Christiansborg Memorial
- Country Ghana
- Total identified casualties 451 Find these casualties
- Identified casualties from Second World War
- GPS Coordinates Latitude: 5.55379, Longitude: -0.19016
Location information
Christiansborg, one of the main suburbs of Accra, is 3 kilometres east of the city on the main coast road. The Christiansborg Memorial forms the entrance to Christiansborg War Cemetery which is located on Castle Road, near the State Building, Accra International Conference Centre and Sports Stadium and Black Star Square. Christiansborg War Cemetery is open Monday to Friday between 06:00 to 18:00.
Visiting information
ARRIVAL
The route to the cemetery is not signposted.
PARKING
The parking area for the cemetery is along a paved access track running through an expanse of grass. There are palm trees along the edges of the track.
The ground is firm and flat, the surface is brick paved. The route is edged with white painted kerbstones.
ACCESS, LAYOUT AND MAIN ENTRANCE
The cemetery is rectangular shaped
The main entrance is a large, covered structure over a flagstone paved area. The main gate is underneath the entrance structure, which is comprised of three separate metal gates. The central opening has a double latched gate.
There is a step up to the paved area from the track, with the height of the step is between 10 and 15 cm. The edge of the step is painted white.
The main gate is a mid-level (thigh height) gate approximately 3 metres wide. A double gate, approximately 1.5 metres wide opens both inward and outward.
There is a small step down to the main cemetery, with a narrow dirt strip separating the paved entrance area and the turf.
The cemetery Register Box is built into the left-hand wall of the entrance building.
The Christiansborg Memorial is part of the entrance building, located in the wall opposite the Register Box.
The Cross of Sacrifice is at the furthest point from the main entrance on the right-hand side of the cemetery.
The internal paths are grass, the ground is firm and flat.
ALTERNATIVE ACCESS
There are no alternative entrances into the cemetery; access is through the main entrance only.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The cemetery is open Monday to Friday 0600 hrs to 1800 hrs.
History information
During the Second World War, Accra airport and other airfields in the Gold Coast and Nigeria, were of major importance to the Atlantic Ferry - a process whereby much needed aircraft were flown by American crews from factories in America, across the South Atlantic, to West Africa. At Accra, the aircraft were handed over to the Royal Air Force, fitted and tested after their long flight, then flown onwards to the Desert Forces in North Africa. A separate service run by the South African Air Force flew bombers south to the Cape.
No. 37 (Accra) Military Hospital was established at Accra during the war-time expansion of the Royal West African Frontier Force. Accra also contributed six Companies to the Gold Coast Home Guard, created in 1940 and disbanded in 1944.
The CHRISTIANSBORG MEMORIAL commemorates over 450 men of Gold Coast enlistment who died in West African territory during the Second World War, whose graves are unknown or are so situated that permanent maintenance is not possible.
The memorial forms the entrance to CHRISTIANSBORG WAR CEMETERY. The cemetery, constructed in 1941 and maintained by the Royal Engineers until taken over by the Commission towards the end of 1949, contains 416 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War.