From the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org):
RFU chooses CWGC as its Military Charity Partner for 2017 as the Commission marks 100 years of caring for our war dead
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is delighted to announce that it has been chosen as the official Military Charity Partner by the Rugby Football Union (RFU). In 2017 the CWGC celebrates its centenary, marking 100 years of commemorating 1.7 million Commonwealth war dead in 154 countries around the world.
The partnership is an opportunity to highlight the contribution rugby made in the two world wars. Players from all over the world gave up everything to join up and fight. Twenty-seven England Internationals lost their lives during World War One along with many other international players from around the world, the majority of whom are commemorated by the CWGC.
Announcing the partnership, CWGC Vice Chairman, Sir Tim Laurence said: “Huge thanks to the RFU for supporting the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in our centenary year. Together, we will remember them”.
CWGC Director General, Mrs Victoria Wallace, added: "We are delighted to have been selected by the RFU for this privilege in this our centenary year. We hope rugby fans around the world will be inspired to learn more of past players who made the ultimate sacrifice for their countries in the two world wars, and to pay their respects at any of our 23,000 cemeteries and memorials in 150 countries. The CWGC made a commitment in 1917 that the names of these heroes would live forever. Thank you to the RFU for helping us pass on the torch of remembrance to another generation in 2017."
RFU Chief Executive Ian Ritchie said: “Partnering with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission will build on those themes, drawing on the Commission’s work in their centenary year as they celebrate the work of their staff around the world and commemorate the 1.7 million Commonwealth servicemen and women who died in the two world wars.
“We are grateful to the Commission for their help in producing our Rose and Poppy Films and the First World War Exhibition in the World Rugby Museum and hope to grow support for the Commission and encourage the RFU’s member schools and clubs nationwide to remember those who left rugby fields for battlefields never to return.”
Victoria Wallace attended the formal launch of the partnership, along with Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence KCVO CB ADC(P) - CWGC Vice Chairman and Ian Ritchie - RFU CEO at Twickenham Stadium on Wednesday 25 January at 10.45am.
One story among many
Ronald Poulton Palmer (see pic) was just one of the Rugby players who answered the call of King and Country. Palmer was probably the most famous rugby player of his day, noted for his ability to play all over the pitch and to swerve past opponents. In 1913/14 he was captain of the England side that won back to back ‘Grand Slams’. Already in the Territorial Force of the Royal Berkshire Regiment, Ronald underwent officer training and was sent to the Western Front in the spring of 1915. On the night of 4th May, Ronald was killed by a single shot whilst supervising a trench working party and was buried in CWGC Hyde Park Corner [Royal Berks] Cemetery at Ploegsteert in Belgium, his death causing national grief.
[Image courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission or Courtesy of the CWGC]
Get to know the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Read: http://www.cwgc.org/
Follow: https://twitter.com/CWGC
Like: https://www.facebook.com/commonwealthwargravescommission
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuyv7WCJv_NYL04eKG3oyVA
(With thanks to Peter Francis)
Chris
For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.
Showing posts with label CWGC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CWGC. Show all posts
Friday, 27 January 2017
Tuesday, 3 January 2017
Plans to commemorate Passchendaele centenary
From the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org), an announcement of plans to commemorate the centenary of Passchendaele:
They called it Passchendaele: Government unveils plans to mark centenary of The Third Battle of Ypres
4,000 tickets available to attend centenary commemorations
Descendants of those who fought at the Third Battle of Ypres will be invited to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission(CWGC) Tyne Cot Cemetery in Belgium to mark the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele, the Culture Secretary Karen Bradley announced today, 3 January, 2017.
Opening the public ballot for tickets, she revealed the Government’s plans to mark both the centenary of Passchendaele on 31 July 2017 and the four years of war on the Ypres salient.
The commemoration of the Third Battle of Ypres, commonly known as Passchendaele, will start with a traditional Last Post Ceremony at the CWGC Menin Gate in Ypres (also known as Ieper) on the eve of the centenary, 30 July. The ceremony will give thanks to those who have remembered the British and Commonwealth involvement and sacrifices every evening in peacetime since 1928.
It will be followed by a series of live performances, open to thousands in Ypres’ rebuilt Market Square, which tell the story of the Battle. Images and film will also be projected onto the town’s famous Cloth Hall.
On 31 July 2017, the centenary of the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, the focus will shift to the 12,000 graves and 35,000 names on the Memorial Wall to the Missing at the CWGC Tyne Cot cemetery, which bears witness to the ferocious battle.
CWGC Director General, Victoria Wallace commented:
“The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is honoured that two of our most visited sites in Ypres will be hosting the UK Government events, marking the final resting place and formal place of commemoration of so many thousands of British and Commonwealth servicemen who died on the Ypres salient during four years of fighting. We hope those attending and watching will take the time to see more of our cemeteries in Flanders Fields after the events are over.”
Descendants wanting to honour their relatives where they fought and died can:
The public ballot is for tickets to attend the commemorative event at CWGC Tyne Cot Cemetery on 31 July 2017. The 4,000 tickets will be allocated in pairs, free of charge. Descendants can apply online at www.passchendaele100.org before 24 February 2017.
Those wishing to be at Market Square on Sunday 30 July 2017 can also register their interest in attending in order to receive regular updates and further information about attending the events.
While the Somme holds a powerful place in the national psyche today, during the First World War, Passchendaele and Ypres were household names. The battlefield is closely associated with terrible fighting conditions, and was the first time poison gas was used in battle on the Western Front. The story of Joey the War Horse, was set in this part of the Western Front. And Harry Patch, who became known as the Last Tommy, was conscripted and fought at Passchendaele.
The event will also be shown live on large screens in the Market Square at Ypres and at the Zonnebeke Chateau Grounds, so that those not able to secure a ticket will still be able to attend the public event on 30th July, and watch the Tyne Cot event on 31 July.
The Centenary of Passchendaele, the Third Battle of Ypres is a key part of the UK Government’s four-year programme to commemorate the First World W
ar. The Government will be working closely with its delivery partner, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, as well as local partners in Belgium, such as the city of Ypres, the community of Zonnebeke, Passendale and the Westtoer Province of West-Flanders to commemorate the centenary of the First World War in the Flanders Fields region.
Fighting commenced on the Ypres Salient between British and German forces in 1914, and continued throughout the war. The Battle was the first major British offensive on the Ypres Salient. The ferocity and horror of the battle is encapsulated in Siegfried Sassoon’s famous line: “I died in hell - They called it Passchendaele”.
