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The Cross of Sacrifice in Bayeux War Cemetery in France.

The Cross of Sacrifice or War Cross was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and is usually present in Commonwealth war cemeteries containing 40 or more graves. It is normally a freestanding four point limestone Latin cross in one of three sizes ranging in height from 18 to 32 feet.^[1] On the face of the cross is a bronze sword, blade down. It is usually mounted on an octagonal base. The Cross represents the faith of the majority of the dead and the sword represents the military character of the cemetery.

The Cross of Sacrifice is frequently built into the boundary wall of the in cemeteries which are liable to subsidence such as those in Turkey.^[1]

[edit] Locations

These cemeteries around the world have a Cross of Sacrifice incorporated in their layouts:

Artillery Wood Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery, Boezinge, Ieper, West Flanders, Belgium
Bayeux War Cemetery, Bayeux, France
Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, near Caen in lower Normandy, France
Blauwepoort Farm Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery, Ieper, West Flanders, Belgium
Brandhoek Military Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery, Ieper, West Flanders, Belgium
Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, near Caen and Falaise in lower Normandy, France
Canadian National Vimy Memorial, Givenchy-en-Gohelle, near Vimy, Pas-de-Calais, France
Delville Wood Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery, Longueval, Somme, France
Sai Wan War Cemetery, in Hong Kong
Tyne Cot Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery and Memorial to the Missing, Ieper, West Flanders, Belgium
Wagga Wagga War Cemetery, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia
Ypres Reservoir Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery, Ieper, West Flanders, Belgium

[edit] U.S. Installations

There are two Cross of Sacrifice in the United States. One is located in Arlington National Cemetery by the graves of United States citizens who enlisted in the Canadian military, and lost their lives during World War I. Proposed in 1925 by Canadian Prime Minister MacKenzie King, it was in part due to Canada entering the war long before the United States, and many Americans enlisting in Canada to join the fighting in Europe. On June 12, 1925, President Calvin Coolidge approved the request, and on Armistice Day 1927 the monument near the Memorial Amphitheater was dedicated.

The inscription on the cross reaffirms the sentiment expressed by Prime Minister King regarding Americans who served in the Canadian Forces. Following World War II and the Korean War, similar inscriptions on other faces of the monument were dedicated to the Americans who served in those conflicts. ^[2]

The Cross of Gray in Weymouth, Massachusetts

The other is located in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Known locally as the Cross Of Gray, it stands on a knoll in Weymouth's historic Civic Center overlooking the town's War Memorial Wall and its Town Hall. The War Memorial Wall lists all those from Weymouth that served in all wars and the Cross Of Gray was dedicated on April 19, 1930 to all those that die in those wars.

[edit] Gallery

The Cross of Sacrifice in Sai Wan War Cemetery in Hong Kong.	Cross of Sacrifice in Wagga Wagga War Cemetery, New South Wales, Australia.	A Cross of Sacrifice at the Bretteville-sur-Laize cemetery in Normandy.	Cross of Sacrifice in Givenchy Road Cemetery, Canadian National Vimy Memorial, Givenchy-en-Gohelle, near Vimy, Pas-de-Calais, France
Tyne Cot Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery and Memorial to the Missing, in Passendale, West Flanders, Belgium. The cross is built over a German bunker.	Artillery Wood Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery near Ieper, West Flanders, Belgium	Azmak Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in Turkey has the cross built into a wall because of the risk of subsidance