Gary Samson Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 I was briefly chatting to someone with an interest in the Chinese Labour Corps at today's Great War Colloquium at the University of Kent who told me that there was an official CWGC grave to a seven-year-old who had travelled to France to see his father. Can anyone confirm this? I'm afraid I don't have the name of the cemetery. If true would this be the youngest CWGC burial in France? Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 21 December , 2004 Share Posted 21 December , 2004 Gary There is no seven year old listed in the CWGC CLC list. I have the complete list by my elbow. Even if the story were true, he would not qualify for a CWGC war grave. In fact, there are almost no ages recorded by CWGC for CLC men. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Samson Posted 21 December , 2004 Author Share Posted 21 December , 2004 Thanks, Terry. That's what I thought too but this chap was absolutely adamant this CWGC grave existed, even claimed to have seen it on one of his trips to France. He did mention he was planning to write to Stand To! so perhaps he'll provide some evidence there. Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 21 December , 2004 Share Posted 21 December , 2004 Gary He may well have seen a grave somewhere belonging to a Chinese - even a young Chinese or one with a headstone similiar to those of CWGC but that is not what he apparently said to you. There is no seven year old Chinese in a CWGC war grave in France according to their database (although there are a lot of CLC men buried in a Plot 7 in one cemetery!). Also, he would not qualify for a war grave as he could not be a member of a Commonwealth armed force. The best that he could be would be a dependent of a CLC man in a Non-World War Grave in CWGC Care. However, there is no such person in the database buried in any of the 25,000 such graves worldwide. I suspect that he has seen something but misinterpreted it. However, without any details, we can't say more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Samson Posted 21 December , 2004 Author Share Posted 21 December , 2004 Hi Terry, I wasn't doubting you at all, although I suppose my second post could be misinterpreted that way. I would be keen to see his evidence, in Stand To! if he decides to publish, but doubt it would stand close scrutiny. Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 21 December , 2004 Share Posted 21 December , 2004 Gary I didn't take it that way! I was just trying to work out in my own mind how someone could have come to this conclusion. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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