The Commonwealth War Graves
Commission’s centenary interpretive panel programme is gathering pace with the
help of Guild members.
The project will see information
panels sited at cemeteries and memorials all over the world. The panels are
part of a drive to provide more information for the public during the centenary
of the First World War. More than 100 of the panels are being erected at sites
in the UK, to provide information about the many thousands of First World War
casualties, from all parts of the Commonwealth, who are buried or commemorated
here. A further 400 panels will be located in cemeteries and memorials in more
than 30 other countries.
Each of the panels carries
information about the site of the cemetery or memorial, and the reason why it is
situated where it is. But each panel also carries a QR (Quick Response) code
which when scanned with a smartphone provides access to further information,
including the personal stories of some of the casualties buried or commemorated
at the location. Many of these stories are researched and provided by Guild
members.
At the recent unveiling of
information panels at the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, the Commission’s
President, HRH The Duke of Kent said, “The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
is at the heart of events to mark the centenary of the First World War. Our
cemeteries and memorials will be the focus for many acts of remembrance over
the coming years and this initiative will help inform visitors of the
historical context which brought these places into being, while putting a human
face to the names of those who died. It is a powerful means of combining
traditional methods with new technology to ensure we never forget.”
The Commission’s Peter Francis
added, “The Guild has been a great help and the public’s response to the
personal stories has been overwhelmingly positive. A huge thank you to you for
your support and keep the stories coming in!”
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