War graves

[Olde Crone]

I feel that I should know about this but somehow it only entered my consciousness today.

Wandering round a local graveyard looking for someone's relatives I noticed amongst the generally derelict looking monuments, the occasional obviously new white stone markers, rather beautiful and each commemorating a fallen serviceman.

Who is funding this project and who is doing the research needed for it? I am now very interested!

OC

[Lindsay]

We have similar in our local churchyard, a lot of them New Zealanders - most came from a local convalescent home in WW1, and in WW2 we had a Battle of Britain airfield close by.

They're beautifully kept, often with flowers on them. The details are on the CWGC website, but I believe they sometimes have memorial services at the graveside. Perhaps the British Legion are involved too?

[merleyone]

OC,

I am sure it is The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, CWGC, who undertake all this, including the necessary research on the deceased. The graves are of servicemen who died as a direct result of war service and those which have been adopted by them are then cared for by the CVGC in perpetuity. As you have seen, they stand proudly amongst others no longer cared for by families or Local Authorities.

My father lies in a War Cemetery in Holland for which the entire land was given by the Dutch government, and it is good to know its upkeep is not dependent on funding from any Local Authority and care will be perpetual.

merleyone

[Lindsay]

Having googled a bit, it seems in 2002 the Maori graves in our local cemetery had necklaces and sea shells placed on them by members of the Niue Island Commonwealth games team.

Good to know they're not forgotten.

[Olde Crone]

Thanks both of you. I was just amazed when I saw these lovely stones. I vaguely knew that various people were researching names on war memorials but I hadn't joined up the dots that led to this project.

OC

[JBee]

I searched for my uncle's grave in a cemetery mentioned on the CWGC site but couldn't find it with the others.

Eventually I found it but there was only his and another one a little further away the rest of the area was just grass where once there might have been memorial stones.

However what did surprise me was on investigation it was revealed that his sister aged 10was buried there in 1911 but there's no mention of her being there too.

I actually got to see the paperwork regarding the war grave and that the next of kin had a choice of various options regarding the stone.

[Kit]

There are often new looking war graves downunder too. I dodn't know who does it though.