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Many apologies for sending this month's newsletter twice, but it has been brought to our attention that the Battle of the Month feature on Flers Courcelette: Debut of the Tanks was missing the link to its article. Please find therefore an updated newsletter, with the article attached. Welcome to our September Newsletter It is always interesting to receive your feedback and stories; in fact this is one of the reasons why putting together this monthly newsletter is so fulfilling. Your feedback makes this newsletter and this month particularly we include many stories from our readers. So please continue to let us have YOUR stories. For a PDF version of the newsletter please visit our website here>> 
Over 110,000 Canadians lost their lives during the First and Second World Wars and are buried or commemorated by name on a memorial in over seventy countries worldwide. Among those Canadians who served were renowned athletes who had competed at various levels including interscholastic, Olympic and professional events or teams. Have a look at our information leaflet on Sporting Canadians produced by our office in Ottawa for further information on the featured athletes. •Sporting Canadians: Leaflet in English Battle of the Month: September 1916 
Battles this Month – Flers Courcelette: Debut of the Tanks September 1916 Thank you once again to the Western Front Association (WFA), for providing this article and particularly Professor Peter Simkins, President of the WFA, author of this item. To view the article please visit our website here
If you enjoy reading these articles from the WFA, you may wish to become a member. To do so, please click here When joining the WFA please mention the CWGC newsletter. Thank you for taking part in our survey Your view of horticulture in our cemeteries Thank you to all of you who took part in our survey on horticulture within our cemeteries. We are most grateful for your time and comments which have been extremely useful for us in gathering information on what you, our visitors, think of our cemeteries. A story from our readers: Private Todhunter 
Mrs Pat Mendham recently contacted us about her relative, Private Alfred Todhunter, shown in the photograph holding the book. Mrs Mendham tells us the story of her relative. Alfred enlisted in the Durham 6th Reserves on 6th October 1914, when he was just 16 years old. He was working in the coal mine in Bishop Aukland at the time. Alfred's younger brother Norman (Pat's father) also worked in the mine and enlisted at 16 years' old, serving 28 years with the Royal Marines. Sadly, Alfred was killed. The family were sent a remarkable letter (which they still have) from the Rev Ewbank - an Army Chaplain who found Alfred's body on the battlefield, together with some letters, which he returned to Mrs Todhunter. You can read the letter he sent her here. Although Alfred was buried at the Rev Ewbank, his body was either not found or could not be identified after the war, as he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the missing. For further information on Alfred Todhunter please visit our website The Todhunter family appear to have had a long service history in the Armed Forces. Alfred's grandfather Sergeant Thomas Todhunter was honoured with a military funeral in October 1881 after serving in the 1st Battalion Cumberland Volunteers aged 43 years. 
Last month we reached the letter Z on our first run through of our A-Z of countries - so this month we begin again with.... A for Albania! The Commission commemorates 47 Commonwealth war dead from the Second World War, predominantly in one site Tirana Park Memorial Cemetery. Our work in Albania is overseen by the Director of Outer Area, based in Maidenhead. To read more about our work in Albania please visit our website>>> Don't forget..... The Commission publishes a series of information sheets illustrating aspects of its work and major cemeteries and memorials. These can be downloaded from our website, or copies are available from our Enquiries Section 
As we reach the end of the summer, we feature the last of our courageous cricketers. Peter Court, one of our readers wrote to us about his grandfather Edmund Gray and his brothers William and Lumley Gray. Edmund, William and Lumley Gray, were volunteer South African troopers inside Ladysmith during the Siege of Ladysmith, a battle of the South African War (Anglo-Boer War). On occasions when the Boers were not shelling the town too fiercely they played cricket for their regimental team, the Border Mounted Rifles, regularly challenging other volunteer units and British regiments. The older brother, Captain William Gray, went on to take part in the First World War and was killed in 15 July 1916 at the Battle of Delville Wood in the Somme offensive, where South African soldiers held the wood in a particularly bloody fight. His grave is at the Sucrerie Military Cemetery, Colin-Camp, France. Fitting Tribute to 47 Royal Marine Commando 
One of the most interesting and moving outcomes of placing our records on the internet has been the thousands of websites, publications and other tributes you have put together to honour the war dead. Recently, we were passed a cemetery and memorial register, compiled by Major Bob Perry of the Royal Marines, that he’d undertaken as a tribute to those members of 47 Royal Marine Commando commemorated by the Commission. It was clear that Bob had put in an enormous effort and a great deal of thought into compiling the register – in his spare time he’d travelled to every CWGC site containing the grave of a member of 47 RM Commando, to photograph it for inclusion in his publication. “I am never happier than when taking any opportunity to more widely publicise the heroic exploits of 47 RM Cdo during WW2, that resulted in 114 members of the unit making the ultimate sacrifice” remarked Bob. “Having visited many military cemeteries throughout Europe and the Far East I must also commend the CWGC on their fine work.” We were greatly impressed by the quality, ease of use and impact of the register – which has been added to our reference library. A worthy and fitting tribute indeed. Postscript: Bob is currently on operational duties and we wish him and all his comrades well. The photograph shows him in front of the ruins of Darulaman Palace which is located to the SW of the centre of Kabul, Afghanistan. 
Operation Market Garden commemorations, The Netherlands This year marks the 67th anniversary of Operation Market Garden, and events will be taking place in the Netherlands from 16-18 September, including a ceremony at Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery on 17 September at 11.00 am. As part of these commemorations, from 12 to 30 September 2011, an exhibition about the Commission and its work will also be on display in Renkum Town Hall Generaal Urquhartlaan 4, Oosterbeek Opening hours will be from Monday to Thursday from 8.30 to 16.00 and on Fridays from 8.30 to 12.00. Commemorations at Agira War Cemetery, Sicily 
Major (Retired) Alan Robert Joseph Batty MBE, one of our readers, is a retired British Army Officer living in Sicily. He has sent us his video and report on the commemorations which recently took place at Agira Canadian War Cemetery, where nearly 490 Canadian service men from the Second World War are commemorated by the Commission. The municipalities of Agira, Nissoria and Regalbuto, in collaboration with the American Naval Air Station in Sigonella and a detachment of the Canadian Forces (who are currently engaged in the NATO mission in Libya), recently commemorated the 68th anniversary of Operation Husky, the Battle for Agira and the liberation of Regalbuto at Agira War Cemetery. Tribute was paid to the Canadian soldiers in the cemetery and wreaths were placed by the Mayors of Agira and Regalbuto. The Commanding Officer of the Canadian contingent placed a wreath and each Canadian service person, placed an individual poppy at the cross and signed the book of remembrance. A video of the days' events can be viewed here. 
South Africa - Summer in the snow! Just too late for the last newsletter, we received this photograph from our office in South Africa, which shows just how changeable the weather can be in Africa in July. Click on the photograph to enlarge it. |
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September 2011 NewsletterIn this Issue Social Media 
Useful Links CWGC Canada and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission leaflet Partners: *The Commission is not responsible for the content of these external sites New to the newsletter? If you are new to the newsletter and would like to read any of our previous newsletters, they can all be found on our website 
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