Legacy of Champions - Remembering the Fallen Olympians of the World Wars
Image: (© IWM (BU 13011))
Their greatest challenge is not being forgotten
Amongst the 1.7 million World War casualties in Commonwealth War Graves Care, there lie Olympians: those who competed at the very highest level of sporting excellence.
These rowers, runners, horse riders, marksmen, footballers, and more sporting leaders reached the peaks of their sport. Young men in their prime, many were sadly lost on the World War’s blood-soaked battlefields.
To mark the 2024 Paris Olympics, we pay tribute to their sporting prowess as well as their courage and unwavering dedication in wartime.
The Commonwealth War Graves Foundation’s mission is to keep their stories alive forever. Can you help us?
Discover the Stories of Olympic War Dead
Read more tales of those who excelled at sport's highest level but fell on the battlefields of the World Wars on For Evermore: Stories of the Fallen, our online casualty archive.
Donate Online Now
By donating to the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation, you are helping us to keep the stories of the brave servicemen and women who died in the two World Wars alive. Can you help us ensure that their sacrifice is not forgotten?
Your donation enables us to continue sharing the inspiring stories of those like Ensign Violette Szabo, a brave SOE operative and spy who was executed in Ravensbrück concentration camp and posthumously awarded the George Cross. Violette is commemorated at our Brookwood Memorial.
Donate & help keep their memories alive
By donating to the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation, you are helping us to keep the stories of the brave servicemen and women who died in the two World Wars alive. Can you help us ensure that their sacrifice is not forgotten?
Did you know…
- £10 could buy three hi-visibility vests to keep our Eyes On, Hands On volunteers safe
- £25 could provide a welcome pack for one of our Eyes On, Hands On volunteers to get them started in their role
- £40 could enable us to send one of our volunteer speakers to deliver an inspiring talk to a school or youth group
- £100 could contribute to the training of one of our Guides so they are best able to welcome visitors, share the incredible stories of those we commemorate, and assist visitors on their journey of remembrance.
Please help us tell their stories for now and forever by donating today.
Visit Us
Find out more about the Olympians we commemorate with an exhibition at the CWGC Visitor Centre in Beaurains, France.
Our Visitor Centre spotlights our highly skilled craftsmen, carpenters, stonemasons, mechanics, and blacksmiths. Their tireless efforts ensure our sites globally are kept to our high standards.
Discover more about our work in France and worldwide and see the inner workings in person.
Take a Tour
Get the Memory Anchor app for augmented reality tours of our sites commemorating Olympians.
Visit the casualties at their place of rest or commemoration and get to know more about the world-class sportsman where they fell and bring their memory to life.