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CWGC France (1914-1918) Memorial

 
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Adam Brown
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Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 7312
Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)

PostPosted: Tue May 11, 2010 6:28 pm    Post subject: CWGC France (1914-1918) Memorial Reply with quote

I'd never heard of the France (1914-1918) Memorial before but Jim Grant has posted in the Leith thread with details of a Scot who will be commemorated on it.

Here are the details from the CWGC database

Cemetery: FRANCE (1914-1918) MEMORIAL
Country: United Kingdom
Locality: Berkshire
Location Information: The FRANCE (1914-1918) MEMORIAL commemorates Commonwealth casualties who died in France during the First World War but for whom no graves could be found. Please note: The men and women remembered here are presently commemorated solely by their database record and register entry. The register is maintained at the Commission’s Head Office, Maidenhead, until such time as a permanent memorial is built.
No. of Identified Casualties: 20

I would have thought this memorial would have been erected at Brookwood in Surrey alongside other CWGC memorials including the United Kingdom 1914-1918 Memorial and Brookwood (Russia) Memorial but it doesn't give its future location on the database.

Thanks

Adam
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kinnethmont



Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 1649
Location: Aberdeenshire

PostPosted: Tue May 11, 2010 10:30 pm    Post subject: CWGC France (1914-1918) Memorial Reply with quote

Quote:

I would have thought this memorial would have been erected at Brookwood in Surrey alongside other CWGC memorials including the United Kingdom 1914-1918 Memorial....


Not sure why you think it would be at Brookwood. It will be in France.

This is a proposed new memorial to be sited in an existing CWGC-owned cemetery or memorial site (as yet undecided). It will bear the names for which there is no longer any room on other such memorials in France – a situation which has been inevitable but speeded up by the activities of IFCP. So when the addenda panels are full on these existing memorials, any new names will appear on this purpose built structure (An exception will be Thiepval where more addenda panels are due to be added).

The actual building of the memorial will be some time off yet as the various approvals are obtained and budgets organised etc but architects are working on the design now. As a temporary measure, the names added to this memorial will be kept in a register at CWGC headquarters and so the memorial is listed as being located in Berkshire, UK for the time being. That will obviously be amended when it is completed.

Footnote 11th May 2010:
To date IFCP has had 870 casualties accepted by the military authorities and now commemorated by CWGC. A further 876 are awaiting determination.
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Jim

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

www.kinnethmont.co.uk
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spoons



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PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 7:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just a guess here but would the Russian memorial be at Brookwood because, at the time it was erected, we were not on good terms with Russia? This would mean that it could not be maintained.

\Paul
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kinnethmont



Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 1649
Location: Aberdeenshire

PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 10:09 am    Post subject: CWGC France (1914-1918) Memorial Reply with quote

The Brookwood (Russia) Memorial no longer exists – officially.

In the 1960s the Soviet government refused CWGC permission to continue to maintain graves in the USSR. As the fall of Communism was not something that could have been contemplated at the time, CWGC decided that the graves should be declared ‘unmaintainable’ and alternative arrangements made.
A memorial was constructed at Brookwood which bore the names of all those who died in Russia in both world wars and that became the official commemoration place. The graves and memorials in the USSR were abandoned to their fate.
When the unthinkable happened and the Soviet Union collapsed, CWGC obtained permission from the new Russian government to return and check out the status of the abandoned cemeteries. Much to their relief, they found them in good shape needing only very little renovation.

Therefore, the decision was taken to return the commemorations to the actual grave/memorial sites (Archangel Memorial and Vladivostock Memorial being the two memorials). This left a few names without commemoration in Russia – men who died in the Caucasus and whose graves were missing. A new memorial (Baku Memorial) was built in Azerbaijan for these men.

This left the Brookwood (Russia) Memorial redundant as, under CWGC rules, two commemorations are not permitted and so it ceased to exist in all official records. However, it physically still stands in the grounds of Brookwood Military Cemetery and you can visit it. This situation will not exist for much longer as I understand CWGC has plans to recycle the structure either as a memorial there or simply dismantle it and have the Portland Stone and green slate panels reused elsewhere.

It is one of two memorials which do not officially exist but do still stand at the moment. The other is the Zehrensdorf Indian Memorial which became redundant when the cemetery in the former East Germany was renovated a couple of years ago.
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Jim

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

www.kinnethmont.co.uk
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PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 11:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Jim, really interesting stuff.

\Paul
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