Penrith and The Border MP, Dr Neil Hudson, has encouraged residents to come together and discover the World War heritage on their doorstep by embracing War Graves Week (21st-28th May) - an initiative from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC).
War Graves Week will encourage local residents to learn about the stories of those commemorated by the CWGC.
Penrith and The Border residents keen to learn more about the remarkable stories of the men and women on the Commonwealth forces that dies in the First and Second World Wars who are buried in their community can visit www.CWGC.org and visit the cemeteries in person. War Graves Week provides a unique chance for the people of Penrith and The Border to reconnect with their local history.
Dr Neil Hudson MP said: "I'd encourage all my constituents to embrace War Graves Week. It's a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with our local history and learn about the courageous ordinary people from our community who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
"In Penrith Cemetery alone there are Canadian, Australian and Polish servicemen, buried alongside those with distinctively Cumbrian surnames that they fought alongside. Moreover, there are another 50 locations with CWGC war graves or memorials across Penrith and The Border.
"Behind every name on a war grave or memorial is a human story waiting to be discovered and War Graves Week is the perfect opportunity to do that."
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission honours and cares for those who died serving in World War One and Two, ensuring they will never be forgotten. Funded by six member governments, the Commission built and now maintains Cemetaries at 23,000 locations globally.
