The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

Keptie · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:26 am Post subject: general auckinleck

General Auckinleck got a MOD headstone as the Director of CWGC , Mr Gee said Generals never retire so he got a MOD headstone in Casablanca in North Africa

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

Patrick

I updated / corrected my earlier post yesterday. Sorry for any confusion.
Auchinleck's grave is not an offical war grave, but in effect a private grave involving MOD, as you say.
_________________
Jim

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

www.kinnethmont.co.uk

Keptie · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 2:45 pm Post subject: Auckinleck

Thanks Jim for the extra addit and Ive found the letter from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission at Maidenhead as I wrote to the Director after reading a bit in the Sunday Post back in November 1995 about Auckinleck being buried in Casablanca next to servicemen of WW2 :

the letter from CWGC at Maidenhead Berks

dated 27 Nov 1995

Dear Mr Anderson

I am replying to your letter of 22 November , following the article in the Sunday Post , and in particular about Auckinleck's grave in the Commission's plot in Ben M'Sik European Cemetery in Casablanca .

The newspaper article is slightly wrong in its report ; Auckinleck was in fact a Field Marshal, rather than a General and it is Field Marshals who officially never retire . This , of course , is different from an Officer being allowed to retain his Rank after leaving one of the armed services , as in the case of your Uncle. Field Marshal Auckinleck's grave is not a war grave and it is marked by a Standard non World War Headstone , provided at the expense of the Ministry of Defence.

In so far as a register entry is concerned it is our intention to list in our registers , in different sections , all those Commonwealth War Casualties , foreign war graves and non World War Burials that the Commonwealth is responsible for maintaining . I should perhaps add that the non World War Graves are maintained on a repayment basis for the Ministry of Defence and tend to be the graves of those who were serving servicemen or their dependents .

Yours sincerely

J Gee

JP Gee
Director of Information and Secretariat

This letter may be of general interest and about the maintenance of MOD service personal headstones

Kind Regards

Patrick W Anderson

.

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

Pat

Very interesting letter from 1995.

This confirm the details I gave. He is commemorated as a Field Marshall, his is not a war grave and he does not have a standard CWGC war grave headstone. He does not appears on the CWGC roll.
_________________
Jim

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

www.kinnethmont.co.uk