C O N T E X T 1 0 7 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 8 29 Barry Edwards The Commonwealth War Graves Commission A total of 1.7 million casualties of the first and second world wars are commemorated in Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries and on memorials in 150 countries. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has world-wide responsibility for the maintenance of first and second world war Commonwealth cemeteries and memorials. The Imperial War Graves Commission (IWGC), as it was originally known, was established in 1917 under the auspices of Sir Fabian Ware. The principles of the organisation are that each of the dead should be commemorated individually by name, either on the headstone of the grave or by inscription on a memorial; that the headstone or memorial should be permanent; that the headstones should be uniform; and that there should be no distinction made on account of military or civil rank, race or creed. Under the terms of the commission’s charter, an early decision was taken to commemorate casualties on either a headstone or memorial at or close to the location where they died. To provide the designs for the many cemeteries and memorials, the IWGC invited three of the most eminent architects of the day, Sir Edwin Lutyens, Herbert Baker and Reginald Blomfield, to become its principal architects and to oversee the work of a number of assistant architects. Many would be based abroad close to the sites of battle. Although many architects were involved in the design of the cemeteries, common characteristics were established from the outset. For example, in addition to uniform headstones, each site was provided with a Cross of Sacrifice, a Stone of Remembrance (normally for cemeteries of over 1,000 graves) and a register of the war dead (contained in a bronze cabinet and, in the case of larger cemeteries, housed within a shelter building).Where local conditions were suitable, horticulture following the ‘English country garden style’ would be provided as a complementary setting for the structural features. In accordance with the principle of permanence, durable traditional materials were employed in construction. There was considerable emphasis on the use of natural stone, brickwork with lime mortar, oak, wrought iron and bronze. Although initial construction costs would have been higher, this was offset over the life of the materials. This was a particular benefit for those sites in more remote locations. Architectural style, often supported by sculpture, avoided morbid sentimentality in preference to a more timeless classical route with appropriate dignity and restraint. An alternative approach, however, may be seen in the work of Charles Holden (1875-1960), who joined the roster of principal architects a little later. His designs for first world war cemeteries eschewed the use of decorative embellishments and exhibited the more minimalist functional style being adopted by European architects of the modern movement. However, overriding concern was to avoid any suggestion of glorification or celebration of victory. The nature of trench warfare during the first world war meant that many casualties were lost and were unable to be provided with a headstone. This presented the opportunity for the commission’s principal architects to design significant memorials. The best known of these include the Thiepval Memorial (commemorating 72,000 casualties) and the Australian National Memorial at Villers Bretonneux (commemorating 10,700 casualties), both by Lutyens. The Menin Gate at Ieper (Ypres) (commemorating over 54,000 casualties) by Blomfield and the Tyne Cot Memorial (commemorating 35,000 casualties) by Baker are also well known. Naval casualties lost at sea were commemorated on memorials designed by Sir Robert Lorimer located at the ports of departure, including Chatham, Portsmouth and Plymouth. The same architect designed the Cape Helles memorial overlooking the Dardanelles to commemorate 21,000 casualties of the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign.To accommodate additional names of seamen lost during the second world war, UK naval memorials were extended by Sir Edward Maufe. Merchant marine losses are recorded on theTower Hill Memorial, also designed by Lutyens. The large numbers of airmen (20,000 casualties) lost The Hong Kong Memorial in Stanley Military Cemetery, Hong Kong, commemorates by name 941 Chinese nationals who died while serving with the Commonwealth forces during the first world war and have no known grave, and 1,494 Chinese dead of the second world war from Hong Kong and Singapore who have no known grave. The Menin Gate Memorial at Ieper (Ypres)
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjgyMjA=