Commonwealth War Graves Commission - Arras, France

[kerouac2]

I had been wanting to go here for a certain amount of time, but I needed to have a car because otherwise it is will nigh impossible.  And without GPS, I don't know if I would have ever found it because it is to hell and gone at the end of a dead end.  Yet I knew they have a lovely visitor centre.  Since my rental car was involuntarily upgraded to one with GPS navigation, it all became possible.

The car park was not overflowing, but I'm sure that full buses come here during war commemoration season



The staff outnumbered me two to one and were relieved to be able to speak French to me (since they were both French), but I am quite sure they do an honourable job with all of the English speaking visitors.  I was just the pleasant easy fluke in their day.

I was sent into the first chamber with a young man who gave me an audio guide and explained all of the photos on the wall, the most important ones being the 5 creators of the Imperial War Graves Commission in 1917.  He pointed out that they did not all get along, but at least they were devoted to the cause.  The royal charter specified that the governments of Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom would work together to commemorate the dead of both world wars in which they lost 1.7 million men and women.

They are in charge of more than 23,000 locations, not just cemeteries bus also memorials, isolated graves, etc.  There are CWGC visitor centres in Arras and Ypres but also in Malta, India and other places.

I was given a very good audio guide and sent on my way.  I already don't know who this person is.

[kerouac2]

There are lots of bilingual information panels. Some of them are also in German.





The centre in Arras creates all of the headstones for every British cemetery in the world in 30 different types of stone. I can't imagine how they did it before these amazing robotic machines did all of the carving. Nevertheless, it takes 2 hours to carve each stone, and they weigh 70 kgs each.

Each country has its own designs and religions.



A decoder was probably not necessary, but here it is anyway. Rudyard Kipling created all of the pithy quotes when the family did not supply one.



Of course each regiment has its own emblem.

[kerouac2]

Please note that all of this is viewed behind glass so that visitors do not disturb the workers.

The next workshop was for all of the woodwork they have to do, on gates, inside memorials, etc;





It is all done by hand. No robotic woodwork.





The maintenance centre for all of the gardening tools is one of the most important things. The mowers always need something.







some of the older gardening equipment

[mickthecactus]

This is Good stuff K2. Thanks.

[kerouac2]

There was only one other visitor there when I arrived. He was taking a rest here.



I guess there was no longer any need for the old covid distance markers.



This is the inner courtyard of the visitor centre. The workshops and displays are all around.



Next was the search for remains and remnants. Helmets are easy to identify, but you need to be an expert to recognise old British uniform buttons.



other personal items



Boots are not considered a proof of identity because soldiers often exchanged them. Australian boots were the most comfortable.



British canteen on the left, German canteen on the right.

[mickthecactus]

Whenever I go to the family cemetery in Ramsgate I always walk round the small War Graves section which is next door to great grandparents. I always love the way the gardens are kept and read the headstones, various nationalities and some of them so young.

[kerouac2]

In the past, partial remains were buried in smaller coffins. But now every scrap gets a full sized coffin.

There was a big wall map of Europe showing all of the places where remains have continued to be discovered in the last 20 years. I just concentrated on Ecoust, because that's where the film 1917 takes place. I personally consider this to be one of the finest films of all time.

Signage is another big responsibility of the commission. I'm sure we have seen these signs all over the world.

I didn't get a picture of it, but there were also four gravestones on display from the most worn to newer ones. The test for the need to replace a stone is if you can no longer read the inscription from 2 metres away. Several hundred are replaces every year because the weather (not to mention some cases of vandalism) has taken a toll in the last 100 years.

There were some videos to show how the cemeteries and memorials are maintained.

[kerouac2]

There was still the metal forging workshop to see.



All of the gates and other embellishments in Europe are completely hand made here. Some of them take months to complete.





one last view of a headstone to be engraved



This was a free visit, but donations are always welcome.



One final thing. This being a special year, there was a commemoration of all Olympic athletes in these graves.

Well done. Carry on.

[htmb]

Important work. It’s unfortunate such a place is needed.

Watching the people in their workshops would be interesting to me.

[lugg]

Fascinating and so important, not least to remind the next generations, but it is so much more than that . I had no idea about the industry behind the war graves .

Complete co-incidence but today I saw this from Ypres, in its own way reminding visitors to a garden in Herefordshire

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I think the tree will be nurtured, at least for the time being, but I wonder if its heritage will be remembered when it reaches it maturity.

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