The historical and personal stories behind the graves in Tavistock Cemetery will be revealed during two special tours as part of War Graves Week 2025 over the coming week.

The tours are part of a nationwide series of guided walks organised by the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation (CWGF) – a charitable arm of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) – as part of its commemoration mission.

Both tours start at 10:30am on Saturday, May 3 and Wednesday, May 7. The tours are free but booking is required.

There are 15 burials from the 1914-1918 war and a further 11 burials of the 1939-1945 war in the cemetery off Plymouth Road.

Limited parking is available on site or nearby. Those taking part are asked to dress for the weather and wear suitable footwear.

The CWGC believes that remembering individuals who have died in conflicts is of universal, perpetual relevance, and that reflecting on their deaths is of continuing and paramount importance for everyone.

A commission statement says: “We believe that each one of those we commemorate were people like us, with their own ambitions, hopes and dreams. It is our duty and privilege to care for their graves and memorials and through our charitable foundation, keep their stories alive.”

The commission looks after cemeteries, memorials, graves, landscapes, and records at 23,000 locations and in more than 150 countries and territories.

Booking is needed to ensure a place on the Tavistock Cemetery, see: https://shorturl.at/FjFcQ