Le cimetière militaire britannique

Pornic British War Cemetery contains 399 graves of Commonwealth soldiers following the sinking of the Lancastria on 17 June 1940.

British Commonwealth cemeteries

Founded by Royal Charter in 1917, the CWGC (Commonwealth War Graves Commission) is responsible for maintaining the graves of Commonwealth soldiers who fell in battle during the First and Second World Wars.

The temporary wooden crosses planted after the war have been replaced by plain white headstones arranged in rows.
All the headstones in the CWGC cemeteries are identical. Unlike the French and German graves, they are rectangles with rounded top edges (not crosses), with :


the soldier's name and rank,
engraved on the top, either the national emblem (maple leaf for Canadians, springbok for South Africans, etc.) or the regimental crest.
the religious emblem engraved on the lower part of the stele. If the deceased had no religion, no religious symbol is engraved on the stone.


The beautification of cemeteries plays a very important role in providing visitors to the deceased with a calm and restful environment in which to reflect.
This maintenance honours the sacrifice of those who died in the two wars, but also helps the public to appreciate the value of the sites (cemeteries and memorials) in their historical and cultural context.


Pornic British Cemetery

The cemeteries and memorials are decorated with plants and flowers to create a delicate harmony.
A mixture of floribunda roses and perennials is planted around the graves.
Smaller varieties are planted in front of the graves to avoid obscuring the inscriptions.

Most of the casualties buried in this British military cemetery perished when the ship Lancastria was sunk by enemy bombs off Saint-Nazaire on 17 June 1940.

Among the 399 graves, 237 victims are identified, and are buried as follows:


218 British soldiers
11 Canadians
4 Australians
3 South Africans (including 2 victims of the First World War)
1 New Zealander
and 1 Indian

The graves of the unidentified soldiers are marked with the little information that could be found on the battlefield "A Soldier of the Great War" or "A Soldier of the Second World War" or "Known unto God".


To find out more

It is possible to take a tour of the site with Christophe COUPÉ, head gardener responsible for the Commonwealth cemeteries of the Great West, as part of a tour entitled "Meet our enthusiasts" entitled The British Military Cemetery "Lest we be forgotten", organised from time to time by the Pornic Intercommunal Tourist Office.

The cemeteries at Le Clion-sur-Mer and Sainte-Marie-sur-Mer also contain a number of military graves.