Belgian General Commissioner for World War One Commemoration, Paul Breyne said:
"The Belgian Government is deeply committed in bringing support for the commemoration of this historical event of exceptional magnitude. It is for the Belgian people and the Belgian Government of utmost importance to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and peace. We are looking forward to welcoming those British citizens and visitors from other nations who will travel to Belgium to pay tribute to those who fought with dedication and bravery, a hundred years ago, in this devastating battle.”
(With thanks to the CWGC)
Chris
For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.
They called it Passchendaele: Government unveils plans to mark centenary of The Third Battle of Ypres
4,000 tickets available to attend centenary commemorations
Descendants of those who fought at the Third Battle of Ypres will be invited to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission(CWGC) Tyne Cot Cemetery in Belgium to mark the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele, the Culture Secretary Karen Bradley announced today, 3 January, 2017.
Opening the public ballot for tickets, she revealed the Government’s plans to mark both the centenary of Passchendaele on 31 July 2017 and the four years of war on the Ypres salient.The commemoration of the Third Battle of Ypres, commonly known as Passchendaele, will start with a traditional Last Post Ceremony at the CWGC Menin Gate in Ypres (also known as Ieper) on the eve of the centenary, 30 July. The ceremony will give thanks to those who have remembered the British and Commonwealth involvement and sacrifices every evening in peacetime since 1928.
It will be followed by a series of live performances, open to thousands in Ypres’ rebuilt Market Square, which tell the story of the Battle. Images and film will also be projected onto the town’s famous Cloth Hall.
On 31 July 2017, the centenary of the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, the focus will shift to the 12,000 graves and 35,000 names on the Memorial Wall to the Missing at the CWGC Tyne Cot cemetery, which bears witness to the ferocious battle.
CWGC Director General, Victoria Wallace commented:
“The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is honoured that two of our most visited sites in Ypres will be hosting the UK Government events, marking the final resting place and formal place of commemoration of so many thousands of British and Commonwealth servicemen who died on the Ypres salient during four years of fighting. We hope those attending and watching will take the time to see more of our cemeteries in Flanders Fields after the events are over.”
Descendants wanting to honour their relatives where they fought and died can:
- Attend the ceremony at Market Square Ypres on 30 July 2017 for an evening of live performance and music with image and film projected onto the Cloth Hall, rebuilt from rubble.
- Apply for tickets to the commemoration at CWGC Tyne Cot on 31 July 2017.
- Enter a sub-ballot for a very limited number of places at the CWGC Menin Gate.
The public ballot is for tickets to attend the commemorative event at CWGC Tyne Cot Cemetery on 31 July 2017. The 4,000 tickets will be allocated in pairs, free of charge. Descendants can apply online at www.passchendaele100.org before 24 February 2017.
Those wishing to be at Market Square on Sunday 30 July 2017 can also register their interest in attending in order to receive regular updates and further information about attending the events.
While the Somme holds a powerful place in the national psyche today, during the First World War, Passchendaele and Ypres were household names. The battlefield is closely associated with terrible fighting conditions, and was the first time poison gas was used in battle on the Western Front. The story of Joey the War Horse, was set in this part of the Western Front. And Harry Patch, who became known as the Last Tommy, was conscripted and fought at Passchendaele.
The event will also be shown live on large screens in the Market Square at Ypres and at the Zonnebeke Chateau Grounds, so that those not able to secure a ticket will still be able to attend the public event on 30th July, and watch the Tyne Cot event on 31 July.
The Centenary of Passchendaele, the Third Battle of Ypres is a key part of the UK Government’s four-year programme to commemorate the First World W
ar. The Government will be working closely with its delivery partner, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, as well as local partners in Belgium, such as the city of Ypres, the community of Zonnebeke, Passendale and the Westtoer Province of West-Flanders to commemorate the centenary of the First World War in the Flanders Fields region.
Fighting commenced on the Ypres Salient between British and German forces in 1914, and continued throughout the war. The Battle was the first major British offensive on the Ypres Salient. The ferocity and horror of the battle is encapsulated in Siegfried Sassoon’s famous line: “I died in hell - They called it Passchendaele”.
Belgian General Commissioner for World War One Commemoration, Paul Breyne said:
"The Belgian Government is deeply committed in bringing support for the commemoration of this historical event of exceptional magnitude. It is for the Belgian people and the Belgian Government of utmost importance to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and peace. We are looking forward to welcoming those British citizens and visitors from other nations who will travel to Belgium to pay tribute to those who fought with dedication and bravery, a hundred years ago, in this devastating battle.”
(With thanks to the CWGC)
Chris
For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.
Saturday, 17 December 2016
CWGC launches new interns programme for 2017
From the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org):
COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION LAUNCHES NEW CWGC CENTENARY INTERNS PROGRAMME FOR 2017
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is seeking applications from the brightest and the best young people aged 18 to 25 to join a new CWGC Centenary Interns programme in 2017.
The CWGC Centenary Interns will join the Commission for four months, based in France and Belgium, to welcome visitors to some of the CWGC’s most well-known sites. These will include the CWGC Tyne Cot Cemetery near Ieper (Ypres), which will be the focus of the UK Government commemorations of the Centenary of Passchendaele: Third Battle of Ypres in July 2017.
The CWGC Centenary Interns will welcome visitors to, and guide them around, CWGC cemeteries and memorials. They will also undertake research and help offer context and a clearer understanding of both the CWGC and the First World War, from the perspective of people the same age as many of the war dead.
UK Government funding for the new programme was announced by former Chancellor George Osborne on the Centenary of the Battle of the Somme in July 2016, and it will launch early in the New Year. Over the next two years the CWGC expects to bring more than 40 interns to the Western Front, funded by a £600,000 LIBOR grant.
CWGC Director General Mrs Victoria Wallace, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for young people interested in the First World War to help others gain a real insight into the workings of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which has done such wonderful work in commemorating the fallen of the two World Wars for 100 years. The CWGC Centenary Interns will be able to welcome and help visitors, and share with them the stories of so many of those we commemorate. It is a chance to be right at the heart of the UK and Commonwealth commemorations in France and Belgium in 2017 and 2018. Please tell any enthusiastic young people you know to consider this great role, playing a part in marking such histori
c anniversaries.”
Dr Andrew Murrison MP, the Prime Minister’s Special Representative for the Centenary Commemorations of the Great War, added: "Centenary Internships are an exciting, high quality opportunity for young people and an appropriate and enduring way to remember and reflect on the Great War.
