Ravenna War Cemetery
| Ravenna War Cemetery | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country: | Italy |
| Coordinates: | |
| Type: | Public |
| Owned by: | Commonwealth War Graves Commission |
| Number of gravesites: | 925 |
| Website: | Ravenna War Cemetery |
The Ravenna War Cemetery is a cemetery in Italy containing burials from the fighting for the Senio line and the first quarter of 1945 who died in Italy during the Second World War. There are 436 Canadians buried in the cemetery.
History
On 3 September 1943 the Allies invaded the Italian mainland, the invasion coinciding with an armistice made with the Italians who then re-entered the war on the Allied side.
Following the fall of Rome to the Allies in June 1944, the German retreat became ordered and successive stands were made on a series of defensive lines. In the northern Appenine mountains the last of these, the Gothic Line, was breached by the Allies during the Autumn campaign and the front inched forward as far as Ravenna in the Adratic sector, but with divisions transferred to support the new offensive in France, and the Germans dug in to a number of key defensive positions, the advance stalled as winter set in.
Ravenna was taken by the Canadian Corps at the beginning of December 1944, and the burials in the cemetery there reflect the fighting for the Senio line and the period of relative quiet during the first three months of 1945. Many of the men buried there were Canadians; one of the last tasks of the Canadian Corps before being moved to north-west Europe was the clearing of the area between Ravenna and the Comacchio lagoon. Others are Indians from the 10th Indian Division, and New Zealanders. The site for the cemetery was selected by the Army in 1945 for burials from the surrounding battlefields.
Location
The War Cemetery lies on a communal road 1 kilometre south of the SS16 from Ravenna to Ferrara near the village of Piangipane in the Commune and Province of Ravenna.
The turning from the main road is at the 143 kilometres stone, 12 kilometres west of Ravenna. The turning is marked with a CWGC sign pointing in the direction of the cemetery, and a road sign marked 'Piangipane 4 kilometres'. Continue along the minor road until a further CWGC sign is seen. The entrance to the cemetery is located on the left hand side of the road.
The nearest train station to the cemetery is Mezzano but there is no taxi service available from there. There is however, a taxi service from Ravenna train station.
Cemetery address: Via Piangipane 24B - 48100 Piangipane (RA) Emilia Romagna.
"We Rest Here"
The following members of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals are buried here.
| Headstone | Service Number | Rank and Name | Grave Location |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
- | Lt NS Drummond | VI. E. 26. |
 |
B114196 | LCpl SF Grandfield | VI. A. 20. |