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Cannock Chase (Forest) Memorial Triangle
Cannock Chase, in Staffordshire, was once a Royal hunting-forest, hence its name. In Tudor times, its trees became a source of fuel for the Tudor iron industry. It was formerly owned by the Earls of Lichfield, whose Shugborough Hall seat is nearby.
In 1964. the German Government, decided to create the Deutcher Soldaten Friedhof. 2143 soldiers from the Great War and 2786 from the Second World War were moved and placed in this beautiful place. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission now maintains this place.
On the left hand side, of the road, leading to the German cemetery, is an older war cemetery, the British War Cemetery, which contains the graves of mainly New Zealand troops, nearly all from the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, who trained at Cannock Chase, when it was converted into a vast military base, with its own railways lines and hospital. The wounded and those who fell victim to the 1918 flu epidemic, and died are buried at this place.For years local women, brought flowers to the cemetery on Anzac day. A formal ceremony was held until 1953.
In 1971, the Military History Society started a small service, this continued until 1973, the Whitehouse Brothers, aided by the Earl and Countess of Lichfield, were totally responsible. In 1973, they appointed a co-coordinator. He continued unaided until 1980, when financial circumstances resulted in the RBL being asked to aid the project. The same team continued until 1994, when the RBL committee took over, but used the original format.
To the north of the British War Cemetery is the Katyn Memorial, erected by the Anglo' Polish Society and the SPK(Polish ex service organisation). This memorial is 500 yards from the German and British War Cemeteries. It commerates, 14,000 Polish Officers and intellectuals, who were executed by the Russian Secret Police, on the direct order of Josef Stalin in 1940. A memorial service is held in May every year.
This memorial triangle, makes Cannock Chase, or Forest, unique.
John P Mellor, OBE., QSM(New Zealand) Vier Dienst mit bande(Germany) GrosseGoldene-Ehrenzeichen(Austria) Commander and Cavalier Order Polonia Restituta(Poland)
