war graves

[Guest trog]

I have read that no servicemen killed in action overseas in the first world war were returned home to be buried, why therefore are there war graves for this war in our cemeteries, are these empty graves or were some bodies brought home, or are these casualties that died at home of injuries received overseas.

I read the account of an undertaker that brought the remains of the unknown soldier home and got my information from that.

can someone please explain?

[Terry Denham]

Commonwealth War Graves exist all over the world.

Any Commonwealth serviceman who died in service during the qualifying dates (04.08.14 to 31.08.21 and 03.09.39 to 31.12.47) was granted war grave status - no matter how or where he/she died. Therefore Commonwealth war graves can be found in 148 countries. There are about 170,000 in the UK from both wars.

Men who died after discharge were also granted war grave status in certain circumstances. Search the Forum and you will find much on the subject.

Cause of death could be - (1) killed in action (2) died of wounds (3) died of illness (4) died in accident (5) homicide or suicide (6) judicial execution - all get war grave status and are commemorated by CWGC.

Those in the UK mainly died here of disease and accident though many died of wounds or illness exacerbated by wounds. Some were also killed in aerial or naval actions.

The return of bodies was forbidden from mid-1915 and before that only about sixty were returned - all officers. A negligable number were returned to their home countries after that date by unofficial means