May 17, 2022 11.47 am This story is over 22 months old

Discover the history of Lincoln’s war heroes with cemetery tour

The tours allow people to remember those who died in World Wars
War Graves Week is coming to Lincoln, with free guided cemetery tours of the city's wartime past. | Photo: CWGC
By Local Democracy Reporter

Free guided tours of Newport Cemetery will be hosted to help people in Lincoln discover the tales of wartime, honouring those who lost their lives either on the frontline or elsewhere during World Wars One and Two.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission hosts a week of free tours for people wanting to learn about the World War heritage and history that exists within their communities.

War Graves Week, running from May 21 to 28, will be brought to Lincoln this year, with free tours of Newport Cemetery on Wednesday, May 25, starting from 10am.

They will give people the chance to discover the remarkable stories of servicemen and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the First and Second World War, and are buried in their community.

Over 260 casualties from both World Wars are buried at Newport, such as four women, the mother who lost five sons in WW1, a Victoria Cross winner and an American airman from World War One.

The tours will be led by local resident, David Barton, who is a volunteer for the CWGC, and the group are encouraging the people of Lincoln to seek out the stories of their area by booking a free tour on the CWGC website.

David said: “We’re delighted that the CWGC’s War Graves Week will be taking place in Lincoln. For us at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, remembrance and the sharing and caring for World War heritage is a daily duty.

“Behind every name on a war grave or memorial is a human story waiting to be discovered and War Graves Week is the perfect opportunity to do just that.

“I’d encourage everyone to join one of the tours to reconnect with their local history to learn about the courageous ordinary people from our community who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.”

This year’s War Graves Week will focus on the Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times project, which celebrates the value of people in everyday sectors such as communications, healthcare and infrastructure, while others fought on the frontline.