The German collective grave in the British cemetery Sint-Donaaskerk in Zeebrugge is a central element of the complex.
Occupancy
In addition to 30 Commonwealth soldiers, 175 German soldiers who died in the First World War are buried on this war cemetery. Of these, 14 belonged to the army and 158 to the navy (including one airman). Three soldiers are unknown.
History
German forces occupied the town of Zeebrugge in October 1914 and developed the strategically important port into a base for the Imperial Navy on the English Channel. It was repeatedly attacked throughout the First World War.
On April 22/23, 1918, the British Royal Navy attempted to block the approach to the port for German submarines. A battalion of British marines was also involved. More than 60 ships and boats were involved: With destroyers, motorboats, launches, old cruisers, submarines and Mersey ferries, they attacked the pier at Zeebrugge and attempted to block the canal to Bruges and the German submarine headquarters.
Ultimately, neither the complete blockade of the harbor entrance nor the destruction of the important pier battery was successful. Nevertheless, the British officially considered the operation a great success. The German side in turn celebrated the successful defense. The attack went down in history as the "Zeebrugge Raid" or "St. Georges Day Raid".
Cemetery description
The war cemetery is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), the British partner organization of the German War Graves Commission (Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e. V.). The German government provides funding for the German collective grave, with the War Graves Commission overseeing the work.
in 2023, the CWGC renovated the border of the German collective grave with funds from the German government.
Special feature
There are several memorials in the cemetery, the upkeep of which is paid for by the British Ministry of Defense: the memorial to the Zeebrugge Raid - which names four victims of the Zeebrugge Raid whose graves are unknown - the British Salvage Section memorial and memorials to Captain Bamford and Sergeant Finch. Both were recipients of the Victoria Cross, the highest British military decoration.
