Stratford Cemetery tours hosted by Commonwealth War Graves Commisssion

CROWDS of people recently queued from 8.30am at Stratford Cemetery for free guided tours to discover the remarkable stories of the men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in two World Wars and who lie buried there.

Tours officially started at 11am but such was the interest in the history of those who gave their lives in wartime, people gathered long beforehand which meant volunteers from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission took 60 people around the cemetery in total.

Graves were marked with a picture and national flag of each person to help the public understand the international role Stratford played in both wars.

“It went absolutely to plan. The website was sold out thanks to an article in the Herald promoting the event. The day was so popular we’re thinking about planning another free tour in late summer or early autumn,” said war graves volunteer Ewan Cuthbertson.