New CWGC Commemorations

[Terry Denham]

CWGC added the following WW1 casualties to the Debt of Honour today.

Pte John HEANEY

PLY/11460 HMS Cambrian, Royal Marine Light Infantry

Died 16.04.21 Age 37

Commemoration: Brookwood (United Kingdom 1914-1918) Memorial, Surrey, UK

Dvr John STEVENS

33666 Royal Field Artillery

Died 08.10.20 Age 38

Commemoration: Brookwood (United Kingdom 1914-1918) Memorial, Surrey, UK

NOT FORGOTTEN

The above are In From the Cold Project cases.

Pte Heaney drowned at sea (Volunteer: Kevin O’Neill)

Dvr Stevens died of general paralysis of the insane post-discharge (Volunteer: Geoff Sullivan)

[1690philip]

Well done to Terry and the team.

Phil

[janecavell]

Dvr Stevens died . . . post-discharge

Terry, please excuse my ignorance, but does that mean that the CWGC commemorates some who died after leaving the armed forces?

[Terry Denham]

Poppy3

Yes they do.

War Grave status is still granted to former members of a Commonwealth military force if they died post-discharge/retirement within the qualifying dates of a cause related to their service within that same qualifying period.

Therefore, for WW1, anyone discharged between 04.08.14 and 31.08.21 who died between those same dates of wounds or illness related to or exacerbated by their service between those same dates will qualify. The burden for those trying to get a post-discharge name accepted is, therefore, to prove that the cause of death was related to service. This is not a requirement for those who died within the dates whilst still in service where cause of death is immaterial.

If you go through the names in the CWGC Debt of Honour, you cannot tell which casualties died in-service or post-discharge as all are treated the same with the post-discharge men/women being recorded with the details of the last unit with which they served.

Originally, only in-service deaths were due to count but this was amended to allow post-discharge deaths up to the cut-off date. This was deemed to be 'fair'. After all, some men were discharged whilst still in hospital with wounds/illness and then died of these causes whilst still in hospital.

[Hywyn]

Well done all concerned

Not Forgotten

Hywyn

[River97]

Rest in peace soldier boys, gone and no longer forgotten.

[stevem49]

Never Forgotten

[Will O'Brien]

Raising a glass to their memory

[chrisharley9]

STEVENS, JOHN

Rank: Driver Service No: 33666 Date of Death: 08/10/1920 Age: 38 Regiment/Service: Royal Field Artillery 5th Reserve Bde. Panel Reference: Addenda Panel Memorial: BROOKWOOD (UNITED KINGDOM 1914-1918) MEMORIAL Additional Information: Husband of Rebecca Stevens, of Handsworth.

Grave Found at Handsworth Cemetery Birmingham

[chrisharley9]

STEVENS, JOHN

Rank:DriverService No:33666Date of Death:08/10/1920Age:38Regiment/Service:Royal Field Artillery 5th Reserve Bde. Grave Reference:Sec. 3. Grave 4994Cemetery:BIRMINGHAM (HANDSWORTH) CEMETERYAdditional Information:Husband of Rebecca Stevens, of Handsworth.

N.B.

Recent research has shown that Driver Stevens is buried here. The Commission is in the process of erecting a headstone to mark his grave.

Commemoration Moved From UK BOR.