I am heading off to Singapore on 12th August and will be going to the Military Cemetery. If anyone has a relative buried and they do not already have one I am happy to take a photograph of the headstone if they would like one. With over 24000 souls buried there it would be helpful if I could be provided with the name and location of the grave which can be found on the Commonwealth War Grave Commission (CWGC) site. PM anything you want to me and I will do what I can.
Been to a few CWGC around the world. The best is Souda bay in Crete an absolutely breathtaking view over the white headstones to the bay. A fantastic tribute to the fallen. Also, on the outskirts of Poznan here in Poland is the Old Garrison Cemetery which is split into 3 sections Poles, Russians and the Commonwealth section. In the Commonwealth section is South African Roger Bushell (played by Dickie Attenborough in the great escape) There is a small grouping of Polish airmens graves in the commonwealth cemetery that arn't spaced. http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/34718/POZNAN%20OLD%20GARRISON%20CEMETERY Finally, of you every get the chance to visit Auschwitz at the end of the train lines between the gas chambers there are a row of grave stones in different lanuages. The Hebrew one is covered in pebbles.. the British one is covered in poppies. (don't get me started on james mcclean again!!) Heroes every last one of them. They gave freedom not just to the UK and the Commonwealth nations but to the whole world.
Been very close to Auschwitz and to be honest i couldn't continue the journey any further. What a very earie atmosphere, no birds, no noise, no sign of any animal life, just deathly silence. Bless them all.
To be honest mate you don't really hear birds singing anywhere in Poland. My other half always talks about how loud the birds are in the UK when we go back to my mothers. When i was in Poznan at Bushell's grave i couldn't help but whistle the 'Great Escape' theme and wonder where his escape tunnel from his grave came out.
Maybe without trying to derail this thread, as it's fantastic offer. But in the Thai/Burma, is it not true that out of the thousands of locals that died, only two have marked graves?
Nostalgic. You're one of life's true gentleman. I saw my uncles grave in Brittany last year, and even though I never knew him, it brought me to tears. You're offer will mean a great deal to those who see it. You bring humanity to this forum. Thank you for that.
This is one of the best threads I have seen on here and you may have just restored my faith in human nature - please say thank you in the wind to my uncle Jack who died at the battle of Kohema (I know its a long way off but its closer than I will ever get) - he was listed as missing in action and no one knew what happened to him and obviously I grew up thinking he had been lost in the jungle. My mother was in hospital in 2003 and she was chatting to a woman from our area who said that her brother had seen his body at the side of the road at Kohema but please say thanks to him and all of the others
I can take no credit for anything compared to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. There are war graves in just about every country of the world, and a visit to their site is well worth it just to see the locations.If this has got some of you thinking and remembering WWII, I must be totally honest and admit that I didn't much think about those who gave their lives until I went with my then schoolie kids in the '70s to a small cenetery oin the Dutch/German border. There was maybe only 100 or so graves that were beautifully kept but the ages got to me - the youngest soldier was 18 and the oldest was an RAF pilot aged in his 40s. What did kill me off however was the entry in the visitors book where a 16 year old had written "Today I saw my grandad's grave for the first time, but not the last". Have made a point of visiting war graves just to pay homage.
The kanchaburi war cemertry is in Thailand we went to Taukkyan cemetery in Myanmar [Rangoon] Burma. Most of the graves in Meiktila cemetery in Mandalay were moved to the one in Myanmar .There are over 80 Burma soldiers who,s ashes are in that cemetery. there are thousands or war graves in the cemetery. We brought photos home for people who could not travel because of the distance & an awkward place to get to .What that chap is doing is great. My wife & I have traveld all over the world & visited many war graves but Souda bay one is of great beauty & tranquility
