iain mchenry Posted 15 August , 2012 Share Posted 15 August , 2012 I had heard a wee while ago that Fergus Bowes Lyons grave had been possibly identified as being that of one of the unknowns in Quarry Cemetery, Vermelles. It looks like the CWGC have accepted what evidence was given to them. A friend gave me the heads up today that the CWGC had now changed the info for him on their site: http://www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/728198/BOWES-LYON,%20The%20Hon%20FERGUS Has anyone any more information on the evidence that led to his grave being identified? Many thanks. Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 15 August , 2012 Share Posted 15 August , 2012 Iain-Coincidentally I recently mentioned seeing the new headstone on this thread: http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=172176&st=0&p=1784258&hl=+fergusentry1784258 I did take a photo of the headstone but I've been having problems transferring photos onto my computer so bear with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain mchenry Posted 15 August , 2012 Author Share Posted 15 August , 2012 Thanks for the link Mark, I hadnt seen that before. regards Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ulsterlad2 Posted 16 August , 2012 Share Posted 16 August , 2012 Great to see that one of the missing has been found. Does the CWGC ever talk about individual cases? It would be very interesting to hear how the find came about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n cherry Posted 17 August , 2012 Share Posted 17 August , 2012 Got this from a friend with good contacts at the CWGC which hopefully helps as to why and how he was identified..... His grandson wrote to the Commission in November 2011 after having visited Quarry Cemetery, Vermelles. He produced contemporary evidence that his grandfather had been buried in the quarry and that a grave marker with his name on it was still in place at the end of the war. The Commission's grave registration documents were found to record his burial in the cemetery in 1920, but these documents were superseded by the final grave registration forms, dating from 1925, which do not include Captain Bowes-Lyon's name. Under these circumstances the Commission has agreed that the evidence for Captain Bowes-Lyon being buried in the cemetery is sufficient to allow the erection of a named headstone within the cemetery. The special memorial headstone to Captain Bowes-Lyon is inscribed 'Buried near this spot' as there is no certainty about the precise location of his remains within the cemetery. The majority of the headstones in Quarry Cemetery, Vermelles, are, in fact, of this type as the cemetery remained in the front line after 1915 and suffered extensive shell damage before the end of the war. This made precise grave identification extremely problematic. Guess I need to correct MUG now......but nevertheless good news! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ulsterlad2 Posted 17 August , 2012 Share Posted 17 August , 2012 Thanks for the info n cherry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towisuk Posted 17 August , 2012 Share Posted 17 August , 2012 Got this from a friend with good contacts at the CWGC which hopefully helps as to why and how he was identified..... His grandson wrote to the Commission in November 2011 after having visited Quarry Cemetery, Vermelles. He produced contemporary evidence that his grandfather had been buried in the quarry and that a grave marker with his name on it was still in place at the end of the war. The Commission's grave registration documents were found to record his burial in the cemetery in 1920, but these documents were superseded by the final grave registration forms, dating from 1925, which do not include Captain Bowes-Lyon's name. Under these circumstances the Commission has agreed that the evidence for Captain Bowes-Lyon being buried in the cemetery is sufficient to allow the erection of a named headstone within the cemetery. The special memorial headstone to Captain Bowes-Lyon is inscribed 'Buried near this spot' as there is no certainty about the precise location of his remains within the cemetery. The majority of the headstones in Quarry Cemetery, Vermelles, are, in fact, of this type as the cemetery remained in the front line after 1915 and suffered extensive shell damage before the end of the war. This made precise grave identification extremely problematic. Guess I need to correct MUG now......but nevertheless good news! Not exactly as described above, the story of the discovery of the evidence as proof of Bowes-Lyons being buried in Quarry cemetery may be revealed at a later date.... but let us just be pleased another one of "the boys" has "been found". regards Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 17 August , 2012 Share Posted 17 August , 2012 Look forward to that Tom. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towisuk Posted 17 August , 2012 Share Posted 17 August , 2012 Hi Mike...another Black Watch man found mate! regards Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilles Posted 18 August , 2012 Share Posted 18 August , 2012 Bonjour à tous, bravo pour les jeux olympiques ... a new grave in a quarry cemetery in vermelles photo Bowes Lyon see a website http://asso.sltdlgg.pagesperso-orange.fr/pageanglaise.htm gilles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balbeggie Posted 30 August , 2012 Share Posted 30 August , 2012 This news hasn't reached some of the guides at Glamis Castle yet. Informed her that F B-L is no longer missing but the cemetry where he is buried located but exacted location was difficult due to damage during battles. She wanted confirmation, advised her to try this website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Bennett Posted 30 August , 2012 Share Posted 30 August , 2012 This news hasn't reached some of the guides at Glamis Castle yet. Informed her that F B-L is no longer missing but the cemetry where he is buried located but exacted location was difficult due to damage during battles. She wanted confirmation, advised her to try this website. Surely if they checked with the CWGC they would accept the information as correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 6 November , 2015 Share Posted 6 November , 2015 A Daily Telegraph article reporting on the Queen's visit yesterday (5th November '15) to the MoD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre & the Medal Office at Innsworth in Gloucestershire mentions the quest for the location of Fergus Bowes-Lyons' burial. 'Queen tells of family's painful search for missing body of war hero uncle killed in First World War' NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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