22 replies to this topic

[roel22]

Can anybody tell me what the Belgian war graves commission is called - and where I can reach them?
Thanks in advance

Roel

[CROONAERT]

There isn't one! Either the military or the local commune maintain the cemeteries.

For information, you could contact

Ministrie van Binnenlandse Zaken Dienst Militaire kerkhoven,
konigsstraat 66,
B-1000 Brussels

Dave.

[CROONAERT]

...or if it's specifics about a particular casualty that you require, I've got a listing of nearly all of the Belgian dead who are under a "wargrave" headstone in France, Belgium and the UK if I can help at all?

Dave.

[Dave Phillips]

Roel

I have found this website very useful

http://www.inflandersfields.be/default2.htm

Search under 'Main Menu' and then 'Casualty Database'.
All the best

Dave

[roel22]

Thank you for your replies.
What I'm looking for has nothing to do with Belgian casualties. After the armistice the Belgian war graves service cleared some battlefields and re-interred the bodies in concentration-cemeteries. I'd like to know if there's specific information about German soldiers reburied at Kemmel no. 1 French cemetery. They were reburied by Belgians. The CWGC doensn't have any info, so the Belgians are more or less my last lead.

regards

Roel

[CROONAERT]

Thank you for your replies.
What I'm looking for has nothing to do with Belgian casualties. After the armistice the Belgian war garves service cleared some battlefields and re-interred the bodies in concentration-cemeteries. I'd like to know if there's specific information about German soldiers reburied at Kemmel no. 1 French cemetery. They were reburied by Belgians. The CWGC doensn't have any info, so the Belgians are more or less my last lead.

regards

Roel

Ahhh! I see!  (I never did get back to you about this did I? - found nothing on the German maps and my money still rests on French no.1 being the place).

What you call the Belgian War Graves Service was actually the Graves Registration Units of the Belgian Army, not a seperate organisation as was the case for the UK (and Germany after 1919!). Belgian military records might hold some info, but I'm not certain.

Dave.

[roel22]

Ahhh! I see!  (I never did get back to you about this did I? - found nothing on the German maps and my money still rests on French no.1 being the place).

French no. 1 is the no. 1 for me as well: the Volksbund has recently confirmed that two identified burials are of men from the 7.kompanie RIR 238, KIA 14-5-1918. My great-grandfather was from the 5. kompanie and fell the same day. So very likely he was buried there as well as an unknown, during or shortly after the war.

regards

Roel

[DaveJacobs]

Roel

I have found this website very useful

http://www.inflandersfields.be/default2.htm

Search under 'Main Menu' and then 'Casualty Database'.
All the best

Dave

====
When I try this web site, there seems to be no way of getting off the first page!  No doubt I'm doing something wrong though.

My interest is because I am researching the history of the Belgian War Memorial in Southampton Old Cemetery, and there are some discrepancies between names recorded in the burial register, those recorded on the panel on the memorial and those on individual headstones.  
It seems the graves originally had crosses, but some time after the War (WW1) they were replaced with official standard Belgian headstones.  I'd like to know exactly when this was done, at whose instigation, and how the names on them were arrived at.
Cheers,  DaveJacobs

[montbrehain]

Heres some (not very good) photos of the Belgian graves in Southampton old cemetery.
 once.jpg   52.24K   2 downloads

[montbrehain]

 again.jpg   58.56K   1 downloads

[Bert Heyvaert]

Roel,

The Belgian War Graves Commission is the 'dienst oorlogsgraven' of the NIOOO (Nationaal Instituut voor oorlogsinvaliden, oud-strijders en oorlogsslactoffers). Director is Colonel Rob Troubleyn. I would suggest you try googling these, and if that doesn't come up with something, go unto www.forumeerstewereldoorlog.nl, where Rob is a user under the name 'oorlogsgraven'. He is a very dedicated man, and there is a notable positive change since he took over the service.

regards,

Bert

[healdav]

The person you want is Patrick de Wolf. His mail is ABL1914@pandora.be

He has a CD-ROM of all Belgian war graves (WW1).

For some years now he has been doing an inventory of all the wa graves on bhalf, I understand, of the Belgian army and would be interested to have details of the condition of any graves anyone may know of (the Southampton graves above, for example).

