CWGC out of date

[Chesterboy]

James Gration grave is to be rededication in April in Lebucquiere Communal Cemetery Extension

the case list of the CWGC of the June 2021 shows case accepted, however his details on the database stil shows on Arras memorial and no further details about his grave discovery

i was the CWGC would get there act together, I submitted 2 cases in December and no word if it’s been accepted into there cases system or reject

[keithmroberts]

Some cases take literally years, even simple ones. I submitted a case of a man who died while still on his 4 week furlough after returning from 3 years service in the Middle East and it is still somewhere in the pipeline.

[chaz]

CB

dont just think yours is the only case they are looking into. there are many hundreds of lost soldiers , sailors and airmen from all conflicts they have to check. When they are looking into these cases there has to be many checks done, such as dna from other family members and ruling out other options before they can give the go ahead. You wouldnt be happy in the case that the wrong man was identified either by your family or another family should the correct identitiy be found later. 

I submitted a correction to their web site , this was just a change in initials. that should have been an easy change as their grave returns and all other supporting documents were available and sent, ironically , they got the initial corrected and notified me, the problem is, they have changed his initials to his christian name, and managed to spell that wrong.

Im not defending CWGC but if you can imagine a desk with paperwork onthat is waiting to be checked and confirmed, then another day more and more paperwork and files get piled on top, its a never ending task. After 100 years a lot of the remnants and clues have degraded or decomposed which removes any potential evidence. Dont you wish their was a flock of Columbo's. Vera's, Barnaby's etc that could be sent to identify .

[andrew pugh]

Hi Chesterboy

I discovered the grave of an unknown Sergeant Artist Rifles while looking through a cemetery list for Lebucquiere Cemetery. There were obvious clues which led me to do some research and came up with Sergeant James Gration, D C M, Artist Rifles, London Rifle Brigade. I presented my evidence and about 3 years later I was informed that it had been accepted.

I have also presented a case for Pte Charles Madgwick of the 4th Bedforshire Regiment which was part of the same Brigade as Sgt Gration. they were also killed on the same day in the same action. Some of the cemetery lists that I have give clues to the possible identification of some casualties. I have a cemetery list for Delsaux Farm Cemetery in it is listed Unknow Company Sergeant Major, Ox and Buck's Light Infantry, date of death 24/03/1918. I asked myself why is he an unknown with all those clues. My research led me to one casualty CSM William Henry Bax 2nd Ox and Buck killed 24/03/1918. The cemetery lists that I have list Known and Unknown casualties. By the way I was also correct with CSM Bax his Rededication service in on the 23/03/1918. The cemetery list's I have  are for Bancourt British Cemetery, Lebucquiere Communal Cemetery Extension, Delsaux Farm Cemetery and Grevillers British Cemetery, Beaulencourt. I am led to believe that the CWGC have employed more people to work on these cases, whereas the National Army Museum (NAM) have only 1 individual. That's the bottleneck for these cases that we all present. I my opinion I personally think the CWGC has now become a place of bureaucracy, and not what it once was. In my opinion of course.

Regards

Andy