Australian War Grave Style.

[Boreenatra]

As this is after 31/12/47 I would presume this is not a war grave. Are these types of stones "sanctioned " if you like, by CWGC? Regards Steve.

[Terry Denham]

This is not a 'War Grave' according to the terms of CWGC.

However, the NZ and Australian governments regard all graves of servicemen and ex-servicemen whose deaths were due to war causes as 'war graves' irrespective of the date of death. They do not follow the CWGC cut-off dates.

The headstones are not provided by CWGC but are the responsibility of the respective governments. If such a grave happens to be located in a CWGC cemetery or plot, they usually take care of the grave by agreement with the government concerned otherwise they are cared for privately or by the said government.

They are not recorded as 'War Graves' by CWGC.

[Boreenatra]

Thanks Terry for your reply. Just an adjunct to the City Of London Cemetery issue, after a phone call to them today they confirm that individual plots that are not full, will be used in the future for new burials. It mostly goes back to times when the plots were sold, as opposed to leased, and the plot spaces were bigger.Plots that could hold 12 or 15 graves, but in effect only have used space for two or three and still haven't been used for 75 years and where the families cannot be traced, will in theory be able to be reused, with memorials being recarved.They also suggested that they have about 4 years of space left, so a vigorous 4 part programme is being put in place. Tha last batch of letters sent out to families by them amounted in 4 replies. As they commented to me a huge admin project, due to take about seven or eight months per phase. Just one last comment was with reference to the Abel war grave there, they said the family stone will also remain in situ. Thanks again for all your help . Regards Steve.