Favourite Gravestone Inscription

[Andrew P]

Andrew, They did & very many thanks. Ball's gravestone photo sent this morning, please let me know that you get it,

Thanks Bob, it came through fine and I will add it to the material I have on him with an acknowledgement that you took the photo.

The only photo I have of him so far is with a group of NCO's of the 44th Bn. Hopefully will find an individual photo of him somewhere.

Cheers

Andrew

[Guest adrian.field]

A strange one this,

513 Sergeant Kenneth W Vear.

37th bn Australian Inf.

Died 3rd October 1917

White House Cemetery Ypres.

Good Old Ken

A Man's Man.

I can imagine this man, at the Bar, glass in hand, with all his mates. Adrian.

[healdav]

CWGC do indeed have a central record of all inscriptions for obvious purposes - replaced of headstones when necessary.

These inscription records are not normally available to the public.

Terry,

I do agree with Ian, in that the inscriptions are clearly designed for the visitor, and not appropriate necessarily for the web site browser.

However, with that said, living in far off Canada, the opportunity for me of walking these hallowed grounds is remote at best. Are these epitaphs available to someone through a certain inquiry method at the CWGC, or is this off bounds?

Thanks in advance.

How lucky all you UK folks are being so close to battlefields!!!

You and all those who live in Canada and the USA can feel lucky that you don't live near battlefields. Believe me, they were not fun for anyone when they were operational.

[healdav]

One that always has me shaking my head is the WW2 gravestone of an RAF pilot in the church yard at Marsal in Lorraine.

"He played a good innings for England".

The locals must be completely baffled by it.

[Paul K]

This one was pointed out to me on my last trip to Belgium.

"IM ALRIGHT MOTHER, CHEERIO"

Paul K

[bobpike]

These are fascinating & moving, but can I make a plea that, where possible we are given the person's name & cemetery where they can be found?

My contribution is quite unusual & I would be grateful for any ideas to its derivation.

Rfn Frank E Rayner Queen Victoria's Rifles, Merville CCE.

"They rose to their feet when they crossed the bar, gentlemen unafraid." (My punctuation).

[Myrtle]

"They rose to their feet when they crossed the bar, gentlemen unafraid." (My punctuation).

Bob

It may be a reference to Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "Crossing the Bar". Although those exact words do not appear together in the poem, the theme is relevant to a gravestone inscription.

Myrtle

[bobpike]

Myrtle,

I think you may be right, thank you. Certainly the inference is in the poem -

Sunset and evening star,

And one clear call for me!

And may there be no moaning of the bar,

When I put out to sea.

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,

Too full for sound and foam,

When that which drew from out the boundless deep

Turns again home!

Twilight and evening bell,

And after that the dark!

And may there be no sadness of farewell,

When I embark;

For though from out our bourn of Time and Place

The flood may bear me far,

I hope to see my Pilot face to face

When I have crost the bar.

[ianw]

"Crossing the bar" was also a famous hymn after it was set to music by Parry in 1903.

It is of course a nautical phrase - a bar being a patch of rough water to cross often caused by tidal effects near estuaries or sandbanks. However quite why you would stand up to do it I would not know. Perhaps this is an actual quote from another nautical book or poem - "Westward Ho" or similar - with the brave men standing to face rough seas rather than cowering in the gunwales !

It's a nice metaphor for passing through Death to the calmer waters beyond.

[KONDOA]

However quite why you would stand up to do it I would not know.

The reason one stands to cross the bar is for comfort. The waters are very choopy and in a smallish vessel tend to make it slam and toss. Thus one can feel the boat through the legs and remain upright and uninjured.

Roop

[ianw]

Yes, Roop, I can understand the logic of that thanks.

This must be a quote. I wonder where from ?

[ianw]

Most of this is a quote from a Kipling poem with the "crossing the bar" bit added. Therefore its a hybrid of Kipling, Tennyson and by extension Parry. It may also, I suppose, be a direct quote in its own right.

There was also a 30's film called "Gentlemen Unafraid" and McArthur used the phrase in a speech he made to the Rainbow Division in the 30's

[Myrtle]

Most of this is a quote from a Kipling poem with the "crossing the bar" bit added.

Which Kipling poem, Ian ?

[bobpike]

Myrtle,

Here's the Kipling poem :-

TO WOLCOTT BALESTIER

Beyond the path of the outmost sun through utter darkness hurled --

Further than ever comet flared or vagrant star-dust swirled --

Live such as fought and sailed and ruled and loved and made our world.

They are purged of pride because they died, they know the worth of their bays,

They sit at wine with the Maidens Nine and the Gods of the Elder Days,

It is their will to serve or be still as fitteth our Father's praise.

