A special cemetery

Ocracoke has over 80 cemeteries. Most are small family plots, and they are scattered throughout the village. Some are in back yards, and sometimes individual people are buried under porches, or under or behind bushes or other landscaping. My friend Sundae wrote an excellent article about the cemeteries on the island, which was published in Our State magazine.

There is, however, only one cemetery on the island which, although it is in "some foreign field", can say it will be "forever England". That is, of course, the British Cemetery. The annual memorial service was held today, to honor the British and Canadian sailors who lost their lives when the HMS Bedfordshire sank off Ocracoke on May 11, 1942 after being torpedoed by a German U-boat. Four bodies washed ashore and are buried in the small plot on British Cemetery road.

The cemetery had been cleaned up and was looking its best for the service today, with new plants, memorial wreaths, and the ceremonial Union Jack adding splashes of bright color. The ceremony was, as it always is, sober and moving. I am most affected each year by the reading of the Roll of Honor, the names of all the young men who died on the Bedfordshire. Their ages are always mentioned, too, which is truly poignant. One of the High School students read the Roll today, and the ages of the lost sailors were not much higher than his own.

I noticed something today which I have seen many times before, but never reflected on in any depth. The sign at the British Cemetery says "cared for by the crew of Coast Guard Station Ocracoke". I love this choice of wording. The cemetery is not merely maintained, it is cared for, by these dedicated men and women. It is, as it should be, treated with respect and reverence, ensuring that future generations will remember the sacrifices made for the ideal we call freedom. Let us not forget.


Links:
Our State magazine
British Cemetery Info and picture
More British Cemetery info (old pictures)