TEW Posted 4 May , 2011 Share Posted 4 May , 2011 (edited) Armed with new camera I decided to photograph all the WWI CWGC memorial stones in the various local cemeteries. To cut to the chase, I noticed a few discrepancies between the CWGC website and the information on the stones. WILSON , T W, Stoker 1st Class, 280084 (Dev.), Royal Navy, 29/12/1915, 39, II. 206. His grave marker says his Date of Death was 29/12/1916. Aug 2020. This has now been corrected. 343628, Royal Navy. GOODMAN , W A is more complicated. It took me a while to find his grave as it's not a 'usual' CWGC memorial and his name has been added to an existing family grave (with previous naval connections?). BUT his name on the memorial (almost lost from view) is Arthur Warrick Goodman not WA Goodman. His date of death is the same so it must be the right man. There is nothing about this stone to denote his war service e.g. service number. Aug 2020. This stone has now been made upright and is very clean and cared for. Having noticed that in the other cemetery the CWGC graves were all recently tended to, grass cut neatly etc I assumed this may be the work of the CWGC rather than family. In the larger cemetery things were not quite the same although most seemed in reasonable condition EXCEPT the Goodman stone. This is leaning precariously and may only be being kept uprightish by an ant nest which is obscuring most of the 'Arthur Warrick Goodman' name. So I wondered if perhaps whoever maintains the CWGC graves in this cemetery has had difficulty in finding this Goodman Stone due to the above problems. Or am I assuming such a caretaker exists? Am I assuming the CWGC has a responsibly to maintain this grave simply because it's listed on their site? Or as it's a family monument do they not get involved? Who do I contact about the discrepancies? Aug 2020. Edited. Have now met the eyesonhandson rep. Thanks in advance TEW Edited 28 August , 2020 by TEW Mending Links, formatting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithmroberts Posted 5 May , 2011 Share Posted 5 May , 2011 Log onto the CWGC site and follow the links to contact them by email. The headstone is as you say private, but they will have the details of ownership, and although it might be slow will probably be able to follow this up. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Majors Batman Posted 5 May , 2011 Share Posted 5 May , 2011 As it appears to be have been cleaned the CWGC have probably attended to it cosmetically but may not be able to touch it structurally as it is a private memorial and it still suitably commemorates at the present time, the surrounding headstones lack the look of attention with years of weathering on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boreenatra Posted 5 May , 2011 Share Posted 5 May , 2011 TEW CWGC are well aware of the locations of each war grave in their care as they have location maps for each cemetery which show how far each stone is from another. PM's are the responsibility of the family. Some families did not want a Commission Headstones and as this seems to be an existing grave site it has been added to the existing stone. It should also be remembered that what was deemed right by a family so long ago may not look right to us in 2011 A name has to be readable and by scraping away to show the name would be enough, however if the stone is in danger of falling then by current regulations it should be laid flat anyway. Ask CWGC's advice on these things Also be aware that not all headstone commemorations are accurate as stonemasons do make mistakes and also the name (or initials) that a man was known as while in service may not have been the same when he was at home. Most of us on the forum have a name we use here..........it usually isn't the name we use at home. Equally there may be a transcription error on the debt of honour so check with CWGC Regards Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 5 May , 2011 Share Posted 5 May , 2011 Contact CWGC's UK Area Office in Leamington Spa via the CWGC website for matters concerning the condition of headstones. It is true that many headstones have inscription errors but it is always wise to check with the Records Dept at CWGC Maidenhead. Both offices can be contacted directly via the website. As stated above private war grave stones are the resposibility of the NoK but CWGC often can intercede to have matters rectified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 5 May , 2011 Author Share Posted 5 May , 2011 (edited) Thanks for the replies. I'll get onto the CWGC about it to see what they say. I'm not sure it has been recently cleaned, I think it may be just a different type of stone. I found no Arthur Warrick Goodman on 1911 census. There is a Arthur Warrick G Goodman getting married here in 1904 and the UK, Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919 lists him as Warrick Arthur Goodman. His birth is registered as Arthur Warrick Goodman. Thanks again TEW Edited 28 August , 2020 by TEW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Wade Posted 5 May , 2011 Share Posted 5 May , 2011 Thanks for the replies. I'll get onto the CWGC about it to see what they say. I'm not sure it has been recently cleaned, I think it may be just a different type of stone. Thanks again TEW It looks like a white marble with what appears to be lead lettering (going by the slight staining), all the letters appear to be intact and in place so that's something. The other stones may be ashlar or some kind of sandstone material. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Wood Posted 20 August , 2014 Share Posted 20 August , 2014 CWGC are well aware of the locations of each war grave in their care as they have location maps for each cemetery which show how far each stone is from another. Just browsing and came across this statement - which may be generally accurate, but they do make location errors. There is a family grave in Newtown Road Cemetery in Newbury where the family stone weathered to illegibility so the CWGC decided to add a new marker - which they manufactured and placed on the wrong grave! When the error was pointed out a few years later they promptly moved the stone to the correct grave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 20 August , 2014 Share Posted 20 August , 2014 Also be aware that ... the name (or initials) that a man was known as while in service may not have been the same when he was at home. TDR! I have a 'relative' (as it were) through marriage who had three forenames. His marriage/death records, his CWG stone, and his 'Death Penny' all have them in a different arrangement! Trajan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BereniceUK Posted 20 August , 2014 Share Posted 20 August , 2014 And sometimes the headstone is nowhere near the grave, in this case about eight rows away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 9 August , 2016 Author Share Posted 9 August , 2016 (edited) Just a quick update. Photographed this memorial back in 2011 with a considerable lean. re-visited the other day and found it uprighted. TEW 2011 2016 Edited 28 August , 2020 by TEW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralphjd Posted 10 August , 2016 Share Posted 10 August , 2016 TEW. What a great result, proud of you , very very impressed.Ralph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 10 August , 2016 Share Posted 10 August , 2016 Ha. Thought you had identified the grave of one of my wife's ancestors. But they were Goodman from Cornwall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 10 August , 2016 Author Share Posted 10 August , 2016 Ralph, I did wonder if someone may have read my original post and done something about the Goodman stone. I originally was asking who was responsible for it. As there must have been some cost involved I guess it must be down to family even if technically they may not actually still own the memorial. I know the LA cemeteries department here will allow leases to be taken out again even after long lapses. Possibly other bodies may have stepped in I suppose, there is a Fishermen's Association, and/or some of the other occupants may have RN or similar service. Maritime town with maritime links. TEW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralphjd Posted 11 August , 2016 Share Posted 11 August , 2016 Still nice to see though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 11 August , 2016 Share Posted 11 August , 2016 13 hours ago, TEW said: Possibly other bodies may have stepped in I suppose, Based on experience of local cemeteries, it's most likely the body that has refixed it will be the local authority (or whoever is the cemetery owner). They have a duty of care to ensure that there is a safe environment, which a heavy stone leaning at that angle most certainly isnt. There have been stories over the years of people being injured and, indeed, killed - the most recent (?) being an 8 year old in Glasgow - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/eight-year-old-boy-dies-after-being-hit-by-a-falling-gravestone-in-glasgow-cemetery-10279627.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 11 August , 2016 Author Share Posted 11 August , 2016 John, Yes, I saw that, sad news indeed. I'm not sure that's the case with this one. I took many photos in the cemetery back in 2011 testing new camera, I can now see that many of the 'leaners' from 2011 are now lying flat. A much cheaper option that uprighting. If it keeps bugging me I'll contact the office to see what they know. TEW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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