HERITAGE TALK: COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION

Alan Fidler will talk about the Commonwealth War Graves Commission For this year’s talk linked to Remembrance Day, we are pleased to welcome Alan Fidler, the driving force behind the Northumbria WW1 Commemoration Project and an expert on the conflict and its implications for North Shields and the surrounding area. Alan will describe the complexities around the setting up of the Commission in 1917, the challenges it faced, especially during a war with such a heavy death toll, including the criticisms it faced from wealthy families who wanted to bring their loved ones home but how strict rules existed about where burials should take place. His talk will include local stories which are now documented on the extensive database of the Northumbria WW1 Commemoration Project. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is a global leader in commemoration. Founded by Royal Charter in 1917, it works on behalf of the Governments of Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom to commemorate the 1.7 million men and women from the Commonwealth who lost their lives in the two World Wars. The cemeteries, memorials, graves, landscapes, and records in the Commission’s care can be found at 23,000 locations and in more than 150 countries and territories. Its website states: “We believe that each one of those we commemorate were people like us, with their own ambitions, hopes, and dreams. It is our duty and privilege to care for their graves and memorials and through our charitable Foundation, keep their stories alive.”