Ranville War Cemetery in Ranville, Basse-Normandie

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Get directions Ranville, Basse-Normandie, France

Coordinates: 49.23109, -0.25847
Cemetery ID:

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Ranville is best reached by taking the D513 north-eastwards out of Caen, and after about 9 kilometres turning left at Herouvillette. Go north for one kilometre and then turn left into Ranville village. The War Cemetery is on Rue des Airbornes.

The Allied offensive in north-western Europe began with the Normandy landings of 6 June 1944. Ranville was the first village in France to be liberated by Commonwealth troops when the bridge over the Caen Canal was captured intact in the early hours of 6 June by troops of the British 6th Airborne Division, who were landed nearby by parachute and glider. Many of the division's casualties are buried in Ranville War Cemetery and the adjoining churchyard.

The War Cemetery contains 2235 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 97 of them unidentified. There are also 330 German graves and a few burials of other nationalities. The churchyard contains 47 Commonwealth burials, one of which is unidentified, and one German grave.