[2] Of the wartime burials, about 80% are aircrew, killed in action over Germany: the remainder are prisoners of war.

The new cemetery was constructed according to plans by Philip Dalton Hepworth on an approximately 3.8-hectare (9.4-acre) site.

The arrangement reflected that of other British war cemeteries, in particular the uniform headstones of Portland stone, the Cross of Sacrifice and centrally placed Stone of Remembrance with inscription (Their name liveth for evermore), and short-cut lawns.

The majority of those interred there were members of the Royal Air Force who were killed during attacks on Berlin, alongside British soldiers who died in captivity in Germany and some civilian members of the post-1945 British occupation forces.

The cemetery itself lies under the protection of the British Crown, and in this sense belongs to the territory of the United Kingdom.