Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Slovenia mushroom foraging
Slovenia • 6 days, 5 nights
Forest to Table in Alpine Slovenia
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The remains of Saint Mary’s Church in Little Chart, Kent
St. Mary's Church Ruins
Mycenaean Cemetery of Voudeni
Marcos de Niza Monument.
Marcos de Niza Monument
Statue of the Buddha in the main temple
Gadaladeniya Viharaya
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Caru' cu Bere
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Charlie’s Place: Music, Mystery & Civil Rights
Charlie’s Place Episode 2: Sin City
about 10 hours ago
Inside the Rothko Chapel
These Monuments Showcase the Beauty of Brutalism
2 days ago
Aerial view of Pulau Tiga
The Original ‘Survivor’ Island Changed Television Forever
3 days ago
Obscura Day Summer 2025: Roaming among Assateague's feral island ponies
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States North Carolina Ocracoke British Cemetery of Ocracoke

British Cemetery of Ocracoke

The North Carolina grounds are leased in perpetuity to the British Commonwealth for as long as the WWII sailors are buried there.

Ocracoke, North Carolina

Added By
Brett Iredell
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Gravestones at the British Cemetery .   WhiskeyBristles / Atlas Obscura User
Gravestones at the British Cemetery .   WhiskeyBristles / Atlas Obscura User
Memorial plaque   David
Memorial of the sinking of the HMT Bedfordshire at the British Cemetery.   WhiskeyBristles / Atlas Obscura User
British Cemetery, Ocracoke, NC   Vbofficial
Sign to the cemetery   stereogab
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In the early days of the United States' entry into World War II, the Navy was woefully under-manned, under-shipped, and under-gunned. The Atlantic seaboard was especially vulnerable to German submarines, whose attacks took a major toll on the U.S. merchant fleet, killing thousands and sinking nearly 400 ships. The Germans called it the “Great American Turkey Shoot,” and North Carolina’s Outer Banks was dubbed “Torpedo Alley.”

What the U.S. lacked in naval protection, Great Britain could offer, so a fleet of English ships and seamen crossed the pond to help out while the American Navy ramped up production and recruitment.

It was May 11, 1942 when one such ship, the HMT Bedfordshire, was patrolling the coastline for German U-boats when it was struck by a torpedo. The ship went down, and all 37 sailors on board perished. Most of the bodies were never recovered, but four washed ashore near the small town of Ocracoke, North Carolina at the very southern tip of the Outer Banks.

The people of Ocracoke wanted to honor the four men, and a small plot of land was donated to create a British Cemetery alongside the village cemetery. Initially it was unofficially cared for by the townspeople, simply thankful for the sacrifice of the sailors. Eventually the grounds were leased in perpetuity to the British Commonwealth for as long as the sailors are buried there, so technically the four men are buried on home soil.

Each year, on the anniversary of the sinking, there is a ceremony for the sailors, with representatives of the British Royal Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard. Plaques near the graves tell the story of Bedfordshire and list all the names of those who died, and a few lines from poet Rupert Brooke:

     “If I should die think only this of me

     That there's some corner of a foreign field

     That is forever England.”

Related Tags

Cemeteries World War Ii Islands Memorials Ships Military

Know Before You Go

Ocracoke is at the end of North Carolina's Outer Banks islands, accessible only by boat or small plane. But there is regular ferry service, so check out ocracokevillage.com for details and links to services to get there. Once on the Island, the British Cemetery is in the village center, right next to the town's cemetery. The annual memorial ceremony for the sailors is on May 11th. There is another British Cemetery with its own story on Hatteras Island in the village of Buxton.

Community Contributors

Added By

WhiskeyBristles

Published

November 30, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torpedo_Alley
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMT_Bedfordshire
  • http://www.offbeattravel.com/british-cemetery-outerbanks.html
  • http://www.outerbanks.com/british-cemeteries.html
  • https://www.nps.gov/caha/learn/historyculture/british-cemetery.htm
British Cemetery of Ocracoke
234 British Cemetery Road
Ocracoke, North Carolina
United States
35.116736, -75.980957
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Portsmouth Village

Ocracoke, North Carolina

miles away

Shipwrecked Doritos

Hatteras, North Carolina

miles away

Hatteras Weather Bureau Station

Hatteras, North Carolina

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ocracoke

Ocracoke

North Carolina

Places 2

Nearby Places

Portsmouth Village

Ocracoke, North Carolina

miles away

Shipwrecked Doritos

Hatteras, North Carolina

miles away

Hatteras Weather Bureau Station

Hatteras, North Carolina

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ocracoke

Ocracoke

North Carolina

Places 2

Related Places

  • Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery

    Cannock, England

    Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery

    Austrian and Germans who died on British soil during World War I and II are buried here.

  • Flowers growing on a mass grave.

    Saint Petersburg, Russia

    Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery

    This memorial complex contains several mass graves for victims of the Siege of Leningrad.

  • Jinja War Cemetery.

    Jinja, Uganda

    Jinja War Cemetery

    The final resting place of soldiers who fell during the First and Second World Wars.

  • Polish graves at Newark Cemetery.

    Newark-on-Trent, England

    Polish War Graves of Newark Cemetery

    The final resting place of hundreds of Polish airmen who died fighting the Nazis in Britain.

  • Scars of shellfire.

    La Ferté-sur-Chiers, France

    Ouvrage La Ferté

    This striking fort on the Maginot Line looks just as it did after being destroyed in the Fall of France.

  • Slavín.

    Bratislava, Slovakia

    Slavín

    Thousands of slain Soviet soldiers are buried within the shadow of this enormous obelisk.

  • Corporal Chas Ippel on the right, died on July 26, 1863.

    Arlington, Virginia

    Headstone-Eating Trees

    The rogue roots are gradually consuming some of the historic marble grave markers.

  • Old Zakopane Cemetery

    Zakopane, Poland

    Old Zakopane Cemetery

    Polish luminaries and masterful folk art find sanctuary in this unique cemetery.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.