UK CWGC Graves Damaged

[T8HANTS]

The Isle of Wight local paper "The County Press" reported this week that a gardening contractor had driven his tractor over the graves of two WW2 graves leaving deep tracks (I hope the picture, as published, is attached below). Also I know of one other incident where the grave stone of an Isle of Wight Rifleman was lopped off by a grass cutting machine. This is particularly sad as the stone was one of the dwindeling number depicting the cap badge of the Isle of Wight Rifles, which seem to be replaced by Hampshire Regiment badged stones by the CWGC, because as I understand it, they do not have a computor programme for the engraving machine.

Is this sort of local damage happening regularly around isolated cemetaries around the UK, or has the IOW been unlucky?

[Terry Denham]

This is a reasonably frequent type of accident. More usually, this machinery leads to chips out of the headstones rather than outright destruction.

CWGC will have repairs in hand but it may take some time for it to reach the top of the schedule.

[Guest]

You can see why it happens when you consider what contractors get paid for cutting grass.

In my local authority career (not involving cemeteries I might add), I am sure that I have come across cases of grass contractors deliberately causing damage in order to simplify and speed up the job next time. Of course, proving it is another matter.

[Terry Denham]

Speaking as someone who does have a local cemetery in my care, I always have to ensure that the contractors take appropriate care when mowing etc. Accidents happen but they can be minimised with proper care.

I remember being in CWGC's Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey one day and talking to one of the gardeners there. Whilst talking, he noticed a sizeable new chip out of one of the French headstones and he went ballistic. He blamed a new staff member who had been noted as taking less care than necessary. He went off to deliver a suitable piece of 'advice' to the young man.

So it happens in the best run organisations!

[stevew]

Compare it to how friendly, polite and the pride taken by the gardeners at the cemeteries in France and Belgium..............or I have just been lucky!

[Terry Denham]

Steve

CWGC gardeners everywhere have the highest standards and so your experiences are not unusual.

In the case I cited above, I took it as an encouraging sign that an 'old hand' (who was only about 25 years old) was going to give a 'new hand' a dressing down and education into the proper ways of the CWGC.

[stevew]

CWGC gardeners everywhere have the highest standards and so your experiences are not unusual.

Terry,

I suspected that was the case, I didn't want to leave myself open by not putting the bit on the end and then a few Pals saying something different!!

Steve