Lisnabreeny American Cemetery, Rocky Road, Belfast

On 9th December 1941, the US Army Special Observer Group requested ground in the UK. They required the land for the emergency burial of troops who died overseas. The War Office in London granted their request. Soon, the cities of Belfast and Londonderry both held American Military Cemeteries.

Members of the US Navy became the first American servicemen interred in Northern Ireland. Those first men died as a result of an accident at a nearby American Navy base. The original burial ground for US troops in Belfast was a 1/6th of an acre plot in Belfast City Cemetery. This was in use from 12th March 1942 until 7th October 1942 by which time it had already reached capacity.

The Lisnabreeny American Cemetery in Castlereagh occupied a 10.5 acre site. After Belfast City Cemetery reached capacity, the new site opened in December 1943. Lisnabreeny was the final resting place for a total of 148 men. Eight servicemen were unknown and laid in unmarked graves. 41 others were men reburied from Belfast City Cemetery between 23rd May and 1st June 1944.

The American Cemetery at Lisnabreeny

Access to the cemetery was through a red brick entrance with cast iron gates that still stand today. A white gravel path lined with cherry trees lead to a mast where the Stars and Stripes was daily hoisted.

Graves lay in rows of 25 with crosses and Stars of David marking religious affiliation. Name, rank, and date of death marked each gravestone.

In 1948, the US Government exhumed and repatriated all men buried at Lisnabreeny. Reburial took place in each man’s hometown or at the American Cemetery in Cambridge, UK. The site closed down and the US military decommissioned Lisnabreeny later the same year.

Although most men at Lisnabreeny came from the US Air Force, there were also men from the Army and Navy. The causes of death ranged from aviation accidents to training casualties. Some even died in road traffic collisions or of natural causes.

At any given time, 5 American military personnel tended the Lisnabreeny cemetery. Two men were on duty at all times. The cemetery was always well cared for, grass mown and the stone path whitewashed. The cemetery records and maintenance equipment remained in a Nissen hut on site.

Recognition of the Military Cemetery

On 8th May 2005, the Castlereagh Borough Council recognised the site and its importance. Councillor Joanne Bunting, Mayor of Castlereagh presided over a service of dedication. The US Consul General and visiting dignitaries attended the ceremony.

A plaque erected in 2005 provided a lasting reminder of the site’s history. The words ‘Lisnabreeny Former American Military Cemetery 1943-1948’ marked the red-brick pillars. The same pillars provided the entrance way to the cemetery in the 1940s.

A memorial stone and a poppy wreath showed the burial place of the 148 servicemen. A nearby park bench offered stunning views over Belfast and a place for contemplation.

The wording on the memorial stone is as follows:

The US Army special Observer group approached the war office in London on the 9th December 1941 to obtain burial grounds for American Forces in the United Kingdom. Two plots were initially set aside for emergency burial in Northern Ireland one in Londonderry and the other in Belfast. The Belfast plot located in the City Cemetery extending to one-sixth of an acre was chosen.

A memorial garden at Lisnabreeny

In 2013, the council unveiled a new memorial garden on the former cemetery site. The centrepiece is a granite monument bearing the names of the 148 men on three sides. The rock from the Mourne Mountains is a permanent reminder of the American sacrifice. On selected days, the Stars and Stripes will once again fly from a mast on the hill overlooking the city.

Over the last few years, the Council has been involved in an extensive restoration project to reinstate the original entrance to the former Lisnabreeny American Military Cemetery and create a lasting commemoration to the American servicemen who lost their lives in the Second World War.

Councillor David Drysdale – Mayor of Castlereagh, Belfast, 2013

Mayor of Castlereagh, Councillor David Drysdale lead the ceremony. In attendance was Northern Ireland’s First Minster Peter Robinson. David Lindsay, Lord Lieutenant of County Down and acting US Consul General Gabrielle Moseley joined members of the Royal British Legion and the National Trust. A short parade made its way to the cemetery site from nearby Lagan College. The pipes and drums of the 152nd Ulster Transport Regiment, Royal Logistics Corps echoed through the hills.

The sculpture will provide an opportunity for the people of Castlereagh to visit the site for generations to come and learn more about these brave servicemen who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom today.

Councillor David Drysdale – Mayor of Castlereagh, Belfast, 2013

Pastor George Moffatt, the Mayor’s Chaplain, held a short service of dedication. Lieutenant Colonel Travis Philips, Assistant Army Attache at the US Embassy in London, expressed thanks to the council. He read the poem ‘His Rest Is Won’ before Donaghadee Male Voice Choir performed a medley of American military tunes. Air Vice-Marshall David Niven laid a wreath on behalf of the Royal Air Force. The ceremony closed after a fly-past from B17 bomber – The Sally B on its way to a flight festival in Dublin.

I am proud to be asked to place a wreath, on behalf of all three Services, at this dedication ceremony. We are, in mid-September, commemorating the service and sacrifice of our servicemen during the Battle of Britain, a battle which prevented the invasion of the United Kingdom. We are also remembering, at the Service of Dedication of this cemetery, the sacrifice of our American Allies who served and died, here, in Northern Ireland. They came from the United States to fight alongside us, in our hour of need, when the rest of Europe had been overrun by the Nazi war machine.

Air Vice-Marshall David Niven, Royal Air Force, Belfast, 2013

Visit the American cemetery site

You can visit the memorial in the Castlereagh hills throughout the year. The former American military cemetery at Lisnabreeny is now a focal point for tourists. It features on the National Trust walk from Cregagh Glen to the neolithic Lisnabreeny rath.

The sacrifice of our American allies, commemorated in granite and standing proud in the rolling Castereagh hills, shall never be forgotten.

Air Vice-Marshall David Niven, Royal Air Force, Belfast, 2013