This Side of the Pond

There are two graveyards located on U.S. soil that neither shelter the remains of American people nor belong to America at all. That may seem outrageous, but the story of those cemeteries is one of a “special relationship” that still stands the test of time.

The setting for this tale is the tiny island of Ocracoke in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It’s the only part of the United States that witnessed Hitler’s evil in its own back yard, because some of his naval forces were kind enough to stage their attacks within spitting distance of the town.

Shortly before our story begins, America was officially taking no part in the war. Even so, you guys were quietly shuttling much-needed supplies to the UK as part of the Lend-Lease Program. I am given to understand that the giant merchant vessels making their way across the Atlantic could carry enough to feed the whole of Britain for a day so, obviously, the loss of one was a devastating blow.

But lose them we did, because Hitler had sent U-boats to lurk along the coast, biding their time until they were told to attack the mainland. While that thankfully never happened, America’s entry into the war allowed the subs to make mischief by creating a barrier that stopped the merchant vessels from getting through.

The sandbars near Ocracoke inspired the channel’s name of Diamond Shoals, but it wasn’t long before it had a different nickname: Torpedo Junction. By the end of January, 1942 – just a month after Germany had declared war on the U.S. – the u-boats had sunk 35 ships in that channel.

Aside from the horrific loss of life, those ships could have been carrying more than enough to keep the UK fed for a month. Obviously, this was not acceptable.

Roosevelt reached out to Churchill, who agreed to send support. It arrived in the form of 24 armed trawlers, which had originally been civilian ships but were now kitted out as anti-submarine vessels.

Most of the crew on those vessels were the original trawlers who had staffed them before the war, with some Royal Navy Reserve officers sprinkled in the mix. They had proven effective near the homeland in chasing off sneaky German subs; now it was time to put that expertise to use in protecting America.

One of the vessels was the HMT Bedfordshire, which patrolled the Outer Banks for two months. It had a good go of it during that time, with one of its most successful missions involving the first sinking of a u-boat by the U.S. Navy on April 18: U-85 was taken down near the shores of Bodie Island Lighthouse and the Bedfordshire stood guard while attempts were made to salvage it.

But then, on May 10, the Bedfordshire was patrolling with the HMT St. Loman when a u-boat began firing, fearing it had been located. The Loman evaded the torpedoes, but the Bedfordshire was not so lucky; the next day, one of two torpedoes struck the ship and caused it to sink almost immediately.

All 37 of the Royal Navy sailors on board the Bedfordshire were lost. Three days later, two bodies washed up on Ocracoke’s shore and were identified as Sub-Lieutenant Thomas Cunningham and Ordinary Telegraphist Stanley Craig.

It just so happened that Cunningham had given Ocracoke Naval Investigator Aycock Brown six British flags to drape over the coffins of Royal Navy sailors who had been killed in torpedo strikes not long beforehand. The flags that remained were placed over the caskets of Cunningham and Craig.

Under normal circumstances, the bodies of those sailors would have been shipped home for burial, but these were not ordinary times. Ocracoke lacked the materials needed to preserve the bodies due to its isolation, so it was necessary to bury them quickly.

Along with two other washed-up bodies that could not be identified, the residents of Ocracoke chose to lay the sailors to rest within the four square miles of their own town. To show respect, the residents buried them with full military honors and built a monument as part of the cemetery.

On a plaque next to the graves, you will today find a list of the 37 names that represent the crew of the HMT Bedfordshire. You will also find a quote from a poem by Rupert Brooke, a soldier who served during World War I.

Forever engraved on this tiny plot of British land on the shores of my country’s closest friend are these words: “If I should die, think only this of me/That there’s some corner of a foreign field/That is forever England.”

A similar thing happened on nearby Hatteras Island, where you’ll find a British graveyard near a paved path that was built to give rescuers and scavengers an easy route to the shipwrecks. Within a picket fence are the graves of two unidentified British soldiers.

World War II was a time of unimaginable horrors, but also incredible bravery and the forging of a very important friendship. At least in Ocracoke, that forging will never be forgotten: today, once a year, a ceremony takes place in which a container of water from the Outer Banks and another from the UK are blended together to symbolize the link between the two places.

Just as American heroes crossed the ocean to lend their strength to the war effort, the crew of the HMT Bedfordshire gave their lives to defend far-flung friends. That memory lives on within two tiny pieces of land that were gifted to Britain in perpetuity; small corners of a foreign land that will be forever England.