Brookwood UK 1914 - 18 Memorial

[chrisharley9]

From CWGC - The BROOKWOOD (UNITED KINGDOM 1914-18) MEMORIAL was created in 2004. It commemorates more than 200 Commonwealth casualties who died in the United Kingdom during the First World War but for whom no graves could be found.

Could any Pal explain how we end up with a situation where 200 + causualties graves are effectively lost - I can understand it happening on the Western Front, but in the UK?

All The Best

Chris

[ChrisC]

Having done a lot of photographing at Brookwood, that's always puzzled me too. There are other occasions where no "Marked" graves were provided, eg Heroes Corner at Woolwich but there the casualties are buried in front of the Commemorative Screen Wall. I'd be interested to know why this and the Brookwood situation occurred - maybe one (of many) for Terry??

[squirrel]

Inscribed on the Cross of Sacrifice in Marylebone Cemetery, Hanwell, West London, which has, IIRC, over 40 CWGC graves in one plot, is a reference to a number of WW1 casualties who are buried in the cemetery but have no marked grave.

[Terry Denham]

The Brookwood (United Kingdom 1914-1918) Memorial was provided to commemorate those casualties who died within the UK but whose graves have never been located - also the names of some men whose bodies could not be recovered (drowned and not found etc).

The next-of-kin could bury a casualty who died in the UK in any location of their choosing and there was no obligation to inform anyone of the site of the grave. Many such men were those who died of service related wounds/illness after discharge but before CWGC's legal cut-off date of 31.08.21 and thus qualify for war grave status. In such cases, the n-o-k often did not inform CWGC of the burial site (and many did not know they should!).

Men are still being added to the official Roll of Honour and these are often discovered through reference to military documents which do not include a burial location. I have, myself, been involved in such researches resulting in over twenty names being added to CWGC's database - but none of their burial sites are known. All are being added to this memorial.

In these cases, CWGC is still obliged to commemorate the names and so a dedicated memorial was built at Brookwood near the Brookwood Memorial which fulfills the same function for WW2 (although it also has those missing in Europe in areas outside battlezones as well - ie SOE casualties).

I have 'rescued' two men from this memorial before their names were actually inscribed and they are now commemorated at their place of burial. However, they were due to luck. Most are near impossible to locate unless you wish to search every burial book of every cemetery authority in the country!

It would actually make a lifelong research project for someone - trying to locate these men's graves!

[chrisharley9]

Terry

many thanks for your very comprehensive answer - with regard to the lifelong research project are you trying to offer me a job

Thanks to everyone else for their comments

All the Best

Chris