Repatriation of WW1 soldier

[Mark Hone]

Forum readers may recall my earlier postings about a chap from Bury who was trying to get his great-uncle's remains repatriated from St Sever Cemetery in Rouen. He started a hoo-hah in the local press about this and it even got into a couple of the national papers. I thought it had all died down but imagine my astonishment on opening today's edition of the 'Bury Times' to read that the CWGC has supposedly given in and that the great-uncle is to be reburied in Agecroft Cemetery with full military honours in the next couple of weeks! Can this possibly be true? Has the CWGC abandoned one of its most fundamental policies with who-knows-what future consequences? There is no mention of it on the CWGC website and none of their press office were available when I called to alert them about it.

[Terry Denham]

Mark

I have just had it confirmed by CWGC that there is no truth in this story whatsoever. This denial was made by the Director of Information.

CWGC have refused the n-o-k's request in accordance with their policy but the family seems unable to accept this. I suppose they are trying to get more public support by going to the papers again.

However, the press have done their usual good job of printing nonsense.

[Mark Hone]

Thanks Terry. I had assumed that the story was nonsense and had it confirmed by a broadcast journalist friend of mine just after I made the original posting. He (unlike the local newspaper) had checked it out with the CWGC first. Sorry for giving this canard even more undeserved publicity!

[Guest kimbrocklehurst]

Terry

I trust the CWGC will be contacting the "Bury Times" to give

those responsible for this story a "flea in their ear", and to insist on a

correction?

Kim

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

Terry

I trust the CWGC will be contacting the "Bury Times" to give

those responsible for this story a "flea in their ear", and to insist on a

correction?

Kim

If they dont and it gets into the Nationals they might find themselves dealing with quite a few requests - who knows?

[Mark Hone]

I trust that it will not get into the nationals. My broadcast journalist friend, who is a fellow WW1 buff, realised that the story was rubbish when he attempted to interview the man. He alerted the Bury Times but they had apparently already gone to press. There is no sign of the story on the newspaper's website. Unfortunately, as I mentioned in my earlier postings, the beginnings of this saga did get extensively (and in places inaccurately) reported a few months ago. The Manchester Evening News even ran a 'vox pop' survey on the issue. At that time the chap was claiming to have the official backing of the Royal British Legion for his campaign, which I tried to point out to the Manchester Evening News was inherently unlikely.

[Mark Hone]

In fairness I should add that the newspaper has published some very good World War One stories in the past, ironically written by the same journalist involved with the current hoax. They do a nice colour feature on our battlefields tour virtually every year (with material and photos provided by me) and were instrumental in tracking down the relatives of the Lancashire Fusilier whose body was discovered near Ploegsteert a few years ago. They also fully report Gallipoli Sunday, Remembrance Day and similar events. They have been extremely helpful in my project to make digital photographs of the obituaries of our former pupils who died in the two World Wars. This makes it a particular pity that they've allowed themselves to be taken in this time.

[Terry Denham]

I am informed that CWGC have been in contact with the newspaper over this matter.

[Drummy]

I was at the LF museum the other day and heard about this gentleman's attempts to repatriate his relative's remains. I cannot understand the logic of wanting to remove a soldier from a well maintained CWGC cemetery to a civil cemetery in the UK with all the care / upkeep problems they entail. As an LF enthusiast I certainly do not support this man's proposal.

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

I seem to remember it was a knee jerk reaction to the French government's stance on the Iraq War which led to several CWGC cemetaries being vandalised by mindless morons.

Ian

[Greenwoodman]

I think you attribute far too much logic and brainpower to the mindless morons, Ian.

[Guest Hill 60]

I seem to remember it was a knee jerk reaction to the French government's stance on the Iraq War which led to several CWGC cemetaries being vandalised by mindless morons.

France doesn't have the monopoly on mindless morons, I'm sad to say. Last year, during a ferret around a civvy cemetery in the UK, I witnessed youths using a CWGC headstone (that had been snapped off and moved away from a grave) as a ramp for their little motorbike .

I managed to drag (with some help) the headstone back to where it came from and, later, informed the CWGC of the stone's situation.

[Mark Hone]

Amazingly the Bury Times chose to reprint the 'repatriation' story verbatim in its midweek free paper (The Bury Journal) which came clattering through my letter box, and hundreds of others in the Bury area, this morning. This is despite the fact that as far as I am aware they were warned that the story was completely bogus as early as last Thursday and have since been contacted by the CWGC to clarify matters. Incredible.

[Mark Hone]

There was no follow up article to the infamous 'repatriation' story in this week's 'Bury Times' (5th September) nor any sign of a retraction or correction. They have not replied to my communication warning them that the story was a hoax. I shall keep forum members (and the CWGC) apprised of any further developments. Incidentally, Drummy, what was the LF museum take on the whole affair? I haven't spoken to the curator in the last few weeks. The original story claimed that a Fusilier guard of honour had been booked for the 're-burial'!

[Mark Hone]

All quiet on the Bury front. The story has not been mentioned in the past week in any of the Bury Times editions. I wonder if they will actually publish any sort of correction or apology now. Have they responded to the CWGC does anyone know?

[Mark Hone]

Just to set the record straight, and to (I hope) set this saga to rest, the Bury Times did publish a letter from the CWGC denying the truth of the 'repatriation' story. There was no editorial comment and the paper seems quietly to have forgotten the whole episode since.