St. Helena (St. Paul) Cathedral Churchyard
- Country St. Helena and Ascension Island
- Total identified casualties 14 Find these casualties
- Identified casualties from First & Second World War
- GPS Coordinates Latitude: -15.957, Longitude: -5.72083
Race against the sunset
Ascension Island
Location: Georgetown, Ascension Island Language: English Altitude: 1m Rainfall: 142mm
Temperature: 20°c - 28°c Biggest challenge: Isolated island location
A thousand miles from the nearest mainland, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, sits an island airbase. There’s not much there beyond an airstrip, a weather station and a NASA telescope that combs the skies.
But nestled on the windy shores of Ascension Island is also one of the world’s most isolated island war cemeteries.
On his last visit, regional manager Simon Fletcher had only hours of daylight to rush across the island before his return flight.
Ascension Island cemetery contains seven Commonwealth war graves. Some were buried when their ship passed through, others were stationed here. One was a South African labourer. Another, a telegraph operator from South Shields, UK.
Today, civilians can only reach the island via St Helena – a full 800 miles to the south – on the monthly flight that links the two.
In remote outposts like this we rely heavily on the support of those stationed there.
CWGC’s area manager Simon Fletcher recently took the long journey to check the condition of the war graves on both islands and re-establish local connections.
“It was a race against the sunset as soon as we landed in Ascension,” he said. Within hours, he had to be back on the same plane or risk being stranded for a month.
“I only had about an hour of daylight to rush to the small war cemetery and see what condition the war graves were in before rushing back to the airstrip to get home.”
Thankfully all was well. He returned safe in the knowledge those seven men, however far from home they may be, were still lying in peace in a clean, well-tended site, thanks to the generosity of the RAF personnel stationed there.
It contains seven Commonwealth war graves. Some were buried when their ship passed through, others were stationed here. One was a South African labourer. Another, a telegraph operator from South Shields, UK.
Today, civilians can only reach the island via St Helena – a full 800 miles to the south – on the monthly flight that links the two.
The war graves in St Paul's Church, St Helena stand on the slopes high up the island.
On St Helena, he checked for another 14 war graves. This time maintained by the friendly team who tend the sloping churchyard of St Paul’s Cathedral on our behalf.
It contains seven Commonwealth war graves. Some were buried when their ship passed through, others were stationed here. One was a South African labourer. Another, a telegraph operator from South Shields, UK.
Today, civilians can only reach the island via St Helena – a full 800 miles to the south – on the monthly flight that links the two.
Even in St Helena, CWGC finds people ready and willing to help us in our work.
Aside from periodic inspections like Simon’s, the only practical way to maintain remote sites like these are through strong local relationships.
“Even in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, we find people who are willing to help us remember those who died.”
In the distance behind the graveyard is a narrow runway where the monthly plane that links Ascension Island takes off.
Location information
St Helena is a very small island and the Cathedral is easy to find at about 8 kilometres out of Jamestown where the ship docks. The churchyard is in the area called St Paul's and a taxi is the best way to get there. Most of the Commonwealth war graves are in a single block close to the Western Gate of the churchyard, which is the side of the cemetery facing the area called 'Scotland', but there are also scattered graves.
History information
St. Helena (St. Paul) Cathedral Churchyard contains five Commonwealth burials of the First World War and nine from the Second World War.