NIGEL Posted 2 July , 2004 Share Posted 2 July , 2004 Just found out that in the area where my gg, grandad was wounded and died for some reason he was the only one who was buried at this particular cemetry in Kisumu in Kenya. In the battle for Bukoba in Africa there were approx 7 killed and approx 18 wounded some of which died. After the battle i should imagine that all the wounded were taken to Kisumu which was at the time No 4 Field Hospital with my gg grandad. My gg grandad is the only one buried at the cemetry in Kisumu all of the others who were killed and died later of wounds were moved a long way away to Dar es Salaam My gg grandad was Prt Harry Bird 13051 and was wounded and far as i know died of wounds not some contagious disease. He died 3 weeks after the battle. The cemetry also contains some Germans and was used again in the WW2 with some Allied men buried there then Does anybody know why my gg grandad became the only one to stay in the cemetry while the rest were reburied 100s of miles away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brummy Posted 2 July , 2004 Share Posted 2 July , 2004 I can only take a guess at this but maybe he was so badly wounded that he could not be moved where as the other wounded where evacuated to another hospital and the already dead taken with them. Best bet is to contact the CWGC on this one and see if they have any detailed information. Brum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIGEL Posted 2 July , 2004 Author Share Posted 2 July , 2004 Thanks for the reply Brum, but i thought of that as some wounded were listed as died a few days later, one man was listed as missing then turned up dead and i suppose the killed in action were actually buried where they fell and dug up later as it was hot stinking jungle type of place and the battle took place almost at peak summer so they would have started to stink the same day so you would have fell out with you comrades in arms pretty quick. So my point is why did they leave poor old Harry on his own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Cooper Posted 2 July , 2004 Share Posted 2 July , 2004 Just found out that in the area where my gg, grandad was wounded and died for some reason he was the only one who was buried at this particular cemetry in Kisumu in Kenya. In the battle for Bukoba in Africa there were approx 7 killed and approx 18 wounded some of which died. After the battle i should imagine that all the wounded were taken to Kisumu which was at the time No 4 Field Hospital with my gg grandad. My gg grandad is the only one buried at the cemetry in Kisumu all of the others who were killed and died later of wounds were moved a long way away to Dar es Salaam My gg grandad was Prt Harry Bird 13051 and was wounded and far as i know died of wounds not some contagious disease. He died 3 weeks after the battle. The cemetry also contains some Germans and was used again in the WW2 with some Allied men buried there then Does anybody know why my gg grandad became the only one to stay in the cemetry while the rest were reburied 100s of miles away The clues may lie in the historical information for the cemeteries. In the case of Kisumu it's a civil cemetery with 9 Commonwealth & 9 German graves from WW1, and 47 Commonwealth from WW2. Of the 1,764 WW1 Commonwealth burials at Dar Es Salaam, however, "1,000 graves were brought into [the] site from cemeteries all over Tanzania, where maintenance could no longer be assured." It's very probable that your relative's comrades were buried in nearby cemetries, which were among those that could no longer be maintained. While it may seem logical that graves from cemeteries that could not be maintained might be moved to others in the immediate area that could be, it wouldn't necessarily be practical to do so. For example, it may have been the case that there wasn't enough room at Kisumu for any furthur burials. Also, while at the time the other graves were moved it may have been deemed that Kisumu was adequately maintained and that the ones there did not need relocating as well, it might have been thought that this may not always be the case. Taking the long-term view, it would be better to move the graves that actually needed moving to a large and established site like the one at Dar Es Salaam, rather that to some local cemetery that may itself eventually fall into disrepair at a later date, thus necessitating relocation of both the original graves and the ones that were relocated there earlier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brummy Posted 2 July , 2004 Share Posted 2 July , 2004 Like I said it was only a guess your best bet is still probably the CWGC registration dept in maidenhead. Brum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIGEL Posted 2 July , 2004 Author Share Posted 2 July , 2004 Thanks Brummy----Thanks Nick that makes alot of sense Brummy is this access availiable on line or do you have to write in. I did contact them on line before to see if it was possible to get a photo of his grave but they returned my cheque as they wouldnt accept euros so i never got my photo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRIAN TALMER Posted 2 July , 2004 Share Posted 2 July , 2004 I have always found emailing them the best way to make contact. They are usually extemely helpful good Luck Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIGEL Posted 2 July , 2004 Author Share Posted 2 July , 2004 CHEERS BRIAN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brummy Posted 2 July , 2004 Share Posted 2 July , 2004 Thanks Brummy----Thanks Nick that makes alot of sense Brummy is this access availiable on line or do you have to write in. I did contact them on line before to see if it was possible to get a photo of his grave but they returned my cheque as they wouldnt accept euros so i never got my photo I have to admit that I am absoluteley disguisted by the response that you recieved I will write another response to your query when I have calmed down a bit. But for now I think that some individual is taking the p**s out of you. Brum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIGEL Posted 2 July , 2004 Author Share Posted 2 July , 2004 Brummy i just reread my post and think i may have give you the wrong impression they didnt say i wouldnt get a photo they said it may take many months and couldnt say when but returned my cheque as they didnt accept euros for the donation i think i posted them a cheque for 10 euros i will find it out and email it you but calm down-------the only thing that bothered me on this is that me and another person on the forum have been trying to get photos of this regiment living or dead without success----i have even contacted unknown people who live in Kisumu and offered them money to go and take a photo for me without success---kind of laughable really when they are at the same time asking for money as they are poor people--tell the truth i was more disgusted at drawing a blank there than anything else Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIGEL Posted 2 July , 2004 Author Share Posted 2 July , 2004 couldnt email it so posted it here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIGEL Posted 2 July , 2004 Author Share Posted 2 July , 2004 sorry its gone big again i checked with steven first and he thought it should be ok---i give up on the bloody thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveE Posted 2 July , 2004 Share Posted 2 July , 2004 Nigel "Emily Bird" Any relation or just coincidence? Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIGEL Posted 2 July , 2004 Author Share Posted 2 July , 2004 I wish she was Steve we would at least get some answers then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brummy Posted 3 July , 2004 Share Posted 3 July , 2004 Brummy i just reread my post and think i may have give you the wrong impression they didnt say i wouldnt get a photo they said it may take many months and couldnt say when but returned my cheque as they didnt accept euros for the donation i think i posted them a cheque for 10 euros i will find it out and email it you but calm down-------the only thing that bothered me on this is that me and another person on the forum have been trying to get photos of this regiment living or dead without success----i have even contacted unknown people who live in Kisumu and offered them money to go and take a photo for me without success---kind of laughable really when they are at the same time asking for money as they are poor people--tell the truth i was more disgusted at drawing a blank there than anything else Sorry thought that they where refusing to take the photo, have calmed down now. Brum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brummy Posted 3 July , 2004 Share Posted 3 July , 2004 It is often difficult to get a photo from areas outside Europe but As far as I know it has always been managed unless there is an actual war going on in the area or some political dispute interupting normal operations. that is why I was so angry when I thought that they where not helping with your request. Brum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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