Friesland
The small island of Schiermonnikoog is the most northerly of the Frisian Islands, lying about 11 kilometres north of the Dutch mainland. The Vredenhof (Peace Garden) is a small private cemetery in the sand dunes about 1.5 kilometres east of the village.
The cemetery was created in 1906 for the burial of bodies washed up by the sea, and maintained by local subscriptions. The land (subsequently acquired by the Netherlands Government) was the gift of the then owner, Count von Bernstorff; and the cemetery was the personal project and, until his death in 1955, the main interest of a well known resident of Schiermonnikoog. He laid out the cemetery, planted trees and shrubs and built a cross and a small chapel, all largely at his own expense.
During the 1939-1945 war the cemetery was extended at the rear and new trees and shrubs were planted. It is in this part of the cemetery that the majority of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth graves are situated, although a few are in the original portion.
There are now nearly 70, 1939-1945 war casualties commemorated in this site; just over a quarter of these are unidentified.
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