Krakow is a large city in the south of Poland about 257 kilometres south-west of Warsaw on the main road 4. Krakow Rakowicki Cemetery, a large Military Cemetery which contains Polish, Russian and German graves as well as Commonwealth graves, is located east of the city. Follow the road 4 into the city and continue to the T junction at the end of the road 4. At this junction turn left along the road 7 (Al J Slowackiego) and follow this road round the town, then round a left hand bend and under the railway bridge where the road name changes to Al 29 Listopada. Take the first turning on the right after the bridge, called Prandoty, and the cemetery will be found along here on the left. The Commonwealth War Graves Plot is located through the entrance and to the left of the cemetery in the north-eastern corner of the burial ground.
At the end of the Second World War, the graves service of the British Army of the Rhine gathered together Commonwealth graves from all over Poland into three cemeteries, this being the largest. Those buried here died while prisoners of war during the German occupation, most of the graves coming from the cemetery at the large camp at Lamsdorf, Stalag VIIIB (after 1943 known as Stalag 344), where there was a hospital of 450 beds used only for Commonwealth prisoners. Before this hospital came into being the sick at Lamsdorf were treated at the hospital at Langenbielau: those who died were buried in Langenbielau Catholic Cemetery, and these graves were also moved to the Commonwealth plot at Krakow. Other graves brought into the cemetery were those of airmen who lost their lives during the Warsaw supply drop and the bombing of factories, railways and other strategic objectives.