Unveiling of a new screen wall at Cathays Cemetery to commemorate Norwegian sailors

The sacrifice of Norwegian sailors who served far from home during the Second World War was honoured at Cathays Cemetery, Cardiff, on Wednesday 7 October, with the unveiling of a new screen wall commemorating by name eleven Norwegian service personnel.

The ceremony marked the culmination of a collaborative project between the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) and the Norwegian War Graves Service (NWGS) to ensure these servicemen are formally and permanently commemorated.

This is the largest rededication of Norwegian war graves at a single location since the 1950s and represents a significant milestone in preserving the memory of those who served and died far from home. Their stories highlight the international nature of the conflict and the human cost of war.

Among those commemorated are ten sailors of the Norwegian Merchant Navy and one member of the Royal Norwegian Navy. The Norwegian Merchant Navy, then the fourth largest in the world, played a vital role in supporting the Allied war effort and transporting essential supplies.

The commemorations also recognise three Swedish citizens who chose to serve aboard Norwegian vessels despite Sweden's neutrality during the war. More than 1,000 Swedish sailors joined the Norwegian Merchant Navy, with over 90 losing their lives while supporting the Allied cause.

The ceremony will was led by the Pastor of the Norwegian Seamen's Church in London, with a memorial address delivered by Haakon O. V. Vinje, Head of the Norwegian War Graves Service at the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Equality.

The event formed part of the Norwegian War Graves Service's ongoing Non-Commemoration Project, which has identified and commemorated previously unmarked or unrecognised Norwegian war graves around the world.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission commemorates 8,300 fallen Commonwealth service personnel at 1,150 locations across Wales.