Gauteng, JOHANNESBURG, Montgomery Park, West Park / Wespark cemetery

NB. We are aware of the incorrect captions and are working on fixing them. 10 Nov 2024.

Cemetery information:- To the north of the Melville Koppies lies Westpark Cemetery, bordered by Montgomery Park, Sophiatown and Emmarentia. It was opened in 1942 and historically was part of one of Joburg’s original farms, Farm Waterval, which was purchased in 1887 by two Geldenhuys brothers in the hope of finding gold. It is located 10 kilometres north-west of the city. From the N1 take DF Malan Drive in the direction of Johannesburg. The entrance to the cemetery is located 6.5 kilometres on the right. A sign indicates the route to the military plot. The Cremation Memorial is situated in the military plot directly behind the Cross of Sacrifice. During the Second World War, there was a large military wing in the Johannesburg General Hospital and military hospitals at Baragwanath and Cottesloe. The Baragwanath hospital handled a large number of casualties sent from the Middle East. Flying training under the Empire Air Training Scheme was conducted on a considerable scale from the Baragwanath airfield. Further to the south-west at Lenz was the largest ammunition depot in South Africa. Johannesburg (West Park) Cemetery contains 617 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War. There are also 21 war graves of other nationalities and seven non-war burials in the Commission's care. The Cremation memorial commemorates 69 servicemen and women who were cremated in Braamfontein Cemetery during the Second World War. (https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-details/101545/johannesburg-west-park-cemetery/)

Photographs by Richard Wolfaardt, Maud Flink, Annette van Rensburg, Annelie Els, Derek Walker, Juan de Vries, Boris Gorelik, Jaleen de Beer, Brian Britz, Johan Viktor, Kobus Snyman, Johan Reyneke, Emile van Heerden, Kevin McCabe, Peter & Beverley Moss, Maureen Schnittker, Roelf & Riana le Roux, Rian Visser, Hazel Hanslow, Elani Bothma, Jan Kruger, Basil Royston, Clem Berry, Fanie Buys, Elize Calitz, Erica Liebenberg, Marlene Hammond, Isaac van Rensburg, Nico Muller & the South East Witwatersrand Family History Society.

Album incomplete, we do not have photographs of all the headstones.

eGGSA captions by James Anderson, Lorraine Beechey, Celeste Rachmann, Annelie Els, Eleanor Garvie, Annatjie Erasmus, Karen Duvall, Eileen de Jager, Esmé van der Westhuizen, Brian Britz, Annel Meyer, Anina du Plessis, Dal Good, Annette Meyer, Andrié Labuschagne, Liz Graham, Friederike Mars, Riana le Roux, Andries Holtzhausen, Elmari Keyser, Sue van der Berg, Fina de Jager, Terry Terblanche, Rob Jones, George Crewe, Tania Naude, Judi Meyer, Nantes Kruger, Brenda Gassner, Gary Noble, Lisa Botes, Kokkie Duminy, Arlene Leggat, Frida Hagelberg, Fern Swales, Andre Crous, Peter & Beverley Moss, Marthelene Buckle, Renza Brickhill, Carol Gainsford

The GGSA Cemetery DVD only has information on the location of the cemetery Cemetery ID: 2807 Google Earth Project Information:- GPSID: 3370 GPS: -26 09.568, 27 59.655