Polish Soldiers Buried at Blacon Cemetery in Chester

Taking advantage of the November sunshine, I visited one of Chester’s cemeteries – Blacon Cemetery (CH1 5BB). This is the final resting place of around 100 Polish soldiers, both from the regular Polish Armed Forces and the Polish Resettlement Corps. Sources report varying numbers of burials: 86 or 116.

Most of these soldiers passed away in 1947 while staying in camps or hospitals. At that time, Poland was under communist rule, prompting many Polish refugees and soldiers to decide to remain in the UK. To support the transition of military personnel into civilian life in Britain, the Polish Resettlement Corps (PRC) was established. A significant part of the corps was based in Chester and surrounding towns like Northwich and Nantwich. Soldiers who passed away were buried here.

Their graves are mostly located in Plot H. Across the UK, there are approximately 2,300 burial sites for Polish servicemen. In England, there are 1,452 graves, in Scotland 763, in Wales 71, and in Northern Ireland 12.

Blacon Cemetery is not only a place of remembrance but also a testament to the history of Poles who, after World War II, found themselves on foreign soil and remained here forever.

Article and photos: Agata Pawluk / Afternoon Tea: The UK Through My Eyes