"I anticipate a great deal of competition for the places announced today and that participation will have a lasting impact on successful applicants.”
Those wishing to apply can find full details on the CWGC Blog at blog.cwgc.org/interns2017 or register their interest via interns@cwgc.org
(With thanks to Peter Francis)
Chris
For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.
COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION LAUNCHES NEW CWGC CENTENARY INTERNS PROGRAMME FOR 2017
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is seeking applications from the brightest and the best young people aged 18 to 25 to join a new CWGC Centenary Interns programme in 2017.The CWGC Centenary Interns will join the Commission for four months, based in France and Belgium, to welcome visitors to some of the CWGC’s most well-known sites. These will include the CWGC Tyne Cot Cemetery near Ieper (Ypres), which will be the focus of the UK Government commemorations of the Centenary of Passchendaele: Third Battle of Ypres in July 2017.
The CWGC Centenary Interns will welcome visitors to, and guide them around, CWGC cemeteries and memorials. They will also undertake research and help offer context and a clearer understanding of both the CWGC and the First World War, from the perspective of people the same age as many of the war dead.
UK Government funding for the new programme was announced by former Chancellor George Osborne on the Centenary of the Battle of the Somme in July 2016, and it will launch early in the New Year. Over the next two years the CWGC expects to bring more than 40 interns to the Western Front, funded by a £600,000 LIBOR grant.
CWGC Director General Mrs Victoria Wallace, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for young people interested in the First World War to help others gain a real insight into the workings of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which has done such wonderful work in commemorating the fallen of the two World Wars for 100 years. The CWGC Centenary Interns will be able to welcome and help visitors, and share with them the stories of so many of those we commemorate. It is a chance to be right at the heart of the UK and Commonwealth commemorations in France and Belgium in 2017 and 2018. Please tell any enthusiastic young people you know to consider this great role, playing a part in marking such histori
c anniversaries.”
Dr Andrew Murrison MP, the Prime Minister’s Special Representative for the Centenary Commemorations of the Great War, added: "Centenary Internships are an exciting, high quality opportunity for young people and an appropriate and enduring way to remember and reflect on the Great War.
"I anticipate a great deal of competition for the places announced today and that participation will have a lasting impact on successful applicants.”
Those wishing to apply can find full details on the CWGC Blog at blog.cwgc.org/interns2017 or register their interest via interns@cwgc.org
(With thanks to Peter Francis)
Chris
For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.
Wednesday, 14 December 2016
Commonwealth War Graves Commission appeal
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org) has issued an appeal to contact relatives of the following First World War casualties:
BARR, HENRY KEITH d. 25/10/1916
38TH King George’s Own Central India Horse
Major
HOLCOMBE ROGUS (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD
BROWN, JOHN NIXON d. 05/08/1914
Cameron Highlanders
Private
GLASGOW (LAMBHILL) CEMETERY
CAMPBELL, WILLIAM d. 01/03/1916
Highland Light Infantry
Private
LANARK CEMETERY
COWAN, GEORGE d. 10/12/1917
King’s Own Scottish Borderers
Private
DUMFRIES (ST. MICHAEL’S) CEMETERY
SAPWELL, ARTHUR FREDERICK CHARLES d. 15/06/1919
Royal Munster Fusiliers
Private
NEW BRADWELL (ST JAMES) CHURCHYARD
SAPWELL, CHRISTOPHER LORTON d. 16/08/1918
Army Veterinary Corps
Private
GREAT LINFORD (ST ANDREW) CHURCHYARD
WYSE, ROBERT d. 09/02/1918
Royal Scots
Private
ABBOTSHALL PARISH CHURCHYARD
Further details, including services numbers, lair numbers etc, are available at http://www.cwgc.org/news-events/news/2016/12/appeal-for-relatives-dec-2016.aspx. Relatives are asked to get in touch with the UKNA technical team, contactable at enquiries@cwgc.org
Chris
For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.
BARR, HENRY KEITH d. 25/10/191638TH King George’s Own Central India Horse
Major
HOLCOMBE ROGUS (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD
BROWN, JOHN NIXON d. 05/08/1914
Cameron Highlanders
Private
GLASGOW (LAMBHILL) CEMETERY
CAMPBELL, WILLIAM d. 01/03/1916
Highland Light Infantry
Private
LANARK CEMETERY
COWAN, GEORGE d. 10/12/1917
King’s Own Scottish Borderers
Private
DUMFRIES (ST. MICHAEL’S) CEMETERY
SAPWELL, ARTHUR FREDERICK CHARLES d. 15/06/1919
Royal Munster Fusiliers
Private
NEW BRADWELL (ST JAMES) CHURCHYARD
SAPWELL, CHRISTOPHER LORTON d. 16/08/1918
Army Veterinary Corps
Private
GREAT LINFORD (ST ANDREW) CHURCHYARD
WYSE, ROBERT d. 09/02/1918
Royal Scots
Private
ABBOTSHALL PARISH CHURCHYARD
Further details, including services numbers, lair numbers etc, are available at http://www.cwgc.org/news-events/news/2016/12/appeal-for-relatives-dec-2016.aspx. Relatives are asked to get in touch with the UKNA technical team, contactable at enquiries@cwgc.org
Chris
For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.
Tuesday, 14 June 2016
CWGC encourages visits to war graves
From the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org):
Kirsty Wark encourages Scotland to discover, explore and remember fallen of WW1
Scottish journalist and Newsnight presenter, Kirsty Wark, has teamed up with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) to launch a new initiative to get the British public to visit their local war graves and discover the stories behind the names of those who gave their lives in the First World War.
The CWGC is launching its Living Memory Project in Scotland to remember the forgotten front; the 300,000 war graves and memorials in Britain from both world wars, in time to mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme (July 1).
The CWGC Living Memory Project aims to encourage community groups to discover, explore and remember their war heritage – with everyone in the UK having at least one war grave three miles from their front door.
In Scotland alone, there are more than 20,000 war graves and memorials commemorating men and women from the First and Second World Wars.
The CWGC is looking for 141 UK groups, to hold 141 events, to mark the 141 days of the Somme offensive.
Kirsty Wark, ambassador for CWGCs Living Memory project in Scotland, said: “I have a very personal connection with the Battle of the Somme, as my Great Uncle, James Wark, fought for the entire 141 days of the battle. However, fighting during the Somme and for three years, he died from Spanish Flu just days after the Armistice in 1918.
