Free Guided Tours at Stonefall Cemetery to Honour Women and Commonwealth Heroes

Posted By: KLTVon: February 20, 2026In: Kirklees Armed Forces TV, News

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By KLTV Newsdesk –

CWGC marks International Women’s Day and Commonwealth Day with special themed events

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) will host a series of free themed guided tours at Stonefall Cemetery next month to commemorate International Women’s Day and Commonwealth Day.

During the Second World War, nearly 1,000 service personnel were buried at Stonefall Cemetery.

Many travelled from across the Commonwealth, including more than 600 Canadian and nearly 100 Australian servicemen, alongside casualties from East Africa, the Caribbean, New Zealand and Fiji.

Spotlight on Women Who Served

The guided tour for International Women’s Day, taking place on Sunday 8 March, will shine a light on the six female casualties from the Second World War commemorated at the site.

Among them are local women who served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service and the Territorial Army Nursing Service.

One of those remembered is Sister Florrie Prest, who served at Dunkirk and in Atlantic and Icelandic waters. She was also mentioned in Despatches for ‘service in the Middle East’.

Susie Cooper, who served in the Royal Corps of Signals for 23 years and now holds the rank of Captain in the Army Reserves, volunteers with the CWGC and will lead the tour.

She said: “On International Women’s Day, it is a huge honour to speak about some of the female casualties of the Second World War who lost their lives in service to their country.

“Having served myself, I feel a deep personal connection to these women.”

Remembering the Commonwealth

Tours for Commonwealth Day on 9 March will focus on the servicemen from across the Commonwealth who are buried at Stonefall.

Among those remembered are Private Selemani Shabani, who served with the African Pioneer Corps (East Africa) and is believed to have been taken as a Prisoner of War during the Fall of Tobruk in May 1942, and Flying Officer Ulric Leslie Look Yan, a fighter pilot from Trinidad.

Elizabeth Smith, Public Engagement Coordinator for the CWGC, said: “In the UK, the CWGC maintains war graves of those who served in the First and Second World Wars in over 12,000 sites.

“Stonefall Cemetery contains the largest plot of war graves in the North of England and resembles our sites in Europe and around the world.

“At Stonefall Cemetery, our themed guided tours offer a chance for locals to forge a personal connection with their past.

“These tours are a poignant reminder of the courage and resilience of those who served.

“Such was the resonance of last year’s tours that spaces filled quickly. We strongly advise people to secure their place soon.”