dorrie Posted 5 September , 2004 Share Posted 5 September , 2004 I have been today to see my father's grave at Middletown Church Montgomeryshire. There are 3 Military graves there with slate coloured headstones rather than the white Portland Stone Any ideas why this is ?? Thanks Dorrie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 5 September , 2004 Share Posted 5 September , 2004 Dorrie Many different types of stone are used for CWGC headstones. Portland stone is the most common in Western Europe and that is why most people expect them to be so. However, headstones are also made of granite (Scotland and colder countries), slate (Wales) plus many other colour stones - red, green etc - as well as many other types of off-white stone. CWGC use local stones on many occasions if theese suit local weather conditions etc. Your slate stones are not unusual in certain parts of the UK. There are several threads on the subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorrie Posted 6 September , 2004 Author Share Posted 6 September , 2004 Thanks very much. I have seen other slate stones in Wales. I have however, never seen the other types you mention. I thought it was probably to do with local stone availablity, THanks Dorrie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 6 September , 2004 Share Posted 6 September , 2004 Dorrie You will see other types pictured on the Forum in various posts but here is a granite example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Samson Posted 6 September , 2004 Share Posted 6 September , 2004 Many different types of stone are used for CWGC headstones. Portland stone is the most common in Western Europe and that is why most people expect them to be so. Certainly this expectation caught me out during a recent trip to Brittany. We'd spent much of the day on the Isle-de-Sein, an island just off the Finistere coast, and were heading back to the ferry when much to my surprise I noticed the familiar green sign indicating Commonwealth war graves in the local cemetery. With very little time before the ferry sailed I thought I'd dash in to photograph them before we were left behind. It wouldn't take long to find the white headstones in amongst the local graves marked by dark granite memorials. Could I find them? No! What made it more frustrating is that it's only a small cemetery but time was ticking away and my partner was getting increasingly anxious. Anyway, when I got home and checked the details on the CWGC site I realised there are no individual headstones but instead a single memorial in dark stone. Ho hum! Gary Isle-de-Sein Historical Information: In one grave are buried officers and men of the S.S. "War Song," sunk by German gunfire on the 15th January, 1918, 19 kilometres West of the island. There are now 10, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, a small number are unidentified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 6 September , 2004 Share Posted 6 September , 2004 I remember being taken by surprise years ago when I saw my first granite stone in Scotland and when finding green limestone examples in Littlehampton, Sussex! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 6 September , 2004 Share Posted 6 September , 2004 Terry, Just being curious... Does this red version have a name ? (I used the Search engine, and did find mention of red and green varieties, but I just wondered about the name (and the place of origin : UK or local French).) Aurel Le Peuplier Military Cemetery, Caestre (near Hazebrouck, Dept. du Nord, France) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 6 September , 2004 Share Posted 6 September , 2004 There are several types of reddish/brownish stone. I think those above are Corsehill. There are also stones made from Stancliffe and (I am reliably informed by CWGC) from Robin Hood limestone! All are from the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 6 September , 2004 Share Posted 6 September , 2004 Thanks, Terry. And if ever it will take more than 10 minutes to receive a reply from you it will be such a big disappointment ! Or I will be worried. Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arnie Posted 7 September , 2004 Share Posted 7 September , 2004 Am I right in thinking the the decision to use Portland stone was taken after the war had finished and that it was decided that private headstones would not be allowed on war graves abroad. The Headstone shown is may not CWGC but stones provided by subscription or the local authority or even a private ones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 7 September , 2004 Share Posted 7 September , 2004 Arnie The headstones are certainly CWGC stones. The decision to have uniform stones was taken immediately after the war after long public debate. Portland was not decided upon as the only stone to be used but was the most common in Western Europe (not so elsewhere in the world) and even there Hopton Wood and Botticino limestone are common as well. There are many different types of stone used by CWGC as stated above. Private headstones are permitted in the home countries and are not provided or maintained by CWGC - nor do they usually look like CWGC headstones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Soul Posted 7 September , 2004 Share Posted 7 September , 2004 Of all the varieties of CWGC-pattern headstones I have seen, the most eye-catching are fashioned from Coniston Green Slate (Windermere Cemetery, Cumbria - all WW2 IIRC). I think it may have been a one-off though because it costs an absolute fortune and I have never seen it employed anywhere else. Andy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorrie Posted 7 September , 2004 Author Share Posted 7 September , 2004 thanks for all comments they have been useful Dorrie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9th Black Watch Posted 7 September , 2004 Share Posted 7 September , 2004 Sorry, nothing to do with the thread, but I was surprised by the photograph of T. Litster's grave. It's located in the St. Andrews's Cathedral Cemetery. I spent a number of years at St Andrews's University as a student and recognised it immediately. Coincidence or what? Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 7 September , 2004 Share Posted 7 September , 2004 Spot on Derek. I took the pic many years ago when on one of my frequent visits to Scottish friends. This was taken on the weekend that I saw my first granite CWGC headstone - and only a month or so after I first became interested in the subject of war graves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredJCarss Posted 7 September , 2004 Share Posted 7 September , 2004 Terry Was your first granite one Pte J Ireland 3277 in St.Andrews Cathedral ? Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 7 September , 2004 Share Posted 7 September , 2004 Fred No, sorry. It was earlier in the day at a small churchyard near Blairgowrie, Perthshire (where my friends live). I can't remember the name just now - I wasn't so 'up' on cemetery names in those days! It will come back to me. We went to St Andrews later in the afternoon - a fine little town especially if you are any good at that game which involves whacking balls with little sticks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 7 September , 2004 Share Posted 7 September , 2004 Thanks, Terry. And if ever it will take more than 10 minutes to receive a reply from you it will be such a big disappointment ! Or I will be worried. Aurel Aurel And I eagerly await the occasion when Terry is asked a CWGC question and replies that he doesn't know the answer. I suspect I may have a long wait. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredJCarss Posted 8 September , 2004 Share Posted 8 September , 2004 Terry Just for fun I will try one last time! Was it James Hay Whitlaw? Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 8 September , 2004 Share Posted 8 September , 2004 No It was one of the three in Rattray Parish Churchyard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredJCarss Posted 8 September , 2004 Share Posted 8 September , 2004 D...... Ok I surrender Terry Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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