“He had the most poignant letter in his kit bag, which the family now have, saying how much he looked forward to coming home. Sadly, as we know, he never made it, but thanks to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, he is buried and remembered at the Ascq Communal Cemetery in France.
“The men who fought at the Battle of the Somme do so in some of the most horrendous conditions and saw many of their fellow comrades killed or badly wounded. We must never forget them, and instead remember these men by visiting their graves here in Scotland and finding out their stories.
“With more than 19,000 war graves in Scotland, I would encourage people to get together and explore their nearest war graves – find out about the person behind the headstone and remember them for the sacrifice they gave.”
CWGC has graves located in more than 1,200 locations in Scotland. The majority of men and women buried or commemorated either died in a British hospital of injuries sustained during the First World War or in the influenza pandemic that followed.
Remembering those buried in CWGC war graves in the UK is a fitting way to mark the Somme centenary.
Funding and creative resources are available to help groups identify a CWGC war grave near where they live. This can be to help towards researching about some of those buried locally and to stage a commemorative event.
Any community group interested can register now by emailing livingmemory@cwgc.org or visiting www.cwgc.org/livingmemory.
CWGC Director of External Relations, Colin Kerr, said:“The overseas work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s is well known, but here in the UK, there is little awareness of the graves and memorials to be found in a more than 12,000 locations that commemorate more than 300,000 Commonwealth war dead of the two world wars.
“We believe this is wrong, and through the Living Memory Project aim to reconnect the British public to their commemorative heritage on their doorstep.
“With the support of the DCMS, the Living Memory Project will encourage more people to discover and visit our war grave sites and remember the war dead in those places from the First and Second World Wars. We want them to share their stories and raise awareness with their wider communities.”
(With thanks to the CWGC)
Chris
For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.
Kirsty Wark encourages Scotland to discover, explore and remember fallen of WW1
Scottish journalist and Newsnight presenter, Kirsty Wark, has teamed up with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) to launch a new initiative to get the British public to visit their local war graves and discover the stories behind the names of those who gave their lives in the First World War.
The CWGC is launching its Living Memory Project in Scotland to remember the forgotten front; the 300,000 war graves and memorials in Britain from both world wars, in time to mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme (July 1).
The CWGC Living Memory Project aims to encourage community groups to discover, explore and remember their war heritage – with everyone in the UK having at least one war grave three miles from their front door.
In Scotland alone, there are more than 20,000 war graves and memorials commemorating men and women from the First and Second World Wars.
The CWGC is looking for 141 UK groups, to hold 141 events, to mark the 141 days of the Somme offensive.
Kirsty Wark, ambassador for CWGCs Living Memory project in Scotland, said: “I have a very personal connection with the Battle of the Somme, as my Great Uncle, James Wark, fought for the entire 141 days of the battle. However, fighting during the Somme and for three years, he died from Spanish Flu just days after the Armistice in 1918.
“He had the most poignant letter in his kit bag, which the family now have, saying how much he looked forward to coming home. Sadly, as we know, he never made it, but thanks to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, he is buried and remembered at the Ascq Communal Cemetery in France.
“The men who fought at the Battle of the Somme do so in some of the most horrendous conditions and saw many of their fellow comrades killed or badly wounded. We must never forget them, and instead remember these men by visiting their graves here in Scotland and finding out their stories.
“With more than 19,000 war graves in Scotland, I would encourage people to get together and explore their nearest war graves – find out about the person behind the headstone and remember them for the sacrifice they gave.”
CWGC has graves located in more than 1,200 locations in Scotland. The majority of men and women buried or commemorated either died in a British hospital of injuries sustained during the First World War or in the influenza pandemic that followed.
Remembering those buried in CWGC war graves in the UK is a fitting way to mark the Somme centenary.
Funding and creative resources are available to help groups identify a CWGC war grave near where they live. This can be to help towards researching about some of those buried locally and to stage a commemorative event.
Any community group interested can register now by emailing livingmemory@cwgc.org or visiting www.cwgc.org/livingmemory.
CWGC Director of External Relations, Colin Kerr, said:“The overseas work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s is well known, but here in the UK, there is little awareness of the graves and memorials to be found in a more than 12,000 locations that commemorate more than 300,000 Commonwealth war dead of the two world wars.
“We believe this is wrong, and through the Living Memory Project aim to reconnect the British public to their commemorative heritage on their doorstep.
“With the support of the DCMS, the Living Memory Project will encourage more people to discover and visit our war grave sites and remember the war dead in those places from the First and Second World Wars. We want them to share their stories and raise awareness with their wider communities.”
(With thanks to the CWGC)
Chris
For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.
Monday, 9 May 2016
CWGC Battle of the Somme web pages
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has a new dedicated page for the Battle of the Somme centenary commemorations, located at http://www.cwgc.org/the-somme.aspx.
Amongst the many useful pages are a Home page describing each of the key battles that took place between July and November 1916, and a Visitors Guide, providing on a daily basis for the period various details from the original battle, such as the weather, the temperature, the number of men missing that day, and the total commemorated losses each day. A short summary of that day's action is also presented, with a suggested cemetery to visit that is most relevant for the day's events. Elsewhere on the site is a handy interactive cemetery map, and a FAQs page.
Chris
For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.
Amongst the many useful pages are a Home page describing each of the key battles that took place between July and November 1916, and a Visitors Guide, providing on a daily basis for the period various details from the original battle, such as the weather, the temperature, the number of men missing that day, and the total commemorated losses each day. A short summary of that day's action is also presented, with a suggested cemetery to visit that is most relevant for the day's events. Elsewhere on the site is a handy interactive cemetery map, and a FAQs page.
Chris
For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.
Saturday, 9 January 2016
Commonwealth War Graves Commission blog launches
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org) has launched a new blog. The first post is written by the organisation's Director General, Victoria Wallace, and details her personal response to comments about the behaviour of teenage visitors to Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial, Belgium.To read the blog, please visit http://commonwealthwargravescommission.tumblr.com.
(With thanks to Eddie Connolly via Twitter @teddiec)
Chris
For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.
Wednesday, 23 September 2015
Commonwealth War Graves Commission survey
For readers of the CWGC newsletter:CWGC SURVEY – PLEASE TELL US WHAT YOU THINK
We are taking the slightly unusual step of writing to you to ask for your help by participating in a CWGC survey.
Your answers will help us to better understand our audience and how we tailor our services and communications to your needs.
The survey should only take a few minutes to complete and all answers will be treated in the strictest confidence. Your help is greatly appreciated.
