My second visit to Brookwood Commonwealth war cemetery was to find the grave of J A Wilding who was the pilot of a Halifax Bomber that crashed near Wallingford killing him and his Copilot J F Andrews. This time I had a better look around and am still amazed at the number of graves there which a lot seem to be from the first war. These are some of the photo's I took.
This one overlook the Commonwealth graves of Australia, and South Africa and the RAF. The cross and poppy at the top of the page was at it's base.
The Commonwealth war graves looking towards the cross
Looking towards the cross from the RAF memorial, the graves in the foreground are from the RAF though on this occasion I could not visit due to refurbishment of the area.
The RAF memorial
RAF Emblem on the memorial top.
In the cemetery you can see Polish and Czechoslovakian graves.
The American with it's impressive chapel. Nearer the cemetery entrance you can see the memorial to those who have no known grave.
Below is part of the Canadian Cemetery where I went to find J.A.Wilding which is the third grave along
The grave of Sargent K.H.Vaughan with a family photo left beside it
Looking down the Canadian cemetery from the cross
Never knew the Chelsea pensioners were buried here but there is a plot for them as well
These four graves to
A.S.Woolaver
W Marshall
G.A.Jones
T.Gabryelski
are close together and the date of
04/07/1944 on all the graves so I can only assume they all died in the same plane .
On my way out I noticed there was an area with German names on the headstones, many were single but a few like these three were close together, and from the date killed in the Battle of Britain but are still honored in the cemetery with their enemy of the time. They are buried in a place where there are no enemy's.
War has no winners, only losers and every one of the graves I have seen is a lost a loved one. RIP
14 comments:
What a fantastic and informative post. How did you manage to take pictures without being jumped on and told not to.
The reasons why the three gavestones in the last picture are attached tpogether is because they couldn't tell which body part went to which person, so they're buried together.
Thanks for linking up
Beneath Thy Feet
Thanks for that, there are a couple like that. The War Cemetery is run by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission so you are alowed to take photo's there, it's over the fence you need a permit. There are signs telling you no photo's with out a permit.
Thank you for all these moving photos. It is always a special experience to walk in the Commonwealth War Graves cemeteries.
Your first picture of the little homemade memorial for Grandad is so nice.
It is seeing those personal things that bring it home to you.
Lovely photos -- thank you for sharing.
Oh, I hadn't really thought about the fact that Nicola brings up as to why the gravestones are attached. But it makes sense. It seems everyone deserved their own stone.
Never thought about it just realized they were the same date so presumed they were a crew from a plane but I can see the reasoning behind it.
this must be a huge place.
war graves are always so neatly tended.
It is, biggest I have visited yet.
Always sobering to walk through a cemetery with lots of similar death dates, whether because of war, disaster or epidemic.
I just posted a photo of two heastones close together on Geograph there are four names on them. Think I can see why now.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3222221
Thanks for sharing the photos and all the information about the graves. It is truly a sobering experience to visit a cemetery where so many service people are buried.
It was a very sobering experience
Lovely photos Bill. Despite the tragic loss of life I do find the Commonwealth War Graves cemeteries tranquil places, and the care that goes into maintaining them a fitting tribute to all the young men whose lifes were so unfairly cut short.
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