Double commemorations

[Northern Soul]

Terry,

Does the CWGC have any figures on how many 'double commemorations' there are (a man who is commemorated both on a headstone and an official memorial), and are these figures used as corrections when quoting the total number commemorated (by whatever means)?

Obviously the remains of men who were officially 'missing' have been discovered for years and naturally their names will still be memorials despite them now having a known grave. However, from my own delvings I have found three men who are commemorated on memorials who have graves, and I'm pretty certain they aren't cases where the individual was found subsequent to the memorial being unveiled; more likely administrative error when the details were being collated perhaps?

Regards.

Andy.

[Terry Denham]

The answer to your question is that there are no double commemorations.

The CWGC place of commemoration is that shown on their web site and in their database.

The instances you mention do, of course, exist. However, when a casualty is found and identified and then buried with a named headstone, his name is recorded for removal from the memorial on which it appears. The same applies if a clerical error is found.

The removal used to happen very quickly and I have, today, been looking at some such removed names on the Thiepval Memorial (in pouring rain!). However, nowadays, to save cost the removal only happens when the replacement of the relevant panel on the memorial takes place - which can be years later.

Therefore, whilst a name may physically appear twice for some time, there is still only one commemoration. No adjustment is ever required to the burial figures as these are taken from the database and only ever record the latest commemoration location. Thus a man on Thiepval who is found and buried in, say, Orvillers (like Pte Nugent) is moved in the database at once though it can be some time for the stonework to be amended.

Make sense?