Gertrude Chambers, Mont-Huon Cemetery

[Dragon]

When visiting Mont-Huon Military Cemetery, near Le Treport, northern France, to take photos of a grave for a member of this Forum, I was interested to see a lone grave for a woman, Mrs Gertrude Chambers, died 1st December 1918. I was rather moved by her inscription.

I've tried to find out more about her and why she came to be buried there. I've followed the usual lines of inquiry. She wasn't mentioned in the Cemetery Register and I have done a search with the CWGC, unsuccessully. Nor can an Internet search throw any leads.

Can anyone suggest any potential sources of information?

I'm not seeking to research her in any detail at all, but simply to answer a few questions suggested by her presence in the cemetery.

Thank you.

Gwyn

[Terry Denham]

Gwyn

Mrs Gertrude Chambers died 01.12.18 while on a visit to her husband in the General Hospital. Age 27 Wife of W.H.Chambers of 16 St Thomas Square, Mare Street, Hackney, London. Grave X.C.1

These details are contained in the old edition of the CWGC register but may not appear in the new cemetery box register (although you may have missed her as these burials sometimes appear at the back of the new registers) or on the internet database. This is because she is classified as a 'Category 3' burial - (ie a 'Non-World War Casualty') and therefore not an official Commonwealth war grave. However, they still accept responsibility for the grave as it is in one of their cemeteries and will maintain it.

Hope that helps

[Dragon]

Thank you, Terry. That's interesting and it's what I wished to know.

(I did look in the back pages among the 'others' sections and she wasn't there.)

I wonder what she died of so young and whether her husband survived.

Gwyn

[john w.]

Clutching at straws here Gwyn, wasnt it the time of the Flu epidemic?

John

[Terry Denham]

Glad to be of help, Gwyn.

Sorry about suggesting that you may not have looked at the cemetery box register diligently enough! CWGC has only added the names of the seven non-war grave casualty categories at the end of some of their computer-produced registers and so they don't appear in them all.

Flu is a very likely cause of death but a death certificate would be needed to be sure.