'Tis theirs to sweep through the ringing deep where Azrael's outposts are,

Or buffet a path through the Pit's red wrath when God goes out to war,

Or hang with the reckless Seraphim on the rein of a red-maned star.

They take their mirth in the joy of the Earth --

they dare not grieve for her pain --

They know of toil and the end of toil, they know God's law is plain,

So they whistle the Devil to make them sport who know that Sin is vain.

And ofttimes cometh our wise Lord God, master of every trade,

And tells them tales of His daily toil, of Edens newly made;

And they rise to their feet as He passes by, gentlemen unafraid, To these who are cleansed of base Desire, Sorrow and Lust and Shame --

Gods for they knew the hearts of men, men for they stooped to Fame,

Borne on the breath that men call Death, my brother's spirit came.

He scarce had need to doff his pride or slough the dross of Earth --

E'en as he trod that day to God so walked he from his birth,

In simpleness and gentleness and honour and clean mirth.

So cup to lip in fellowship they gave him welcome high

And made him place at the banquet board -- the Strong Men ranged thereby,

Who had done his work and held his peace and had no fear to die.

Beyond the loom of the last lone star, through open darkness hurled,

Further than rebel comet dared or hiving star-swarm swirled,

Sits he with those that praise our God for that they served His world.

[Myrtle]

Bob

Thanks.

It makes you wonder who thought of the inscription.

Myrtle

[kinnethmont]

Peter Robertson's headstone at Etaples Military Cemetery

The inscription reads

S/14562 Private

Peter Robertson MM

Gordon Highlanders

30th May 1918

Will some gentle hand

In that distant land

Lay down a flower for me

A few years ago I was privileged to lay a flower on Peter's grave. I don't know if anyone else had ever done so, certainly not members of his family from Aberdeenshire. They would / could never visit the grave, as the plea confirms

[bobpike]

Such a poignant posting should not be allowed to fade away. How about :-

As a child he played being a soldier. As a soldier he played the man. (My punctuation)

[kidd1986]

Not a head stone inscription, but I think its very moving.

The Devonshires held this trench

The Devonshires hold it still

[Matt Dixon]

WW2 artillery officer, whose name I sadly forget:

"He took his place in the pit, and the orchestra of angels did strike the opening chord"

also, one seen in Wellingborough Town cemetery, another WW2 inscription on a similar vein to "he played a good innings".:

"He carried his bat for England"

[BottsGreys]

A good one:

"He passed out of the sight of men by the path of duty."

Lt. Charles Douglas Lucas Hill

9th Bn, Royal Sussex Regt.

KIA: 14/02/16

Age: 22

Menin Road South Miltary Cemetary

Chris

("by" meaning "via")

[bobpike]

This is too good a thread not to keep it going!

Joseph McCarthy, in civilian life a boilermaker’s assistant, had, before the onset of war, served also for six years in the Garrison Artillery at the Fremantle Forts, Western Australia.

Joseph’s parents, Daniel and Margaret, recorded an even older family-military link on Joseph’s headstone in Ypres Reservoir Cemetery,

"Beloved son of D and M McCarthy. Grandson of Cpl. D McCarthy (Crimea)."

[Matt Dixon]

This is a sad one on the headstone of a chap from my old school, Major PSG Wainman, killed in action at Loos:

"Killed whilst bravely leading his men on the eve of his 35th Birthday"

[Auimfo]

Some more of Laffin's collection:

Sergeant G. Kirkpatrick MM

17th Battalion 15/4/1917 (24)

He did what he could

Private F. L. Sexton

51st Battalion 2/4/1917 (23)

Oh why are we dead

we youth

all ye that pass by

forget not

Lieutenant S. Rosenthal

58th Battalion 25/9/1917 (35)

In loving memory

of my darling daddy

who died for us

Jean

[Hedley Malloch]

Not a gravestone inscription, but worth mentioning is the following In Memoriam notice for William Bruce 2/1 Bucks Battalion.

" How went the day? We died and never knew, but - well or ill - England, we died for you."

Lesley: This is an inscription, too. You can find in on a CWGC headstone in the officers' plot in Boulogne East CWGC. Or a version of it. I think it starts 'Went the day well?' From memory the quote is from Henry V. It's one of my favourites, too. That and a simple 'From Mum and Dad' on the grave of an 18-year old NF soldier killed in the Spring 1918 fighting near Mont des Cats.

Cost. Don't confuse 'costs' with CWGC charges. Some WW1 widows received help with CWGC inscription costs from their local authorities. Blaydon-on-Tyne did this for all their widows and their families.

[mcderms]

"Here Lies A Boy Who Answered The Call

And Fell In Action"

Private James Nash, Morbecque Cemetery (my great uncle).