Graves Registration Commission c.1917

[NigelS]

A CWGC brochure 'A History of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission' gives the following:

'The Commission's founder, Fabian Ware, arrived in France in September 1914 to command a British Red Cross Unit. He noted there was no organisation in place to record the final resting place of casualties and became concerned that graves would be lost forever, so his unit took it upon themselves to register and care for all the graves they could find. By 1915 Ware's unit was given official recognition by the War Office, becoming the Graves Registration Commission.

The Unit received hundreds of requests from relatives for information or photographs of loved ones' graves - by 1917, 12,000 photographs had been dispatched to relatives'

.

(my italics)

From time to time photos of graves pre-CWGC headstone do appear on here, but I can't say that I've ever seen it said that they've been attributable to the GRC. Has anyone seen one of these GRC grave photographs or, better still have an example that could be posted? Several questions on this come to mind: were they, as suggested above, of individual graves or a more general view of the cemetery or burial location; were they of a standard form with, for example, the details given on the reverse, or was there an accompanying letter with that information; were 'file' copies (or the original film / plates) kept, and if so what became of them ie although probably unlikely as its never - least that I've noticed - been mentioned, might they still be in existence somewhere (CWGC?)?

No specific reason for asking, just, as ever, curious...

NigelS

[Terry Denham]

Nigel

I have two copies of such photos.

One states that it comes from the Director General of Graves Registration and Enquiries (which the GRC was renamed in February 1916). The GRC had been absorbed into the army in October 1915.

The second says that the photo was taken by this same unit but was sent out by IWGC (obviously after its formation).

In 'The Unending Vigil' it is stated that early requests for photographs were directed to the War Office or to the Red Cross but from March 1915 the GRC was given permission to take such photos (cameras generally being banned at the front).

As far as I am aware, no originals exist.

[NigelS]

Thanks for that Terry

NigelS