The island is home to a British cemetery. During World War II, German submarines sank several British ships including , and the bodies of British sailors were washed ashore. They were buried in a cemetery on the island. A lease for the plot, where a British flag flies at all times, was given to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for as long as the land remained a cemetery, and the small site officially became a British cemetery. The United States Coast Guard station on Ocracoke Island takes care of the property. A memorial ceremony is held each year in May.