hold were supplied to us by the military authorities and the next-of-kin in the years after the First and Second World Wars to enable the Commission to engrave the commemoration for each casualty. We do not always hold full names as only initials were engraved.

They reflect the choices made by the casualty themselves with regards to the spelling of their names, their next-of-kin and other personal details. The address we record is that of the next-of-kin when they corresponded with the Commission, sometimes many years after the end of the war.

Therefore, the details we hold may be different to those you see in other records. The accuracy of our records is very important to us and we regularly make amendments, however we will only do so if you provide documentary evidence to support any correction. We will not alter a choice made by the casualty themselves. Further details on how to submit a request can be found here.

It is possible that the person you are looking for is not a war casualty commemorated by the CWGC. Check that your casualty matches our criteria for commemoration.

Try entering in just the surname, initials and war. Results can then be refined.

If you still cannot find the casualty, please contact us, providing as much of the following information as possible:
Full name
Regiment (or branch of service)
Service Number
War
Rank
Date of Death
Hometown 

The CWGC and its Member Governments follow the principle that the war dead should, as far as possible, be allowed to rest in peace and not be disturbed. Therefore, the CWGC does not permit exhumations from the graves of Commonwealth war casualties for the purposes of identification.

Occasionally new evidence is sent to us suggesting a name for an individual who was buried as an unknown casualty. If the military authorities accept that the documentary evidence is clear and convincing, the grave will be rededicated with a new headstone bearing the name of the casualty. Guidance is available for how to submit an Identification Case.

Where human remains are discovered in former battlefield areas during farming, building work or land developments the local police will confirm that they are First or Second World War casualties. The CWGC will then coordinate with the relevant military authorities who will carry out any investigation as to identity. 

In the vast majority of cases from the First World War period it is not possible to establish the identity of the casualty. However, occasionally artefacts found with the remains, together with historical information, might suggest that the remains belong to a particular regiment/unit or a named individual. Every effort is then made by the military authorities to trace present day relatives and, where appropriate carry out DNA.

We do not collect or directly handle DNA ourselves, and that we cannot accept speculative offers of DNA from the public

Whether identification is successful or not, the CWGC will support the relevant authority in making arrangements for a military burial with full honours in a CWGC cemetery close to where they were found. The grave will be marked and cared for by the CWGC in perpetuity.

The CWGC has two visitor centres. They are meeting places where you can find information about the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the people we commemorate, meet our staff and buy a souvenir.

In Ieper, the centre is located near the Menin Gate.

Find out more about our Ieper Visitor Centre

In Beaurains (near Arras), you get a unique behind-the-scenes look at our daily work, from stonemasonry to memorial care.

Find out more about our Beaurains Visitor Centre

Ieper: Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 13:00 to 21:00. Closed on Mondays.

Beaurains: Open Monday to Friday, from 09:00 to 16:00. Closed on weekends and French public holidays. Note: From December to February, Beaurains is only open for group visits by appointment. 

No booking is needed for individual visitors. Groups of 10 or more are kindly asked to contact us in advance via visitcwgc@cwgc.org.

Yes, both centres are wheelchair accessible.

• Ieper: Step-free access, accessible toilet, and easy access to the shop and tearoom.
• Beaurains: Accessible entrance, parking, seating, and toilets. 

Assistance dogs are welcome. If you have specific requirements, please contact us via visitcwgc@cwgc.org – we are happy to help.

Ieper: Information about local cemeteries, help with our database, a CWGC gift shop, and even a café. Find out more.

Beaurains: A free audio guide takes you through the workshops where our skilled teams work. You get a real behind-the-scenes experience. Find out more.

Yes! Both Visitor Centres – in Ieper and Beaurains – feature a gift shop offering a carefully curated selection of items that reflect the spirit of remembrance and support the work of the CWGC.

You will find:

• Books on military history and personal stories of the fallen
• Commemorative items such as enamel mugs, water bottles, and keyrings
• Eco-friendly gifts like recycled notebooks, tote bags, and bee-friendly seed packets
• Seasonal merchandise with CWGC branding
• Unique souvenirs perfect for history enthusiasts and thoughtful gifts

By purchasing from our shops, you are directly supporting the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation (CWGF). Proceeds help fund educational programmes, outreach initiatives, and projects that ensure the stories of the Commonwealth’s war dead continue to be shared with future generations. It is a meaningful way to take a piece of remembrance home while contributing to its preservation.

Yes! In Ieper, you can explore the Menin Gate with or without a guide. Beaurains does not offer traditional guided tours for individual travellers, but the audio guide provides a rich experience. Groups can request a guided visit. 

Absolutely! Both centres are family-friendly.

Ieper, Belgium: Menenstraat 46, 8900 Ieper

Beaurains, France: Rue Angèle Richard 5, 62217 Beaurains (near Arras)

Ieper, Belgium: +32 57 35 27 91 – enquiries@cwgc.org

Beaurains, France: +33 3 21 21 52 75 – visitcwgc@cwgc.org

The CWGF is the charitable arm of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). We inspire, engage, and educate people about the stories of the men and women who died in the World Wars, and the importance of preserving their memorials for the future. You can find out more here: The Commonwealth War Graves Foundation

You can make a donation, become a member, leave a gift in your will, attend our events, or take part in our fundraising campaigns. Every contribution, large or small, makes a difference.

If you have forgotten your password or you have been locked out, then please email us
supporters@cwgc.org for help.

We are sorry to hear that you are thinking about cancelling your CWGF membership.

Please inform us that this is what you would like to do, and when you would like this to come into
effect by emailing supporters@cwgc.org.

We appreciate that you are considering donating to the CWGF, and there are many ways to do so.

We accept donations online, by cheque, bank transfer or text. Please visit our Donate page to find 
more information.

Unfortunately, we cannot organise our donations in such a way that it can be used for a specific grave or cemetery.

The donations that we do receive allow us to highlight the work of the CWGC through education and outreach programmes, to keep the stories of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice alive.

Yes. A gift in your will helps ensure the stories of those who died in the World Wars are never forgotten. We would be happy to discuss this further with you – please e-mail us at legacies@cwgc.org for more information. 

Gift Aid is an easy way to increase the value of your donation. If you are a UK taxpayer, the CWGF can claim 25p for every £1 you donate- at no extra cost to you.

Gift Aid can be claimed on your CWGF membership or personal donations.

Gift Aid cannot be claimed on donations on behalf of a group of people or organisation, from raffles or collections.

For more information, please visit: Gift Aid donation claims for charities and CASCs - GOV.UK.

To qualify for Gift Aid you must pay an amount of UK tax (Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax) at least equal to the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all your donations in that tax year.

If you pay less UK tax (Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax) than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all your donations in that tax year it is your responsibility to pay the difference.

You should receive your items within 7 working days of placing your order. If it has not reached you
in this time, please contact us:

Email us at supporters@cwgc.org
Call us on (0044)01628 507278

Unfortunately, we cannot ship our products outside of the UK.

If you visit the battlefields in France and Belgium, please stop by our Visitors Centre in Beaurains, France or our Information Centre in Ieper, Belgium where we have similar products and more available to buy.