Richard And Jo Demeester's photos with the keyword: war graves

Japanese and German POW graves in Tashkent. Before coming here, and reading up about this part of history, we did not know that after the war, these people were not allowed to return directly to their homes and families. Despite being the "losers" in the war, we assumed that once over, surrender signed, repatriation of prisoners to their homes would have been a human right. So, for us, visiting here, and remembering that these people died, still as prisoners, AFTER the war, was both sobering and enlightening. They were required to stay for many years, and to help with the rebuilding efforts. The photo is from the small Japanese section. There are a dozen or so Japanese POW cemeteries around Uzbekistan. Nearby was a German section, which was smaller again.

Beautifully maintained and manicured, wonderfully situated, and thoughtfully laid out. The war graves, primarily British, but also other Commonwealth countries in representation, are near the Sangro River. This was a front late in the war, when the Germans were retreating.