Trincomalee War Cemetery
A tranquil, immaculately kept Commonwealth cemetery holding the graves of service personnel who died in the region during the Second World War.
About 6 km north of Trincomalee town along the road toward Nilaveli, a quiet, immaculately maintained cemetery holds the graves of 303 to 364 Commonwealth servicemen, depending on the count used, who died during World War II, a solemn counterpoint to the beaches and ancient temples that otherwise define this stretch of coast. Trincomalee's natural harbor became a critically important British and Allied naval base after the fall of Singapore in 1942, its strategic value making it a genuine target, and on April 9th of that year, Japanese forces attacked the port directly, destroying a British warship anchored in the harbor and killing 368 soldiers in a single devastating strike.
Originally established as the Combined Services Cemetery, the site was taken over by the Admiralty in April 1948 for use as a permanent naval cemetery, graves transferred here from several other burial grounds around the region including Trincomalee's St. Mary's and St. Stephen's churchyards, Kottadi Cemetery in Jaffna, and the Vavuniya Combined Cemetery. Following the withdrawal of British forces from Ceylon, ownership passed to the Ceylon Government, which granted the Commonwealth War Graves Commission permanent security of tenure, and the cemetery today includes not just British and Sri Lankan war dead but graves representing India, Canada, New Zealand, France, East Africa, South Africa, Italy, Pakistan and Myanmar, alongside members of Indian labour battalions often identified only by informal English nicknames, a genuinely international roll call reflecting the sheer scale of the war effort this remote harbor once supported.
Set within roughly one hectare of carefully tended garden, each headstone marked with the soldier's name and military division, the cemetery remains one of six Commonwealth war cemeteries in Sri Lanka, maintained today by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defense on behalf of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Free to visit and open daily from 7am to 4pm, it offers a genuinely moving, unhurried pause for travelers exploring the wider Trincomalee area, a quiet reminder of how far this corner of the world was once drawn into a conflict fought an ocean away.
At a glance
- Entry fee: Free
- Opening hours: 8:00am to 4:00pm
- Time needed: 30 minutes
- Best time: Daytime
Getting there
On the Nilaveli road just north of Trincomalee town.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to visit Trincomalee War Cemetery?
- Free.
- What are the opening hours at Trincomalee War Cemetery?
- 8:00am to 4:00pm.
- How long should I spend at Trincomalee War Cemetery?
- Plan for 30 minutes.
- When is the best time to visit Trincomalee War Cemetery?
- Daytime.
- How do I get to Trincomalee War Cemetery?
- On the Nilaveli road just north of Trincomalee town.