Holt Churchyard

• Country Norway
• Total identified casualties 6 Find these casualties
• Identified casualties from Second World War
• GPS Coordinates Latitude: 58.60712, Longitude: 8.86923

Location information

Holt is on the south-eastern coast, 18 kilometres north-east of Arendal. Holt church is clearly signed from the E18 near the village. The collective Commonwealth war grave is against the centre of the wall enclosing the far end of the churchyard, on the north-eastern side of the church.

History information

During the Second World War, Norway was of strategic importance to the Germans. Their invasion on 9 April 1940 was sudden and widespread and despite Allied intervention, the entire country was under German occupation by early June. Thereafter, Allied activity in Norway was confined to raids and special operations, with the Commonwealth air forces providing support to Norwegian resistance groups until the German capitulation in May 1945. There are no Commonwealth war cemeteries in Norway, those who died there being buried in civil cemeteries and churchyards. Holt Churchyard contains the collective grave of six Commonwealth airmen.