The survey can be accessed here: CWGC Survey (https://survey.crowdology.co.uk/snapwebhost/s.asp?k=144231495493)
Finally, we hope to relaunch a new and improved newsletter early in the new year.
Yours faithfully
Colin Kerr
Director External Relations
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
COMMENT: Tut tut. One of the options offered in the residency question is "UK and Northern Ireland". I would have expected better from a body such as the CWGC on that front. The UK includes Northern Ireland - quite a few Northern Irish folk died for the UK in the two world wars.
Chris
For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.
Scots urged by CWGC to remember the fallen of the Battle of Loos
COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION (CWGC) URGES SCOTTISH PUBLIC TO REMEMBER SCOTS SACRIFICE ON BATTLE OF LOOS CENTENARYThe Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org) today urged the Scottish public to remember the sacrifices made by Scots during the Battle of Loos in France a century ago ahead of a series of commemorative events in Dundee this weekend.
The Battle of Loos (September – October 1915) was the British Army’s largest effort of the war so far, with 75,000 men involved on the first day alone – almost half from Scottish Regiments. Battalions from every Scottish regiment fought in the Battle of Loos and suffered huge numbers of casualties.
Five Victoria Crosses were given to Scots after the battle in recognition of their extraordinary bravery – including one to Piper Daniel Laidlaw who famously ripped off his gas mask, climbed onto the parapet of his trench and played his comrades forward into battle.
Loos saw the first British use of poison gas and also the first deployment of battalions formed of inexperienced wartime volunteers - part of General Douglas Haig’s First Army. It became known at the time as ‘the Big Push.’
To mark the centenary, the CWGC has launched a remembrance trail, that has been specially designed to encourage more people to visit this often overlooked battlefield.
The CWGC Loos Remembrance Trail takes the visitor on a journey of discovery across the battlefields of Loos, visiting some of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cemeteries where many of those killed in the battle lie buried and discovering more about the battle and the experiences of those who fought it.
The CWGC’s Director of External Relations, Mr Colin Kerr, explained: “The Battle of Loos might be described as a Scottish battle given the huge number of Scots that took part. Almost 30,000 Scots fought at Loos and some 7,000 lost their lives. Of the 20,000 names of the dead on the Commission’s memorial at Loos, one-third are Scottish.”
“These losses were deeply felt in every city, town and village across Scotland and yet the Battle of Loos has largely been forgotten. We be lieve that is not right and that these men, and the cemeteries and memorials where they are commemorated, deserve to be better known and visited and that is why we have launched this fascinating and easy to follow remembrance trail.”
A pdf of the remembrance trail leaflet can be downloaded, here: Loos Remembrance Trail Leaflet.
(With thanks to Nick Birch)
Chris
For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.
Monday, 11 May 2015
CWGC to release Second World War casualties records
Not too long ago the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org) released an extensive amount of documentation concerning those who fell in the First World War on the Allied side. The CWGC has also now announced that its Second World War records will also be made available in August this year, to coincide with the 70th anniversary of VJ Day. The records will include personal headstone inscriptions, date of death, rank, regiment and documents which show the journeys of some of the deceased to their final resting places.
For further news of the development, please visit http://www.cwgc.org/news-events/news/2015/5/ww2-casualty-archive-documents-shared-online.aspx.
(With thanks to the CWGC)
Chris
For details on my latest book Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, and my other genealogy guide books please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. To commission me for genealogical research, please visit my research site at www.scotlandsgreateststory.co.uk.
For further news of the development, please visit http://www.cwgc.org/news-events/news/2015/5/ww2-casualty-archive-documents-shared-online.aspx.
(With thanks to the CWGC)
Chris
For details on my latest book Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, and my other genealogy guide books please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. To commission me for genealogical research, please visit my research site at www.scotlandsgreateststory.co.uk.
Thursday, 5 March 2015
Commonwealth War Graves Commission newsletter
The March 2015 newsletter from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org) is available to view online at http://newsletters.wizontheweb.co.uk/t/ViewEmail/r/C6E8BFB11FCB5C822540EF23F30FEDED/F090797B09DF142E23B7CB3C95A53812. The newsletter includes news of CWGC's forthcoming attendance at Who Do You Think You Are Live, and details of further access to more of its archive holdings.
Chris
For details on my range of genealogy guide books please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. To commission me for genealogical research, please visit my research site at www.scotlandsgreateststory.co.uk.
Chris
For details on my range of genealogy guide books please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. To commission me for genealogical research, please visit my research site at www.scotlandsgreateststory.co.uk.
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Commonwealth War Graves Commission mobile app
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has a mobile app available for Windows, Android and iOS devices, available from http://www.cwgc.org/app.aspx
David McNay of the Scottish Military Research Group has outlined its features in a review posted at http://scottishmilitary.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/cwgc-mobile-app.html.
(With thanks to David)
Chris
Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians, whilst my new book British and Irish Newspapers is also now out. And please consider purchasing the great new version of Caledonia by The Libations at 79p via www.caledonia2014.com - all profits go to help fund Scottish foodbanks
David McNay of the Scottish Military Research Group has outlined its features in a review posted at http://scottishmilitary.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/cwgc-mobile-app.html.
(With thanks to David)
Chris
Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians, whilst my new book British and Irish Newspapers is also now out. And please consider purchasing the great new version of Caledonia by The Libations at 79p via www.caledonia2014.com - all profits go to help fund Scottish foodbanks
Thursday, 10 July 2014
Guest Post - The CWGC Online Archive
I've not run these in a while, but Ken Nisbet has just been in touch with a detailed outline of the new CWGC archive, now available online at www.cwgc.org, very worthy of a Guest Post label!
The CWGC Online Archive
The archives consists in the main of three sets of documents and in many cases not all sets will be present. The documents can be downloaded as JPEG’s
Grave Registration
This is the most common document, which can consist of two parts:
The Register for the cemetery or the memorial, if your relative is commemorated on a mem
orial such as the Menin Gate at Ypres or the Thiepval Memorial on the Somme this likely to be the only document. This is the original register and may show if there was any additions to the register or in one case I looked at for the Thiepval Memorial it had the details crossed out showing that the body had been found later on and where it was now buried.
