The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) has opened an exhibition at Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey, providing insight into the contribution of service personnel from around the world, who lost their lives during the world wars.
Brookwood has more than 5,000 Commonwealth war graves and is the largest CWGC cemetery in the UK. Stories told in the exhibition include Pilot Officer George John Drake, who joined the RAF in 1939 after being rejected from the South African Air Force. He died aged 20 in 1940 when his Hurricane was shot down over the south coast. His remains were discovered in 1972 and his funeral was held at Brookwood with full military honours, attended by his brothers from South Africa.
Glyn Prysor, CWGC’s Chief Historian, said: ‘Behind every headstone is a life, and we’re proud to showcase some of these stories of courage, fortitude and heartbreak.’