Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Commonwealth War Graves Commission serves as the custodian for approximately 1.7 million Commonwealth service members who lost their lives during the First and Second World Wars. The organization operates cemeteries and memorials across more than 150 countries and territories, with sites located at over 23,000 positions globally. Through these facilities and its archival holdings, the Commission ensures that the war dead are remembered and documented.

Established under Royal Charter, Commonwealth War Graves Commission has constructed approximately 2,500 war cemeteries and plots since its founding. The organization has placed headstones at grave sites and created permanent memorials bearing the names of those whose remains were not recovered. Currently, the Commission maintains records for more than one million burials at military and civil locations throughout more than 150 countries and territories. The organization's foundational principles—which include commemorating each individual by name, ensuring the permanence of memorials, maintaining uniform standards for headstones, and making no distinctions based on military rank, ethnicity, or religion—were established in 1917 and continue to guide its operations.