By KLTV Newsdesk –

War Graves Week invites communities across Yorkshire to uncover the personal histories behind Commonwealth war graves and connect with a shared global legacy

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is encouraging local communities to discover those stories for themselves as War Graves Week returns from 16 to 24 May 2026 with a nationwide programme of events and guided tours.

Thousands of extraordinary wartime stories are hidden in plain sight across Yorkshire, etched into headstones in cemeteries and memorials that many people pass every day without a second glance.

The annual initiative invites people to explore the human stories behind Commonwealth war graves in their local areas, while also encouraging families to share their own connections to the World Wars through the CWGC’s global storytelling platform, For Evermore.

Across Yorkshire, the CWGC cares for thousands of war graves commemorating local men and women, alongside service personnel from across the Commonwealth whose lives were shaped, and often cut short, by conflict.

Stories of Service Across Yorkshire

Visitors attending events during War Graves Week will hear remarkable stories of courage, sacrifice and resilience from communities across the region.

At Bowling Cemetery in Bradford, tours will focus on two Bradfordian servicewomen who served and died during the Second World War.

Meanwhile, visitors to Stonefall Cemetery in Harrogate will learn about Sergeant Joseph Raymond Pollon of the Royal Canadian Air Force, who was killed in a training accident aged just 17, only weeks after arriving in Britain.

At Hedon Road Cemetery in Hull, stories will include sailors who lost their lives at sea, as well as a conscientious objector buried near the prison wall where he died for his beliefs.

In Doncaster’s Hyde Park Cemetery, visitors will hear about casualties from the Royal Flying Corps who were stationed at the RFC Training Depot in the town.

Free tours and events will take place at sites across Yorkshire, including Bradford, Beverley, Middlesbrough and Malton.

KLTV recently visited Edgerton Cemetery in Huddersfield to explore the history of the war graves there.

‘An Opportunity to See Familiar Places in a New Light’

Elizabeth Smith, Public Engagement Coordinator at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, said: “War Graves Week is an opportunity for people to see familiar places in a new light.

“Across Yorkshire, there are stories of courage, loss and resilience that are part of the community’s history yet often go unnoticed in everyday life.

“We are encouraging everyone to explore local CWGC sites in the area and share their own stories to connect Yorkshire to our shared global history.”

A Global Legacy of Remembrance

Founded by Royal Charter in 1917, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission commemorates 1.7 million Commonwealth servicemen and women who lost their lives during the First and Second World Wars.

Working on behalf of the governments of Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom, the CWGC maintains cemeteries, memorials and graves at more than 23,000 locations across over 150 countries and territories.

The organisation says its mission goes beyond maintaining gravesites, aiming to preserve the personal stories, ambitions and sacrifices of those who died in conflict for future generations.

War Graves Week runs from 16 to 24 May 2026. People can take part by visiting local CWGC sites, attending events, researching stories in their communities, or sharing family histories online.

For more information and to find events near you, visit the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website