HC Deb 22 May 1979 vol 967 cc97-8W
38. Mr. Woodall

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the vandalism at the British War Graves cemetery near Cologne.

Mr. Pym

During the weekend of 28 and 29 April, 146 headstones commemorating Commonwealth war burials and 19 headstones commemorating post-war Service burials in Cologne Southern cemetery were damaged. None of the graves was disturbed. Of the total of 165 damaged headstones, 143 have since been repaired and work has begun on the other 22. An investigation into this vandalism is being carried out by the West German authorities, which have now arranged for the cemetery to be patrolled at night.

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