What do the letters CWGC stand for?

What do the letters CWGC stand for?

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars.

Are there bodies in the Commonwealth War Graves?

There was no system in place to bury the dead or record or mark their final resting places. If men were buried, it was usually by their comrades and their grave markers, a temporary wooden cross. Many more bodies were simply left where they were – unreachable in no man’s land.

Do war graves contain bodies?

Recovery, recording and reburial CWGC war records include references to ‘Memorial Plots’ which were removed when it was confirmed they did not contain any bodies. In most other circumstances, the bodies required exhumation and reburial, during which process attempts were made to identify the individuals.

How many CWGC cemeteries are there?

Introducing the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Since our establishment, we have constructed 2,500 war cemeteries and plots, and we have erected headstones over more than a million burials at military and civil sites across the world.

How many CWGC graves are there in the UK?

THERE ARE OVER 306,000 COMMEMORATIONS TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE COMMONWEALTH FORCES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND AT OVER 13,000 LOCATIONS. AROUND 170,000 OF THESE ARE BURIALS, WITH THE REMAINDER BEING HONOURED ON MEMORIALS TO THE MISSING. EACH SITE HAS A UNIQUE PROGRAMME OF INSPECTION, CARE AND MAINTENANCE.

Who designed the CWGC headstones?

The type faced used was designed by MacDonald Gill and is all in upper case. Each stone contains a regimental cap badge or national emblem. The headstone would then contain as much information about the soldier buried underneath it as possible some of which would have been provided by the family.

What stone is used for Commonwealth war graves?

Portland Stone
Most Commonwealth War Grave headstones are made of Portland Stone.

How many Commonwealth war cemeteries are there?

2,500 war cemeteries
Introducing the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Since our establishment, we have constructed 2,500 war cemeteries and plots, and we have erected headstones over more than a million burials at military and civil sites across the world.