Hello

I understand from other threads that it was broadly the policy of post war concentrations and reburials to provide individual graves for the identified or unidentified.

How unusual was it for two or more bodies to be interred in a single grave?

Regards

Mel

Mel
Have posted this photo on GWF along time ago, re Multiple burials, and seems the time is right to re air it, with the two brothers post's.
As you can see this one is a two husband Grave stone.




Click to view attachment

Regards Kevin

Mel



Name: ILLING
Initials: G T
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Stoker
Regiment/Service: Royal Naval Reserve
Unit Text: H.M.S "Cove."
Age: 28
Date of Death: 20/04/1915
Service No: 2831/S
Additional information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. Illing; husband of Florence May Illing, of 11, Commercial St., Stockton-on-Tees. Born at Thornaby. (This grave also contains the burial of his wife's later husband, who also died in service, both being commemorated on a single headstone, see also Stoker P. Franklin, died 4th March 1919).
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: HI. E. 23.
Cemetery: STOCKTON-ON-TEES (DURHAM ROAD) CEMETERY


Name: FRANKLIN
Initials: P
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Stoker
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy
Unit Text: H.M.S. "Boadicea."
Age: 25
Date of Death: 04/03/1919
Service No: SS/112819
Additional information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. Franklin; husband of Florence May Franklin, of 11, Commercial St., Stockton-on-Tees. Born at Sheffield. (This grave also contains the burial of his wife's former husband, who also died in service, both being commemorated on a single headstone, see also Stoker G.T. Illing, died 20th April 1915).
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: HI. E. 23.
Cemetery: STOCKTON-ON-TEES (DURHAM ROAD) CEMETERY



Regards Kevin

Kevin

Many thanks for posting that material - it is quite a story being widowed twice in less than four years.

I would have thought that the joint burial of two husbands must make it the most unique CWGC grave.

regards

Mel

Mel,

My g'uncle is buried at Heilly Station. It was the site of a number of CCS's. He shares a headstone with 2 other soldiers. I think in periods of intense pressure, men were buried side by side in a trench. I don't think they were buried on top of each other but I could be wrong.

Paul

Mel
The cemetery lies about 400mts from my frontdoor, and it does have afew unique or what i think are unique features.
Young lad (para) from the 70's buried there also two brothers from WWII buried together with there family added later, the boys sister still vist's and tends thier grave.
Regards Kevin

Hi Mel

I noticed while walking around Hooge Cemetery, that there were many graves with five or so men in them, mostly unidentified. I also have several K.S.L.I. burials in the same grave.

Annette

Kevin, Paul & Annette

Thanks for your replies. The reason why I raised this question was because I came across a triple burial of the following three casualties:


WESTALL
F
United Kingdom
Private
Royal Berkshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Date of Death: 27/08/1915
Service No: 12829
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: II. C. 8.
Cemetery: CITADEL NEW MILITARY CEMETERY, FRICOURT


SKURRAY
T C
United Kingdom
Serjeant
Royal Berkshire Regiment
Unit Text: 6th Bn.
Age: 35
Date of Death: 27/08/1915
Service No: 10181
Additional information: Son of John and Maria Skurray, of Shrivenham, Berks; husband of Mary Seward (formerly Skurray), of 36, First Avenue, Garden City, Grimsby.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: II. C. 8.
Cemetery: CITADEL NEW MILITARY CEMETERY, FRICOURT


SMITH, JAMES
J
United Kingdom
Private
Royal Berkshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Age: 24
Date of Death: 27/08/1915
Service No: 15402
Additional information: Son of George Smith, of Falcon Court, Northbrook St, Newbury, Berks.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: II. C. 8.
Cemetery: CITADEL NEW MILITARY CEMETERY, FRICOURT


Initially, I thought that the II. C. 8 reference for all three was a CWGC error but then I checked the Battalion diary and the brutal truth became apparent:

6th Royal Berkshire 28th August 1915

Consultation with gunners as to best way of dealing with the sausage and preventing enemy making use of the crater. Decided to fire ranging shots on crater and to open fire in direction from which next sausage arrives. Artillery did excellent practice into crater. Enemy snipers very much less active - and there was little or no response to our Artillery. Sgt Skurry Ptes Westall & Smith were so blown to pieces that they will have to be buried in one grave. Three rifles brought back from scene of explosion smashed and twisted. Improvement of trenches continues under great difficulties. The 5 men killed last night were buried tonight at 8. Pte Andrews accidentally wounded on 26th died today at No 5 Casualty Clearing Stn. D Coy relieved B on left sector. Pte Richardson "D" Coy wounded. The night passed without incident.


