British Cemetery — Local services in Ocracoke

On Ocracoke Island, the British Cemetery commemorates four British Royal Navy sailors who lost their lives on May 11, 1942, when German U-boat 558 attacked their ship, the HMT Bedfordshire. Only four remains were found when the ship sank off the coast of North Carolina while searching for enemy submarines; they washed up close to the settlement. Residents of Ocracoke gave a tiny piece of land for their burial as a token of appreciation and respect; this area is now permanently leased to the British Commonwealth, making it, metaphorically, British soil.

Each year on the anniversary of the sinking, a memorial ceremony is held with representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, British Royal Navy, and Canadian forces, honoring the sacrifice of these men who died defending...

Every year on May 12, the anniversary of the HMS Bedfordshire's sinking, members of the US Coast Guard, the National Park Service, and the British Royal Navy honor the men buried at this cemetery. Visitors and locals alike are welcome to witness the ceremony, and many do, standing quietly by and honoring the fallen heroes.

During the memorial, current servicemen place wreathes along each of the graves, while island locals read aloud the names of the dead that had fallen during the deadly reign of the Torpedo Junction. To close the ceremony, the sailors are honored with a quiet playing of "Taps," followed by a 21-gun salute.

Great for...

A bit of history and remembrance from WWII. "These gravesites contain the bodies of four British seamen. Their ship, the armed trawler HMS Bedfordshire, was on loan to our Navy by Great Britain to help protect our shores during the early days of World War II.

On May 11, 1942 the Bedfordshire was torpedoed and sunk by a German sub. All hands were lost and these four were the only bodies recovered.

This cemetery is maintained by Ocracoke Coast Guard...