The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Members and guests of the Rotary Club of South Foreland were recently given a presentation about the Commonwealth War Graves Commission by Norman Brice.  Norman is a volunteer guide at various cemeteries, including Brokenwood, as well as being an inspector of cemeteries.  He is very knowledgeable and gave us an interesting insight into the history and work of the Commission.

He first explained why and how the Commission came to be established, which didn’t happen until 1917.  In wars through history the ordinary soldiers who died were not remembered but only their leaders and officers.  In the early part of the Great War a Tommy’s death would be marked by his upturned gun and a rough cross where he fell.  Around some shell holes six or more crosses might be seen.

Fabian Ware (later to become Sir Fabian) played an important role in bringing about change in the way dead soldiers were treated.  In 1914 he wanted to join up, but at the age of 47 he was rejected.  However, because of his persistence he was allowed to command a mobile unit of the British Red Cross on the Western Front.  He noted that there was no process for recording the graves of the dead so he started recording these and the names of the soldiers in a notebook.  By 1915 his work had been recognised by the War Office and his unit was transferred to the British Army.  The Prince of Wales also supported the need for Ware’s approach and this led to the Imperial War Graves Commission being established in May 1917.

The Commission was a non-governmental organisation made up of Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa.  In 1960 its name was changed to ‘Commonwealth’ to reflect the changing relationship between these countries which had become largely independent of Great Britain.  When set up, each country paid to the Commission according to their number of military, not civilian, casualties.  Great Britain paid most at 82%.  This is the current arrangement.

When it was set up Sir Fred Kenyon chaired a committee which considered rules for the Commission.  The ‘Principle of Equality’ was that everyone, whatever their rank, had the right to burial and that memorials should be uniform in appearance. The standard headstone was of white Portland stone. Even those soldiers executed by firing squad had the right to burial in a grave.  In 1917 this was not a popular principle.  Norman referred to the headstone of Private A Ingham who was court martialled, shot at dawn and then buried in a grave.  His father was told that he had died of wounds but not how they were inflicted.

Another important rule was that the repatriation of dead bodies was not allowed.  This was also unpopular but would have been a logistical impossibility in the Great War.  Parliament supported the Imperial War Graves Commission principle on repatriation and did so again for World War Two.  With the Falklands War in 1982, the death of British Soldiers at Goose Green caused a press reaction with the Sun exclaiming ‘Bring Our Bodies Back’; this pressure caused the then Prime Minister, Mrs Thatcher, to relent on that occasion and allow repatriation.

For both World Wars the official ending, as ratified by Parliament, was later than the generally held date. The First World War began on 4^th August 1914 and ended on 31^st August 1921, while the Second World War began on September 3^rd 1939 and ended on 31^st December 1947. Not only did war continue in some countries but there was much to put right, including burying the dead appropriately.

Deaths in the Great War numbered 1.1 million and from the Second World War 600,000.  There are 23,000 cemeteries in 153 countries; the UK has 2,500 of these.  Of the 1.7 million casualties 700,000 are missing and there are memorials to those who are unnamed, the Menin Gate being the first of such memorials.  Every year more remains are found from the two World Wars and it is the job of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to identify them if possible and to provide graves or sometimes even build a new cemetery, as happened in France two months ago.

Norman ended by showing us photos of different headstones starting with the standard white Portland stone.  Someone with the award of VC or DSO would have a marble headstone, such as B Esmonde, the pilot of a Swordfish aircraft which crashed into the sea; his body was later washed ashore.  Another headstone belonged to J Rennie of the Canadian Army who gained the George Cross for being killed when carrying out grenade training.  He was only 23.  Another Canadian was a young conscript who spoke no English or French but only Creol.  He called himself Jakamolin and there was a personal message in Creol on his gravestone.

Norman left us contemplating what it must have been like for families being informed of the death of loved ones by telegram.  It might bring news of someone dead, missing or injured.  Sometimes the news of serious injury might be followed by news of death.  His presentation held our attention throughout as our generation will have had parents, grandparents and other relatives involved either directly or indirectly in the two world wars.