| Historical Information: |
Brookwood Cemetery, is a very extensive burial ground near Woking,
in the North-West corner of Surrey. Brookwood and Woking were afforested by Henry II, but
disafforested about 1225. The name "Brookwood" has reference to the large woods of oak which
grew in this district in former times from which, according to local tradition, timber was used
in the construction of many sailing ships. Brookwood Military Cemetery is owned by the Commission
and is the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the United Kingdom, covering approximately 37
acres. In 1917, an area of land in Brookwood Cemetery (The London Necropolis) was set aside for
the burial of men and women of the forces of the Commonwealth and Americans, who had died, many
of battle wounds, in the London district. This site was further extended to accommodate the
Commonwealth casualties of the Second World War, and American, Belgian, Czech, Dutch, French and
Polish plots containing the graves of casualties of our Allies. There are also German and Italian
plots where prisoners of war lie buried. The Commission also maintains as an agency service on
behalf of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, a plot of the graves of Chelsea Pensioners, which is
situated adjacent to the Military Cemetery. The Commission now publish registers for Foreign
Nationals and Non World War Dead within their care in this cemetery. At the southern end of the
Canadian section stands the Brookwood Memorial, commemorating 3,500 men and women of the Land
Forces of the Commonwealth who died in many lands, or at sea, and have no known grave. The
circumstances of their death were such that they could not appropriately be commemorated on any
of the campaign memorials in theatres of war. This is subject to separate registers.
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