The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) honours the 1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the First and Second World Wars, and ensures they will never be forgotten.
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To help mark #Armistice100 the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has been documenting many war graves around the country, including those within the graveyards at St Peter & St Paul in Grays and St Mary's in Little Thurrock. We will be receiving official signage and creating a map of the locations of the graves and memorials in due course.
The Graveyard of St Mary's We have one WW2 soldier interned at St Mary's: Volunteer Walter James WRIGHT 6th Gloucestershire (South Gloucester) Bn. Home Guard died 27/02/1941 age 25 James was the husband of Minnie Christine Wright, of Knowle, Bristol. Laid to rest at St Mary's The Graveyard of St Peter & St Paul's These are the WW1 soldiers/sailors/airmen we have either interned or on a memorial within SsPP: Private Sidney Herbert HARRIS Service Number 18844 Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) died 11/04/1917 age 19 years Son of William & Elizabeth Harris of 8 Parker Road, Grays Laid to rest in Browns Copse Cemetery, Roeux, France Died during the battle of ARRAS (also known as the Second Battle of Arras) which commenced 09/04/17 to 16/05/1917 Family memorial SsPP Private Edward "Mac" HARRIS Service Number 475183 Labour Corps died 16/03/1919 age 28 Son of Lionel Harris & Ellen Harris of 149 & 151 London Road, Grays & 28 Orsett Road Edward was a Clerk Gas Office Died of injuries sustained during battle (still trying to establish where he sustained his injuries) Laid to rest in SsPP Major William E WARREN Royal Artillery 81st Siege Battery died 29/03/1918 Cambrai (Somme) age 37 Son of Jane & Capt William E Warren (Royal Artillery) who served in Kaffir war, 1877/8, Zulu war 1879, Boer war 1880 - 1882, and the Great War 1914 - 1918 Major WARREN is buried at Gezaincourt Communial Cemetary, Picardie, France Memorial at family grave SsPP Stoker 2nd Class George Henry MOORE Royal Navy died 01/05/1915, age unknown was on board HMS Recruit which was sunk by a German Submarine UB-6 in Southern North Sea HMS Recruit was a Brazen Class Destroyer It broke in two and sank with the loss of 39 men (26 were rescued) George's body remains with the wreck, he has a memorial at Gravesend and family memorial at SsPP These are the WW2 soldiers/sailors/airmen we have either interned or on a memorial within SsPP: Flight Sgt (Pilot) George Henry MAYS Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve died 07/04/1942 age unknown Was shot down over a bombing raid over Cologne, Germany Laid to rest in Rheinberg War Cemetery, Westfalen, Germany Sgt (Pilot) Grahame David HART Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve died 30/01/1942 age unknown in Great Yarmouth after sustaining injuries (unknown at this point how) Service number 1152821 Son of David & Isobel Hart of Grays Laid to rest at SsPP Driver Ronald Lambert RAINEY Service Number 138835 Royal Army Service Corps died 01/04/1942 in Rochdale as a result of injuries (unknown how at this point) Son of John Lambert Rainey and Muriel Susan Rainey (Nee Partridge) of Grays Memorial at SsPP |
Since the establishment of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission by Royal Charter they have constructed 2,500 war cemeteries and plots, erected headstones over graves and where the remains are missing, inscribed the names of the dead on permanent memorials. More than a million burials are now commemorated at military and civil sites in more than 150 countries and territories. To find out more about the CWGC, you can visit their website at: CWGC.org |