Remembrance Sunday
Honoring the Commonwealth War Dead in Baltimore
Remembrance Sunday is an annual service organized by the St. George’s Society of Baltimore to honor the memory of Commonwealth war dead—particularly British servicemen and merchant sailors buried in Baltimore. Held at Lorraine Park Cemetery, the service includes wreath-laying, military representatives, and historical remembrance.
While little known in the United States, Remembrance Sunday holds deep national significance in the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth. It originated following the end of the First World War and continues to serve as a solemn observance of those who gave their lives in service—not only in the World Wars, but in all conflicts since.
A Legacy of Local Remembrance
Baltimore is home to several Commonwealth War Graves, including four from the First World War and three from the Second World War, as well as seventeen British merchant sailors who lost their lives during WWII.
The St. George’s Society has a long history of supporting the British community in Baltimore. In 1901, it established the Victoria Memorial Lot at Druid Ridge Cemetery through the Victoria Memorial Fund, later known as the Contingent Fund. Funded in part by a generous gift from Society member Edwin Bennett, the lot contains graves of British expatriates and descendants, as well as a monument dedicated to Queen Victoria.
During the First World War, the Society provided food, lodging, and travel support for over a hundred British nationals and contributed to the Prince of Wales Fund. Although not directly involved in military burials at the time, the Society continued its charitable role during the Second World War, including the burial arrangements for British sailor Edward Dumbrill, whose tragic death in Baltimore led to the establishment of the Society lots at Lorraine Park Cemetery.
The Commonwealth War Graves in Baltimore
Baltimore is the final resting place of the following Commonwealth servicemen from the Great War:
- Acting Leading Seaman Joseph Thompson Clark
- Cadet William Webster Eden
- Private Harry Ross (aka Harry Fooksman)
- Acting Leading Seaman Eustace Alfred Bromley
And from the Second World War:
- Master John Fishwick
- Able Seaman Thomas Frank Cox
- Gunner Ernest Charles Douglas Meadows
Additionally, seventeen merchant sailors, including Cadet Reginald Cyril Johnson and Seaman Algot Buske, who perished alongside Bromley, are buried at Lorraine Park—some in unmarked graves.
Our Commitment
After years of dormancy, the Society reestablished its tradition of remembrance in 2023, marking all known Commonwealth War Graves in Baltimore with the participation of representatives from the Royal Navy, British Army, and the British Embassy.
It is now the Society’s solemn intention to continue this service each November, ensuring these graves are honored, maintained, and never forgotten.
We invite you to join us each Remembrance Sunday at Lorraine Park Cemetery to honor these men and their sacrifice for our tomorrows.
