WW2 60th Anniversary: The Battles for Monte CassinoMonte Cassino today
| MONTE CASSINO ABBEY |
 |
 |
| Cassino War Cemetery with Monte Cassino in the background |
The Cassino War Cemetery lies in the Commune of Cassino, Province of Frosinone, 139 kilometres south-east of Rome. Above it, at a distance of 1 kilometre, is the dominating hill on which stands the Abbey of Monte Cassino.
The site for Cassino War Cemetery was originally selected in January 1944, but the development of the battle during the first five months of that year made it impossible to use it until after the German withdrawal. The majority of the 4266 Commonwealth servicemen buried here died in the four battles for Monte Cassino and the 4000 Commonwealth servicemen who took part in the Italian Campaign and whose graves are not known are commemorated by the Cassino Memorial.
Reconstruction and decoration works took more than a decade and were exclusively financed by the Italian State. Many new additions and embellishments were made during reconstruction so that today the Abbey of Monte Cassino has once more acquired the greatness and the imposing appearance it developed after its foundation by St Benedict in about 529AD.
| KEY FACTS |
|
Cassino War Cemetery is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The Commission maintains over 1,179,000 war graves at 23,203 burial sites in 148 countries around the world. It also commemorates a further 760,193 Commonwealth war dead on memorials to the missing. Commonwealth governments share the cost of maintenance in proportion to the number of graves of their war dead: UK – 79%; Canada – 10%; Australia – 6%; New Zealand – 2%; South Africa – 2%; India – 1%. |
British, Canadian, Indian, New Zealand and Polish Army Units who fought in the Battles for Cassino
|
BRITISH REGIMENTS |
4th/6th Rajputana Rifles CANADIAN UNITS NEW ZEALAND UNITS POLISH UNITS |
Some of the American and French units that fought in the Battles for Cassino are mentioned within the main text.
 |
| 50th anniversary of the Battles for Monte Cassino |
Glossary »
Last Updated: 22 Jun 04
