Dover St. James - War Graves Week Tours

War Graves Week is an initiative aimed at encouraging people from the local community to come together and discover the World War heritage on their doorstep – learning about the stories of those commemorated by the CWGC and the skills, dedication and expertise of those CWGC staff and volunteers who work to keep their memory alive.

MEETING POINT: Dover St James Cemetery Entrance - meet inside entrance gates. Tours will start promptly, please be there in plenty of time.

During the First World War, Dover was a port of embarkation for troops bound for the Western Front and between August 1914 and August 1919 some 1,300,000 Commonwealth sick and wounded were landed there.

There are 387 identified burials of the 1914-1918 war here. In addition there are 19 unidentified burials, 9 of whom can be named as victims of the Zeebrugge Raid, and these 9 are inscribed on a Special Memorial on the Cross of Sacrifice in the Zeebrugge Plot.

In 1940, Dover was the headquarters for the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk and nearly 200,000 of the 366,000 British and Allied troops brought back during the operation were landed there.

Most of the 356 Second World War burials are contained in a special war graves plot at the far end of the cemetery.

The site is varied. Wheelchair access is possible for part of tour only but it does involve a steep hill on road. Off road is steep hillside with rough ground and roots. There is parking on-site.

There are no facilities or toilets.

Note there are four cemeteries in this locality.

Please dress appropriately for the weather and bring a water bottle with you if needed. We will not be able to provide refreshments.