Tombe militaire isolée du Commonwealth - Lieutenant Anthony Clarke

There are only 9 isolated graves in France managed by the Commonwealth War Grave Commission (CWGC), the Commonwealth agency that maintains British military cemeteries worldwide. Calvados has three such isolated graves: two at Cahagnes and Livry in the Bessin region, and just one in the Pays d'Auge at Fervaques. Apart from these 9 isolated graves, Commonwealth casualties in France are buried in military cemeteries such as Bayeux, the largest in France.

On August 20, 1944, the town of Fervaques was liberated by infantrymen of the British 11th Hussars, who had liberated Livarot the day before. They went down in history as the Desert Rats, and fought in Libya against Rommel.

This grave is that of 23-year-old Lieutenant Anthony Clarke, leader of the 1st Rifle Brigade. He was stationed on the hill at the edge of the Fervaques woods, between the cemetery and the Verger manor house. He died right next to his machine gun, and as he was a Catholic, he was buried just behind the church.