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Welcome to our February 2013 Newsletter
February 2013: Winter Working
This month we highlight a search for relatives of three soldiers, whose graves in an Italian cemetery are to get named headstones; we look at how the deep midwinter in northern Europe affects the work of the Commission; and -- to remind us that the Commission's task is worldwide -- we report on the installation of a new Stone of Remembrance in Indonesia. |
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Appeal for relatives |
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The CWGC and the Ministry of Defence are making final efforts to trace the relatives of three soldiers killed in 1944, before their headstones are erected at Ancona War Cemetery in Italy.
The three men had escaped from a PoW camp in Italy late in 1943 or early in 1944, and they had joined up with a resistance fighter believed to have been of Italian-Belgian extraction, before they were killed.
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Winter working |
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In the deep midwinter in northern Europe the work of the Commission continues. On the horticultural side, it's a time of renovation, if the frozen ground allows. Sometimes it's too cold even for the stonemasons to continue.
They had to interrupt the renovation of a plot in Bentley cemetery in Staffordshire this month because it was too cold to cement the re-aligned headstones into place.
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New Stone of Remembrance for Ambon Cemetery
The CWGC has installed a new Stone of Remembrance at Ambon War Cemetery in Indonesia.
The stone - weighing eight tonnes - was quarried in Queensland and shipped from Brisbane to Ambon via Djakarta.
Click on the photo to read the full story. |
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CWGC advises on repair to Falklands War Memorial |
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The CWGC has advised the Falkland Islands Government on the renovation of a corroded panel on the Falkland Islands War Memorial. The Memorial is exposed to high winds, rain, snow and hail and the central bronze panel had become badly corroded.
Recently the Commission placed a new sign outside Stanley Cemetery informing visitors there are war graves within the cemetery.
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CWGC at the 50+ Show in Manchester |
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The Commission will have an exhibition stand at the 50 Plus Show in Manchester on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd March 2013. The venue is the Manchester Central Exhibition Centre, and you’ll find us at stand D1.
Our staff will be on hand to answer your questions and you will be able to consult the computerised casualty records which are an invaluable resource for family historians.
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Nunhead (All Saints) Cemetery Video
We made a short film of the ceremony that marked the renovation of the 14/18 plot in Nunhead (All Saints) Cemetery in London. The ceremony marked the end of a complete renovation of the plot.
The then Director of CWGC UK Area, Barry Murphy, said it was the single largest restorative project involving a WW1 burial site undertaken in the UK.
Click on the photo to see the video. |
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Blogspot with Steve Lamb |
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This month's blog is from Flight Lieutenant Steve Lamb (pictured second right), who is working at the Commission for six months on secondment from the Royal Air Force. Steve writes about his experience with the project team organising the Commission's preparations for the centenary of the First World War.
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14-18 Update |
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How are the preparations for the 14-18 Centenary going? In our regular slot, we look this month at the international dimension; and we keep a check on the big programme to install visitor information panels at more than 500 of the Commission's cemeteries and memorials.
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Wintry Photos from Social Media
As with last month's Newsletter we include a photo that was shared with us via social media. Genevra Charsley used Facebook to let us have this striking image of a snow covered Poperinghe Old Military Cemetery, near Ieper in Belgium.
During the recent spell of cold and snowy weather we received a lot of beautiful pictures from northern Europe, and we remain very keen to see any photographs of our cemeteries and memorials all around the world. Please share your photos via our Facebook or Twitter page. |
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This month in 1915 |
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This month's article contributed by the Western Front Association looks back to February in 1915, and a battle fought at Cuinchy, near Bethune. This is the area of the Western Front highlighted on the CWGC's Forgotten Front Remembrance Trail.
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A to Z of countries: T is for Thailand |
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Just over 6,300 Commonwealth war dead from the Second World War are buried or commemorated in the Kingdom of Thailand in two war cemeteries, Kanchanaburi and Chungkai. One non-war grave is also cared for by the Commission in Kanchanaburi War Cemetery.
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