Regards

Mel

Named men buried together was, possibly, more common in WW2.

In the case of a tank crew or the crew of a plane, for reasons that I do not need to go into.

I took the question as "how common was it for two burials in a single grave in post-armistice concentration of graves from one site to another" - and presumably therefore in one of the theatres of operations rather than in the UK. Is this whatyou meant?

Obviously, there are many cases of mulitple burials in a single grave for war-time burials, but I think the Hooge Crater cemetery example above shows it also happened post-armistice. As only a few of the graves were wartime burials, the graves marked Five or Seven Soldiers of the Great War must be post-armistice concentration burials. I'm sure there are lots of other examples.

I guess when bodies originally buried together were later moved, it would not have been easy to seperate them necessarily (the idea is fairly grim in itself), so they may have been moved as was.

I wouldn't have thought that where one soldier was in one grave and then the grave was relocated there would have been a policy of making multiple burials in one grave in the new location.

Alan

Took so long over my reply above I missed Mel's latest posting - Citadel is not a post-Armistice concentration cemetery, so perhaps my question does not apply.

Alan

The most I have ever seen on a standard CWGC headstone was "43 Soldiers of the Great War", but I have also seen "Several soldiers of the Great War" and "A Number of soldiers of the Great War".

Having recently recatalogued my unknown headstone pics, I am up to 916 variants on "A ******** of the Great War"

heres one with three on it, different names and different regiments,
denton cemetery manchester

maggy

Maggy
Do you know the story behind the burials? and why the three are together? There is a wide year gap 1915 to 1923.
Regards and look forward to any answers Kevin

Kelly's date looks more like 1925. It certainly doesn't look like 1920 or 1921, so is this in fact a CWGC stone at all?

Intrigued to know what the story is.

Mick

LAW
Initials: G E
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
Unit Text: 12th Bn.
Secondary Regiment: Labour Corps
Secondary Unit Text: transf. to (256032)
Date of Death: 20/02/1919
Service No: 2129
Additional information: (In the same grave is buried Q.M.S. H. WAITE, 61524. Royal Defence Corps. Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. 23rd Oct., 1921. Age 65. Served in the South African Campaign).
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: L 400.
Cemetery: PONTEFRACT CEMETERY

Not sure of the connection between these 2.

The date is 1923.
Triple headstones were discussed here:

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...ost&p=96889

It looks like the 1923 burial is not listed in CWGC but is mentioned in one of the other two CWGC records.

Kelly mentioned on both casualty details.
Regards Kevin

Name: JONES
Initials: T
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Serjeant
Regiment/Service: South Lancashire Regiment
Unit Text: 2nd Bn.
Date of Death: 31/01/1919
Service No: 10861
Additional information: (In the same grave is also buried: Pte. N. F. Kelly, 32208, 3rd Bn. Manchester Regt., 18th Nov., 1923.).
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: D. 480.
Cemetery: DENTON CEMETERY



Name: GRAVES
Initials: J T
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Rifleman
Regiment/Service: Rifle Brigade
Unit Text: 2nd Bn.
Date of Death: 09/10/1915
Service No: 5455
Additional information: (In the same grave is also buried: Pte. N. F. Kelly, 32208, 3rd Bn. Manchester Regt., 18th Nov., 1923.).
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: D. 480.
Cemetery: DENTON CEMETERY

James F Kelly is listed on the Denton roll of honour

Name: KELLY James F.
Address: 46 High Street
Rank: Private
Service Number: 32208
Regiment: Manchesters
Killed / Wounded / Missing: Wounded
Demob / Discharge: Discharged

J T Graves and T Jones are missing from the list

It seems to me that James F Kelly died some time after discharge, the Denton roll was compiled in June 1919, so he lived for 4 year after the list was compiled. Am I right in thinking he would have died from the result of his wounds?

In the same cemetery there is a double stone but these men are brothers both listed on the roll,

I cant work out the reason for the triple stone, different dates,regiments, don’t seem to be related. Why not give them their own grave?
margaret