Narvik New Cemetery in Norway

Narvik is a major port on the north west coast of Norway. During the Second World War, Norway was of strategic importance to the Germans. Their invasion on 9 April 1940 was sudden and widespread and despite Allied intervention, the entire country was under German occupation by early June. Thereafter, Allied activity in Norway was confined to raids and special operations, with the Commonwealth air forces providing support to Norwegian resistance groups until the German capitulation in May 1945. There are no Commonwealth war cemeteries in Norway, those who died there being buried in civil cemeteries and churchyards. Narvik New Cemetery contains 34 Commonwealth burials, 24 of them seamen, the majority from HMS Hunter, who lost their lives in the First Battle of Narvik on 10 April 1940. Their graves were brought into this cemetery from scattered sites in the area. Seven burials are unidentified. There are 2 graves from the 1,531 servicemen lost with HMS Glorious, HMS Ardent and HMS Acasta at Narvik New Cemetery: Photos courtesy of Harald Isachsen