Belated memorials to honour the dead of two world wars
New headstones to pay tribute to fallen service personnel who slipped through the official net for one reason or another
Scores of soldiers from the first world war, including some who died some time after being wounded, are being given belated recognition in cemeteries and on memorials to the missing across Britain each year, it was revealed on Tuesday.
Distinctive white headstones of Portland stone are still being added to the 170,000 official war graves in 13,000 locations in the UK. The stones consistently measure 813mm (32in) above ground, 178mm (7in) in the ground, 381mm (15in) in width and 76mm (3in) in thickness – maintaining the uniformity first imposed by predecessors of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which is responsible for 1.7m graves and commemorations relating to the two world wars in more than 150 countries.
The commission is currently investigating claims for registration as a world war casualty from the descendants of 360 people who served in the British army, mostly in the first world war.
Another 17 cases involve former Royal Air Force and Royal Navy personnel. The commission said those being remembered many decades after slipping through the official net fell into two main groups – individuals who served and died in action but whose details, for whatever reason, were not provided by the military authorities at the time and others who may have been wounded, repatriated and later died of wounds. In some cases these individuals had also been discharged from service and therefore removed from the military system that would have notified the commission of their deaths. Families then often buried the individual in their local churchyard or family plot. More than eight in 10 family claims are likely to be approved, based on past experience.
Further additions to the war dead came after the army handed over part of the recognition process to the National Army Museum in London, which employs two full-time staff to check records and evidence. The change caused delays in recent checks, with some requests nearly two years old. “We are committed to ensuring all those who died as a result of their service receive the recognition they deserve for their sacrifice and bravery,” the army said in a statement.
All inquiries start with contacts with the commission. If it thinks there are grounds for further investigation, it will send army cases to the museum to check and verify. The army will decide on appeals.
