Why was the Commonwealth War Graves Commission set up?
From amending records, to searching for missing names, to building new memorials, the CWGC is committed to ensuring that the memory of all the Commonwealth men and women who died in the two world wars lives on.
Who gets a Commonwealth war grave?
We honour and care for the men and women of the Commonwealth who died in the First and Second World Wars, ensuring they will never be forgotten. Funded by six Member Governments, our work began more than a century ago building cemeteries at 23,000 locations all over the world.
Are bodies buried in war graves?
Graves and burial grounds situated in the area of a battlefront were often damaged by subsequent fighting across the same location, resulting in the loss of the original marked graves. Some bodies simply could not be retrieved from underground.
What happens to dead bodies during war?
If one were to die outside of battle, no such tombstone would be given and the person would simply be buried in an unmarked grave. If this wasn’t possible, the bodies of soldiers killed in battle would be collected and given a mass cremation or burial.
Do they bury soldiers standing up?
Baumgartner said the traditional 5-by-10 grave site can accommodate up to six caskets, which is extremely rare. He could recall only one instance where that happened, he said. “And we don’t bury standing up, like some people think,” Baumgartner said.
Is the wife buried on the right or left of husband?
Most cemeteries bury husbands on the south side of a burial plot, with their wives on the north. But in most cemeteries, headstones face east, which puts husbands to the left of their wives.
Why is wife buried on left husband?
One theory is that long ago husbands decided their wives belonged on their left side, the side closest to their heart. Other theories hold this placement is a reflection of a couple’s wedding day. When walking down the aisle, the man is traditionally standing to the right of his bride.
Why put coins on the eyes of the dead?
According to legend, the coins were a bribe or payment used to ferry the dead into the Underworld. While this might sound strange in modern times, this practice brought peace to ancient people, ensuring their family members made it safely into the afterlife.
Why do they put rocks on the eyes of the dead?
Two funeral stones are also placed over the closed eyes of the deceased, each painted to resemble open eyes. The symbolic meaning of this is to remind the faithful that they should not fear death, because it is not truly the end: we close our eyes in this world, but our eyes open again in the afterlife.