Grave Registration Form which gives the name of the burial place, its map reference, the Regimental Number, Name, Rank and Initials, Date of Death, Cross Erected or Grave Registration Unit Date, Plot Row & Grave Number
If the Grave Registration Form is present and your relative is buried in a cemetery the other document likely to be present is the “Headstone” document which shows
a) The burial place, its map reference
b) Plot Reference
Then for each headstone:
1st Line Badge Design No and Layout No
2nd Line Number & Rank
3rd Line Initials, Name and Honours
4th Line Regiment
5th Line Date of Death (In any instances where the entry “None” appears in line 6 the age will be omitted from the Headstone and the date of death centred laterally)
6th Line Age
7th Religious Emblem (Centre of Stone) this could be a cross or the Jewish Star for Jewish personnel
8th line to be stencilled on the foot of the headstone below ground level, the plot number, row number, grave number
The second page shows what text if any was to be entered on the stone for unknown soldiers “ Known unto God”, where the family had requested text to be added it shows the text and the name and address of the relative
Concentration Document (Exhumation and Reburials)
This document was created when bodies were removed from burial plots or cemeteries that could not be maintained or controlled by the Imperial War Graves Commission / Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It shows the name of the cemetery of reburial , plot number and grave number for that cemetery.
It shows the name of the cemetery or the map reference for where the individual was originally buried if a cross had been erected, the name of the individual if known and their regimental particulars, the means of identification and were any effects forwarded to the base. For my own research it showed that Cyril Broom a 2nd Lieutenant in the 10th Battalion H.L.I. who was killed on the 15th July 1915 was originally buried in Salome Churchyard German Extension, a cross had been erected and he was indentified by this and his officer’s uniform. Cyril was then reburied in Rue Petillon Military Cemetery at Fleurbaix. In another example, Robert Speedon Macfarlane 2nd Lieutenant 15th Battalion H.L.I. killed on the 3rd July 1916 on the Somme front, was buired not in a cemetery but in an unnamed burial plot which is identified with a map reference, a cross had been erected and he was identified by his uniform and boots and he was then reburied at Serre Road Cemetery No 2.
* Ken Nisbet is the Secretary of the Scottish Association of Family History Societies (www.safhs.org.uk) and Secretary of the Scottish Genealogy Society (www.scotsgenealogy.com).
He is also the author of The Register of Corrected Entries and Its Use for Family History.
Chris
Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians, whilst my new book British and Irish Newspapers is also now out. And FindmyPast - please reinstate the original Scottish census citations on your new site.
The CWGC Online Archive
The archives consists in the main of three sets of documents and in many cases not all sets will be present. The documents can be downloaded as JPEG’s Grave Registration
This is the most common document, which can consist of two parts:
The Register for the cemetery or the memorial, if your relative is commemorated on a mem
orial such as the Menin Gate at Ypres or the Thiepval Memorial on the Somme this likely to be the only document. This is the original register and may show if there was any additions to the register or in one case I looked at for the Thiepval Memorial it had the details crossed out showing that the body had been found later on and where it was now buried.
Grave Registration Form which gives the name of the burial place, its map reference, the Regimental Number, Name, Rank and Initials, Date of Death, Cross Erected or Grave Registration Unit Date, Plot Row & Grave Number
If the Grave Registration Form is present and your relative is buried in a cemetery the other document likely to be present is the “Headstone” document which shows
a) The burial place, its map reference
b) Plot Reference
Then for each headstone:
1st Line Badge Design No and Layout No
2nd Line Number & Rank
3rd Line Initials, Name and Honours
4th Line Regiment
5th Line Date of Death (In any instances where the entry “None” appears in line 6 the age will be omitted from the Headstone and the date of death centred laterally)
6th Line Age
7th Religious Emblem (Centre of Stone) this could be a cross or the Jewish Star for Jewish personnel
8th line to be stencilled on the foot of the headstone below ground level, the plot number, row number, grave number
The second page shows what text if any was to be entered on the stone for unknown soldiers “ Known unto God”, where the family had requested text to be added it shows the text and the name and address of the relative
Concentration Document (Exhumation and Reburials)
This document was created when bodies were removed from burial plots or cemeteries that could not be maintained or controlled by the Imperial War Graves Commission / Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It shows the name of the cemetery of reburial , plot number and grave number for that cemetery.
It shows the name of the cemetery or the map reference for where the individual was originally buried if a cross had been erected, the name of the individual if known and their regimental particulars, the means of identification and were any effects forwarded to the base. For my own research it showed that Cyril Broom a 2nd Lieutenant in the 10th Battalion H.L.I. who was killed on the 15th July 1915 was originally buried in Salome Churchyard German Extension, a cross had been erected and he was indentified by this and his officer’s uniform. Cyril was then reburied in Rue Petillon Military Cemetery at Fleurbaix. In another example, Robert Speedon Macfarlane 2nd Lieutenant 15th Battalion H.L.I. killed on the 3rd July 1916 on the Somme front, was buired not in a cemetery but in an unnamed burial plot which is identified with a map reference, a cross had been erected and he was identified by his uniform and boots and he was then reburied at Serre Road Cemetery No 2.
He is also the author of The Register of Corrected Entries and Its Use for Family History.
Chris
Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians, whilst my new book British and Irish Newspapers is also now out. And FindmyPast - please reinstate the original Scottish census citations on your new site.
Saturday, 5 July 2014
Commonwealth War Graves Commission revamp
From the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org) newsletter:
On 7 July, the CWGC is launching an exciting range of new digital services on its website.
These include:
the launch of the Discover 14-18 website - to help people visit our cemeteries and memorials and understand their history
the launch of our First World War casualty archive documents online
and enhancements to Search Our Records
While the enhancements are taking place, users may experience some disruption to our normal web services but we hope that, with the changes, users will find the experience of searching through our records even more fascinating than before.
The full newsletter is at http://newsletters.wizontheweb.co.uk/t/ViewEmail/r/AB220701C1B56F1C2540EF23F30FEDED/F090797B09DF142E23B7CB3C95A53812
Chris
Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians, whilst my new book British and Irish Newspapers is also now out. And FindmyPast - please reinstate the original Scottish census citations on your new site.
On 7 July, the CWGC is launching an exciting range of new digital services on its website.
These include:
the launch of the Discover 14-18 website - to help people visit our cemeteries and memorials and understand their history
the launch of our First World War casualty archive documents online
and enhancements to Search Our Records
While the enhancements are taking place, users may experience some disruption to our normal web services but we hope that, with the changes, users will find the experience of searching through our records even more fascinating than before.
The full newsletter is at http://newsletters.wizontheweb.co.uk/t/ViewEmail/r/AB220701C1B56F1C2540EF23F30FEDED/F090797B09DF142E23B7CB3C95A53812
Chris
Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians, whilst my new book British and Irish Newspapers is also now out. And FindmyPast - please reinstate the original Scottish census citations on your new site.
Saturday, 31 May 2014
Victoria Wallace announced as new CWGC Director General
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org) has a new forthcoming Director General, Victoria Wallace, currently the Leeds Castle Foundation and Enterprises' Chief Executive, who will be taking up her new post from October 20th 2014.
The CWGC has the full announcement at www.cwgc.org/news-events/news/2014/5/commonwealth-war-graves-commission-names-heritage-chief-as-its-new-director-general.aspx
Chris
Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians, whilst my new book British and Irish Newspapers is also now out. And FindmyPast - please reinstate the original Scottish census citations on your new site.
The CWGC has the full announcement at www.cwgc.org/news-events/news/2014/5/commonwealth-war-graves-commission-names-heritage-chief-as-its-new-director-general.aspx
Chris
Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians, whilst my new book British and Irish Newspapers is also now out. And FindmyPast - please reinstate the original Scottish census citations on your new site.
Sunday, 11 May 2014
BBC Scotland's Second World War casualties database
BBC Scotland has created an online database providing information on 21,740 of the 57,000 Scots who died during World War Two. The database is located directly at http://marcellison.com/bbc/war_dead/war_dead_db - the source is the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org).
For more on the story, visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-27299199
Chris
Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians. And for those wishing to take Scottish ancestral research a bit further, my next Pharos course, Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the Old Parish Records, commences May 14th 2014.
For more on the story, visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-27299199
Chris
Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians. And for those wishing to take Scottish ancestral research a bit further, my next Pharos course, Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the Old Parish Records, commences May 14th 2014.
Thursday, 2 January 2014
Scarp's WW1 memorials maintained, and other CWGC news
The latest Commonwealth War Graves Commission newsletter (January 2014) includes details of a new museum at the CWGC's headquarters in Maidenhead, and an interesting piece on the maintenance of two headstones on the remote Hebridean island of Scarp, to the west of Harris, somewhere I've actually had the pleasure to visit in the past, though I never knew there were any war graves there!
The newsletter is online at http://newsletters.wizontheweb.co.uk/t/ViewEmail/r/F17C4A3D86243B472540EF23F30FEDED/F090797B09DF142E23B7CB3C95A53812
Chris
My latest book, Discover Scottish Civil Registration Records, is now available from http://www.gould.com.au (print) and http://www.gen-ebooks.com/unlock-the-past.html (ebook), whilst Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet is available at http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-History-on-the-Internet/p/3889/.
The newsletter is online at http://newsletters.wizontheweb.co.uk/t/ViewEmail/r/F17C4A3D86243B472540EF23F30FEDED/F090797B09DF142E23B7CB3C95A53812
Chris
My latest book, Discover Scottish Civil Registration Records, is now available from http://www.gould.com.au (print) and http://www.gen-ebooks.com/unlock-the-past.html (ebook), whilst Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet is available at http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-History-on-the-Internet/p/3889/.
Saturday, 28 December 2013
CWGC centenary preparations for 2014
The Scotsman newspaper has a lengthy article detailing some of the preparations of and challenges being faced by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org) as it prepares for the centenary commemorations of the First World War over the next four years.
The article is available at http://www.scotsman.com/news/uk/war-graves-commission-face-major-wwi-challenge-1-3248860.
Chris
My latest book, Discover Scottish Civil Registration Records, is now available from http://www.gould.com.au (print) and http://www.gen-ebooks.com/unlock-the-past.html (ebook), whilst Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet is available at http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-History-on-the-Internet/p/3889/.
The article is available at http://www.scotsman.com/news/uk/war-graves-commission-face-major-wwi-challenge-1-3248860.
Chris
My latest book, Discover Scottish Civil Registration Records, is now available from http://www.gould.com.au (print) and http://www.gen-ebooks.com/unlock-the-past.html (ebook), whilst Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet is available at http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-History-on-the-Internet/p/3889/.
Monday, 4 November 2013
The Flanders Field Memorial Garden in London
The following press release is from Geert De Proost, Representative of the Government of Flanders to the UK:
THE FLANDERS FIELDS MEMORIAL GARDEN LONDON
On Monday 11 November, sixty-two British and Belgian/Flemish schoolchildren will participate in a special ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres (Ieper) as part of the Flanders Fields Memorial Garden project.
The Flanders Fields Memorial Garden (under construction) is located alongside The Guards Chapel and the Guards Museum at the Wellington Barracks, near Buckingham Palace. The Garden will thus be at the heart of royal and military London, which is visited daily by thousands of people from all over the world and takes centre stage during each national British ceremony.
With the Memorial Garden, the Government of Flanders seeks to honour the British and Commonwealth soldiers and civilians who died during the First World War and to commemorate them in a suitable manner. The Memorial Garden is to serve as a lasting witness to hope, peace, reconciliation and international unity.
The Gathering of the Soil
What is unique about this garden is that the soil used for its creation has great symbolic significance. In an extraordinary project, called "The Gathering of the Soil", 62 schools from Flanders "adopted" 70 cemeteries from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) in Flanders and other parts of Belgium where Guardsmen who fought in the Great War are buried. Last September, in cooperation with the CWGC and under their professional guidance, the Flemish pupils dug up soil from the battlefields and took a symbolic shovel of earth from the plots of the 70 cemeteries.
The 62 Flemish schools were linked with 62 British schools, with the help of the Institute of Education (University of London). This institution has been selected to run the prestigious First World War Centenary Battlefield Tours Project announced by the Prime Minister, David Cameron in November 2012. The matching of the British and Belgian schools is the start of a lasting twinning; they were also invited to jointly set up educational projects during the next four years in the context of peace education and to stress the importance of commemorating the victims of the First World War, despite the fact that it took place 100 years ago.
The sandbags with soil from the 70 CWGC cemeteries are on display in the Ypres Cloth Hall where they can be viewed by the public until 10 November. For the first time in history, soil from the battlefields and from the cemeteries of Flanders Fields is brought together. In this way the fallen British soldiers are symbolically re-united after one hundred years.
On 9 November, 62 British school children and their teachers or parents will leave from St Pancras station to take the Eurostar to Brussels where they will be welcomed by the host family of their partner school. After spending the weekend together, all the schoolchildren will travel to the city Ypres where, on Monday 11 November, where a special programme has been put together for them, including a visit to the In Flanders Fields Museum and a guided tour around the city.
