The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
 The
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, established by Royal Charter in 1917,
is responsible for marking and maintaining the graves of members of the
forces of Commonwealth countries who died in the two world wars, for building
and maintaining memorials to the dead whose graves are unknown and for
providing records and registers of these burials and commemorations, totalling
1.7 million and found in most countries through the world.
For more information about the work of the Commission around the world
visit www.cwgc.org
How to Locate a Grave or Memorial
You can contact the Commission in writing, by telephone or by email (see contact details below).
Records are held at the Commission's Head Office in Maidenhead which
enable
the staff to help enquirers locate a particular grave or a name on a
memorial.
Traces are carried out free of charge for immediate relatives, but other
enquirers have to pay a small fee for this service. When you contact
the
Commission state your relationship to the casualty, if any, and provide
as many details of the casualty as you can, i.e.: Surname, rank, forenames,
number, unit/service, place/date of death, widow or parents, age, home
town.
 Internet Access to the Debt of Honour Register
Alternatively,
visit the Commonwealth War Grave Commission's website at www.cwgc.org to search the Roll of Honour Register
database listing the personal, service and commemoration details for
the 1.7 million of the Commonwealth forces who died in the two world wars.
The inset photograph on the right is Corporal Thomas Parker, 2nd Royal
Welsh Fusiliers, who was killed and missing in action on the Somme battlefield
6 November 1916. His name was commemorated on the Thiepval
Memorial to the Missing however his body was later found in the 1930s.
He was buried in a marked grave in London Cemetery and
Extension, Longueval. Thomas Parker is the great-uncle
of
Joanna Legg, author of this site.
Tracing Individual Service Personnel
For guidance on resources, archives and information on tracing
relatives see the section for Resources & Links on
this site.
Visiting the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Area Offices on the
Western Front
Visitors are welcome to inspect the registers held by the offices during
normal business hours.
Northern Europe Area
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Elverdingsestraat 82, B - 8900 Ieper,
Belgium
Telephone +32 (0)57 20 01 18; Fax +32 (0)57 21 80 14
France Area
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Rue Angèle Richard, 62217
Beaurains, France
Telephone +33 (0)3 21 21 77 00; Fax +33 (0)3 21 21 77 10
Commonwealth
War Graves Commission Publications
- Annual Report: (also available as a PDF file to
download)
- Video 'A Debt of Honour': A 47 minute film charting
the history of the Commission. Commentary by Michael Palin. PAL/VHS
format.
- Memorial and Memory: A 23 minute video aimed primarily for educational
use in schools. PAL/VHS format. Single copies provided free of charge
to schools.
- The Unending Vigil - The History of the Commonwealth
War Graves Commission by Philip Longworth.
- Cemetery and Memorial Registers
- Information Sheets: A series of free information
sheets illustrating aspects of its work and major cemeteries and memorials.
- Recipients of the Victoria Cross and George
Cross (121 page book)
- Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour
- Computer Database Printed Reports
- Road Atlas: Cemeteries and Memorials
in Belgium and Northern France. A new compact road atlas
covering the areas of the densest population of war cemeteries in
Belgium and northern France including Normandy. The Michelin
road maps in the 1:200 000 scale series are overprinted
to show the location of each Commonwealth cemetery and memorial.
For information on publications available from the Commission, prices
and methods of payment visit Commonwealth
War Graves Commission Publications.
Acknowledgements
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Head Office, 2 Marlow Road, Maidenhead,
Berkshire SL6 7DX
Telephone +44 (0)1628 634221
Fax +44 (0)1628 771208
email: visit the CWGC website for email contact address according your specific enquiry.
www.cwgc.org
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Copyright Joanna Legg & Graham Parker
© 2000 All rights reserved.
Last updated
February 11, 2008
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