At the Ross Vaga Probus meeting on the 11th July, members enjoyed a remarkable presentation given by Huw Jones and Amy Kitcher from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC).

The CWGC was founded by Royal Charter in 1917, thanks to the persistence of Major General Sir Fabian Ware, who wished to see an organisation established to ensure that all servicemen and women killed in action were rightly remembered in perpetuity.

Today, the CWGC manages and looks after 23,000 locations in 150 countries, covering all 5 continents. Work entails repairs to damage, cleaning of gravestones and memorials, and tending the associated grounds and gardens - it is the biggest horticultural operation in the World. From Lutyens’ huge Menin Gate in Ypres to individual graves in village churchyards, volunteers work long hours to ensure that every one of these sites remains pristine.

Part of the CWGC’s work, and an important one at that, is to educate younger generations on the perils of war, and to emphasize that each grave represents a (usually) young man or woman who lost his/her life in armed conflict. This not only applies to members of the 3 armed forces, but also, amongst others, merchant navy seamen, auxiliaries and civilians, including firemen and those who worked in munitions factories.

Individual gravestones are emblazoned with the rank, number, and name of the deceased, topped with the regimental or service crest and underpinned by a cross (or religious equivalent) and an epitaph provided by the family. The lettering is designed so that it can be discerned front-on or at an angle, thus making it easier for relatives of the deceased to locate the grave amongst all the rows.

Of equal interest is that the CWGC database records the details and commemoration locations of 1.7 million men and women from the UK and the Commonwealth who died during both World Wars.

The largest, and one of the best-known memorials is Tyne Cot in Belgium. Here lie 12,000 servicemen who engaged the enemy in the Ypres salient during the Battle of Passchendaele. Moreover, the memorial honors the 35,000 servicemen from the UK and New Zealand who died after August 1917 and whose graves are unknown. Anyone visiting one of the CWGC sites will be moved and humbled by the numbers who fell, and the serene settings in which they now lie. No matter how big or small, each cemetery is given the same care and attention.

Ross Vaga Probus is a men’s group that meets twice a month in Ross. Visitors are very welcome. If you have an interest in visiting or indeed have a talk you would like to deliver, please contact the Secretary on 01452 831026.