That same day, a special Last Post Ceremony will be organised under the Menin Gate, in collaboration with Ypres City Council, the Last Post Association, and the Belgian and British armies. In the presence of HRH Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Laurent from Belgium, Minister-President of the Government of Flanders Mr Kris Peeters, Minister of Defence Mr Pieter De Crem, the diplomatic corps and dignitaries from home and abroad, British and Flemish school children will carry the sandbags to the Menin Gate together with Belgian and British soldiers. The Band of the Coldstream Guards, as well as soldiers and officers of the seven regiments of the British Guards and an entire gun crew of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery will escort this special, symbolic soil.
At the end of November, the Belgian Navy will take the 70 sandbags to London on the frigate F931 Louise-Marie. On 29 November, Tower Bridge will be opened with full honours and the Louise-Marie will dock at the HMS Belfast. On 30 November, the soil of Flanders Fields will be solemnly handed over to The Royal Navy and subsequently to the British Army who will transport the soil with the necessary decorum to Wellington Barracks. The soil in the sandbags will be incorporated in the Flanders Fields Memorial Garden before the official inauguration in the autumn of 2014.
(With thanks to Geert De Proost)
Chris
My latest book, Discover Scottish Civil Registration Records, is now available from http://www.gould.com.au (print) and http://www.gen-ebooks.com/unlock-the-past.html (ebook), whilst Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet is available at http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-History-on-the-Internet/p/3889/. My next Pharos Scottish course, Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs, starts Nov 13th - see http://pharostutors.com.
THE FLANDERS FIELDS MEMORIAL GARDEN LONDON
On Monday 11 November, sixty-two British and Belgian/Flemish schoolchildren will participate in a special ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres (Ieper) as part of the Flanders Fields Memorial Garden project.
The Flanders Fields Memorial Garden (under construction) is located alongside The Guards Chapel and the Guards Museum at the Wellington Barracks, near Buckingham Palace. The Garden will thus be at the heart of royal and military London, which is visited daily by thousands of people from all over the world and takes centre stage during each national British ceremony.
With the Memorial Garden, the Government of Flanders seeks to honour the British and Commonwealth soldiers and civilians who died during the First World War and to commemorate them in a suitable manner. The Memorial Garden is to serve as a lasting witness to hope, peace, reconciliation and international unity.
The Gathering of the Soil
What is unique about this garden is that the soil used for its creation has great symbolic significance. In an extraordinary project, called "The Gathering of the Soil", 62 schools from Flanders "adopted" 70 cemeteries from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) in Flanders and other parts of Belgium where Guardsmen who fought in the Great War are buried. Last September, in cooperation with the CWGC and under their professional guidance, the Flemish pupils dug up soil from the battlefields and took a symbolic shovel of earth from the plots of the 70 cemeteries.
The 62 Flemish schools were linked with 62 British schools, with the help of the Institute of Education (University of London). This institution has been selected to run the prestigious First World War Centenary Battlefield Tours Project announced by the Prime Minister, David Cameron in November 2012. The matching of the British and Belgian schools is the start of a lasting twinning; they were also invited to jointly set up educational projects during the next four years in the context of peace education and to stress the importance of commemorating the victims of the First World War, despite the fact that it took place 100 years ago.
The sandbags with soil from the 70 CWGC cemeteries are on display in the Ypres Cloth Hall where they can be viewed by the public until 10 November. For the first time in history, soil from the battlefields and from the cemeteries of Flanders Fields is brought together. In this way the fallen British soldiers are symbolically re-united after one hundred years.
On 9 November, 62 British school children and their teachers or parents will leave from St Pancras station to take the Eurostar to Brussels where they will be welcomed by the host family of their partner school. After spending the weekend together, all the schoolchildren will travel to the city Ypres where, on Monday 11 November, where a special programme has been put together for them, including a visit to the In Flanders Fields Museum and a guided tour around the city.
That same day, a special Last Post Ceremony will be organised under the Menin Gate, in collaboration with Ypres City Council, the Last Post Association, and the Belgian and British armies. In the presence of HRH Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Laurent from Belgium, Minister-President of the Government of Flanders Mr Kris Peeters, Minister of Defence Mr Pieter De Crem, the diplomatic corps and dignitaries from home and abroad, British and Flemish school children will carry the sandbags to the Menin Gate together with Belgian and British soldiers. The Band of the Coldstream Guards, as well as soldiers and officers of the seven regiments of the British Guards and an entire gun crew of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery will escort this special, symbolic soil.
At the end of November, the Belgian Navy will take the 70 sandbags to London on the frigate F931 Louise-Marie. On 29 November, Tower Bridge will be opened with full honours and the Louise-Marie will dock at the HMS Belfast. On 30 November, the soil of Flanders Fields will be solemnly handed over to The Royal Navy and subsequently to the British Army who will transport the soil with the necessary decorum to Wellington Barracks. The soil in the sandbags will be incorporated in the Flanders Fields Memorial Garden before the official inauguration in the autumn of 2014.
(With thanks to Geert De Proost)
Chris
My latest book, Discover Scottish Civil Registration Records, is now available from http://www.gould.com.au (print) and http://www.gen-ebooks.com/unlock-the-past.html (ebook), whilst Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet is available at http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-History-on-the-Internet/p/3889/. My next Pharos Scottish course, Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs, starts Nov 13th - see http://pharostutors.com.
CWGC November Newsletter
The Commonwealth War Grave Commission's November newsletter is now available at http://newsletters.wizontheweb.co.uk/t/ViewEmail/r/C3383202EAD0D4682540EF23F30FEDED/F090797B09DF142E23B7CB3C95A53812
Amongst its features are a piece on the Flags From Home Project, the installation of he 100th Visitor Installation panel at Etaples Military Cemetery and news of the inclusion of Ypres in the 2014 Tour de France to commemorate the First World War.
Chris
My latest book, Discover Scottish Civil Registration Records, is now available from http://www.gould.com.au (print) and http://www.gen-ebooks.com/unlock-the-past.html (ebook), whilst Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet is available at http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-History-on-the-Internet/p/3889/. My next Pharos Scottish course, Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs, starts Nov 13th - see http://pharostutors.com.
Amongst its features are a piece on the Flags From Home Project, the installation of he 100th Visitor Installation panel at Etaples Military Cemetery and news of the inclusion of Ypres in the 2014 Tour de France to commemorate the First World War.
Chris
My latest book, Discover Scottish Civil Registration Records, is now available from http://www.gould.com.au (print) and http://www.gen-ebooks.com/unlock-the-past.html (ebook), whilst Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet is available at http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-History-on-the-Internet/p/3889/. My next Pharos Scottish course, Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs, starts Nov 13th - see http://pharostutors.com.
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