World War Two Cemeteries - A photographic guide to the cemeteries and memorials of WW2
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Australia
  • Belgium
    • HAINAUT
    • OOST-VLAANDEREN
    • VLAAMS-BRABANT
    • WEST-VLAANDEREN
    • OTHER BELGIAN DEPARTMENTS
    • BELGIAN NON COMMONWEALTH CEMETERIES
  • France
    • CEMETERIES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
    • AISNE
    • ARDENNES
    • CALVADOS
    • EURE AND EURE-ET-LOIR
    • FINISTÈRE
    • MARNE
    • NORD
    • OISE
    • PAS DE CALAIS
    • SEINE-MARITIME
    • SOMME
    • OTHER FRENCH DEPARTMENTS, A - L
    • OTHER FRENCH DEPARTMENTS, M - Z
    • FRENCH NON COMMONWEALTH CEMETERIES
  • Italy
  • Netherlands
  • United Kingdom
  • Other Countries
  • Miscellaneous
  • Victoria Cross

HENRI-CHAPELLE AMERICAN CEMETERY

Liège

Belgium
​

Picture
Picture © Jean-Michel Dominique

​Location Information

Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery lies 2 miles northwest of the village of Henri-Chapelle, which is 4½ miles northwest of the Welkenraedt exit (7 miles from the German border) on the Aachen-Antwerp autoroute. Welkenraedt, the nearest train station to the cemetery, may be reached by train from Paris (Gare du Nord), Brussels and Aachen. 

Historical Information

At the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial in Belgium, covering 57 acres, rest 7,992 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives during the advance of the U.S. armed forces into Germany. Their headstones are arranged in gentle arcs sweeping across a broad green lawn that slopes gently downhill. A highway passes through the reservation. West of the highway an overlook affords an excellent view of the rolling Belgian countryside, once a battlefield. 

To the east is the long colonnade that, with the chapel and map room, forms the memorial overlooking the burial area. The chapel is simple but richly ornamented. In the map room are two maps of military operations, carved in black granite, with inscriptions recalling the achievements of our forces. On the rectangular piers of the colonnade are inscribed the names of 450 missing. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. The seals of the states and territories are also carved on these piers. 

The cemetery possesses great military historic significance as it holds fallen Americans of two major efforts, one covering the U.S. First Army's drive in September 1944 through northern France, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg into Germany, the second covering the Battle of the Bulge. It was from the temporary cemetery at Henri-Chapelle that the first shipments of remains of American war dead were returned to the U.S. for permanent burial. The repatriation program began on July 27, 1947 at a special ceremony at the cemetery when the disinterment began. The first shipment of 5,600 American war dead from Henri-Chapelle left Antwerp, Belgium the first week of October 1947. An impressive ceremony was held, with over 30,000 Belgium citizens attending along with representatives of the Belgium government and senior Americans. 
 

Information from the American Battle Monuments Commission

Images below © American Battle Monuments Commission

Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery

Images in gallery below © Jean-Michel Dominique

Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery

World War One Cemeteries
​

Please ask permission if you wish to use any of our images by using the contact tab above
​
Picture
 Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Picture
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Picture
Australian War Memorial
Picture
New Zealand Online Cenotaph


​​© COPYRIGHT TERENCE HEARD AND BRENT WHITTAM
​
​ 2005-2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
.​

Disclaimer


The casualty numbers for each cemetery are taken from the C. W. G. C. site. We are aware that there can be discrepancies in the numbers quoted.
(The G. P. S. Coordinates are also taken from the C. W. G. C. site)


  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Australia
  • Belgium
    • HAINAUT
    • OOST-VLAANDEREN
    • VLAAMS-BRABANT
    • WEST-VLAANDEREN
    • OTHER BELGIAN DEPARTMENTS
    • BELGIAN NON COMMONWEALTH CEMETERIES
  • France
    • CEMETERIES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
    • AISNE
    • ARDENNES
    • CALVADOS
    • EURE AND EURE-ET-LOIR
    • FINISTÈRE
    • MARNE
    • NORD
    • OISE
    • PAS DE CALAIS
    • SEINE-MARITIME
    • SOMME
    • OTHER FRENCH DEPARTMENTS, A - L
    • OTHER FRENCH DEPARTMENTS, M - Z
    • FRENCH NON COMMONWEALTH CEMETERIES
  • Italy
  • Netherlands
  • United Kingdom
  • Other Countries
  • Miscellaneous
  • Victoria Cross