British Cemetery Ceremony and Reception

This ceremony and reception commemorate the sinking of the H.M.T. Bedfordshire off the coast of Ocracoke Island in 1942. Four sailors from the Bedfordshire are buried on the island in a small plot of land that is “forever England.” Representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, British Royal Navy, and Canadian Royal Navy, as well as Ocracoke High School students participate in the ceremony, which includes a reading of the crew list, the playing of bagpipes, and a 21-gun salute. The event is open to all who wish to pay their respects.