Tilly-Sur-Seulles War Cemetery

• Country France
• Total identified casualties 1146 Find these casualties
• Region Calvados
• Identified casualties from Second World War
• GPS Coordinates Latitude: 49.17383, Longitude: -0.63808

Location information

From Bayeux, take the D6 southeastwards for about 12 kilometres to Tilly-sur-Seulles. In the centre of the town, turn right (westwards) onto the D13. The cemetery will be found after about 1 kilometre on the left hand side.

Visiting information

ARRIVAL

The route to the cemetery is signposted.

PARKING

It is possible to park in laybys along the front of the cemetery, on both sides of the road - Rte de Balleroy (D13).

The ground surface is a mixture of gravel and grass. There are small octagonal stone boundary markers up to 25 mm above the gravel along the cemetery frontage. the ground is firm and level.

It is possible to park within 5 meters of the main entrance.

ACCESS LAYOUT AND MAIN ENTRANCE

The cemetery is large and rectangular.

The main entrance of the cemetery is within 5 metres of the main road.

There are three stone steps from the road between two stone pillars up to a walled grass entrance approximately 3 metres deep. There are stone seats built into the entrance on either side of the entrance. A gap in the wall has a paved opening with two 2 bollards and chain at entrance. The chain can be unhooked from the right-side bollard. There is a clear width of 1 metre between the two bollards. Four steps lead down from the entrance into the cemetery.

The Cross of Sacrifice is in the middle of the cemetery with a stone sentry box shelter on either side. The shelters have small stone benches inside with flat stone paving. There is a single step up into the shelter from either side.

Behind each sentry box shelter is a stone pergola, leading to a semi-circular stone bench seat area. There is a further seating area with stone benches at the rear of cemetery. A wall with a raised platform has stone benches built into the wall on either side of central planter. A single step leads up from the grass to the paved platform. There is a 75 mm wide dirt strip between the grass and the paving.

The Register Box is located inside the left sentry box shelter, viewed from the entrance.

All internal paths are grass, the cemetery is firm and flat.

ALTERNATIVE ACCESS

There is step-free access into the cemetery through a 1 metre-wide grass opening in the hedge immediately to the right of the entrance when viewed from the road.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The cemetery is permanently open.

History information

The Allied offensive in north-western Europe began with the Normandy landings of 6 June 1944.

There was heavy and fluctuating fighting in the vicinity of Tilly-sur-Seulles immediately after the landings involving chiefly the 49th and 50th Divisions. Tilly itself was not captured until 18 June and fighting continued nearby until mid July.

The cemetery contains 990 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War and 232 German graves.