He can take some time to answer mails, but he is the guru sans pareil on the subject.

[CROONAERT]

The person you want is Patrick de Wolf. His mail is ABL1914@pandora.be

He has a CD-ROM of all Belgian war graves (WW1). .

If you want anything looking up from this CD-ROM and can't get hold of him, drop me a line as Patrick gave me a copy of this CD a while back (apparently, according to him, I was (at the time) the only person in the UK to posess this CD! )

Dave

[roel22]

The Belgian War Graves Commission is the 'dienst oorlogsgraven' of the NIOOO (Nationaal Instituut voor oorlogsinvaliden, oud-strijders en oorlogsslactoffers). Director is Colonel Rob Troubleyn. I would suggest you try googling these, and if that doesn't come up with something, go unto www.forumeerstewereldoorlog.nl, where Rob is a user under the name 'oorlogsgraven'. He is a very dedicated man, and there is a notable positive change since he took over the service.

I'll contact him. Thanks for the tip, Bert!

Roel

[healdav]

If you want anything looking up from this CD-ROM and can't get hold of him, drop me a line as Patrick gave me a copy of this CD a while back (apparently, according to him, I was (at the time) the only person in the UK to posess this CD! )

Dave

I also have the CD-ROm, but then I'm not in the UK!

[Jim Strawbridge]

Can anyone tell me if there are any WW1 Belgian female grave locations on this CD?

[CROONAERT]

Can anyone tell me if there are any WW1 Belgian female grave locations on this CD?

Haven't looked to be honest, but if they are under a Belgian military headstone then, yes, i'd assume they are.

Supply me with a name and I'll take a look.

Dave

[Jim Strawbridge]

Haven't looked to be honest, but if they are under a Belgian military headstone then, yes, i'd assume they are.

Supply me with a name and I'll take a look.

Dave

Thanks, Dave. All but one of these is classed as military nurses. I have omitted spies and couriers.  


Clementine COECKELBERGS
Rosalie CORTVIENDT
Julia DE PAUW
Jeanne DUPOIS
Henriette DUSTIN
Leonie LEDUN
Antoinette LIEVIN-DEMAESENEER
Madeleine MOLENBRINCK
Georgine PAUWELS
Alice ROMDENNE
Amelie SERNEELS
Armandine SIMON-DEBAUCHE
Emma VANNESTE
Euphrasie VANNESTE
Elise VERJANS
Marguerite VERWILGHEM
Madeleine WAUTERS

[CROONAERT]

jim.

Unfortunately, I drew a blank with all of them!

However, I did stumble on another not on your list (but with a matching surname as one one of yours)...

Name: DUSTIN, Carolina
Unit:    Mil.Hosp.Hoogstade
Rank: Nurse
Number: 610
Born: Brussels, 2/8/1862
Died: Dinard (Hosp.), 10.9.1918
Cause: Sickness
Burial place 1418: Dinard, grave 150
Burial date: 12.9.1918
Burial place today: Dinard Communal Cemetery, grave number 32


Dave

[Jim Strawbridge]

Hello Dave, I am most grateful for this information. It helps give some completeness to my records. Out of interest is it a searchable cd that you have? If so, can you run a search under nurse and sister and see what comes out? Thanks, Jim

[jean m dominique]

Can anybody tell me what the Belgian war graves commission is called - and where I can reach them?
Thanks in advance

Roel

  Hi Roel
There is no Belgian War Graves Commission as such, and the cemeteries here are maintained either by the military or by the local gemeente - a far cry from the CWGC's magnificent example, innit ?
You might try this:
Kabinet van de Chef van Defensie
Kwartier Koningin Elisabeth
Blok 1
Everestraat 1
1140  Brussel
Phone  (02) 701 61 05
Fax  (02) 702 66 25
Hope to have been of some help
SRD jar (Brussels)

[roel22]

You have been very helpful!

regards Roel

[Peter Bennett]

CROONAERT, on 28 April 2006 - 02:57 PM, said:

...or if it's specifics about a particular casualty that you require, I've got a listing of nearly all of the Belgian dead who are under a "wargrave" headstone in France, Belgium and the UK if I can help at all?

Dave.

Dave

Do you still have the list of casualty locations, if so may I please PM you

Thank you

Peter