A new opportunity has arisen – following on from the Society meeting on Friday 18th November, when Peter Hewlett-Smith OBE spoke to us about the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission; our Treasurer, Colin Hingston, has arranged for a Group Outing in shared cars to Brookwood Cemetery (near Woking) pictured above, where Peter gives guided tours. Anyone interested in taking part in the event which is planned to take place on Thursday 23rd April should contact Colin preferably by email (colinehingston@aol.com) for further details.
Brookwood Cemetery (The London Necropolis) is a vast space covering 500 acres. In 1917, an area to the north of the cemetery was set aside as Brookwood Military Cemetery for men and women of Commonwealth forces who died, many of battle wounds, in the London district. This site was further extended to accommodate Commonwealth casualties of the Second World War. Brookwood is the largest CWGC cemetery in the United Kingdom. It contains the graves of more than 1,600 servicemen of the British Empire in the First World War and over 3,470 from the Second World War.
Originally established as the Imperial War Graves Commission in 1917, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cares for the graves and memorials of over 1.7 million servicemen and women who died in the two world wars in 23,000 locations in over 150 countries and territories around the world. The talk will cover the organisation’s formation and the work that is done today. All are welcome. Come to the Riverside at 7.30pm to hear the talk, and stay for refreshments.
