SOLDIERS' GRAVES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 150, 20 March 1919, Page 6

SOLDIERS' GRAVES

PHOTOGRAPHS FOR RELATIVES WHAT THE DIRECTORATE IS DOING

Information regarding the progress of the work of registering and photo- i graphing soldiers' graves in France and J elsewhere is contained in a memorandum sent to tho New Zealand lied Cross by 1 the Director-General of Graves 'Registra- i tion ami Inquiries. Tho report explains 1 ' that there will be delay in su'">lymg : all the photographs of graves applied tor by relatives, owing to the fact that the amount of work involved is enoiinous. The directorate cannot at present keep pace with the applications, but the into- : tographs will be forwarded as soon as possible in all cases. . . During the war the use of private cameras in Ihe field was prohibited. A feiv photographers were attached to the graves registration units, materials for the work being furnished at the expense of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St. .Tolin. Tho work was done by officers and nien of the directorate, but the pliotogranhss were practically gifts from the Red Crosj?. "The order prohibiting the use ot cameras has now been withdrawn, states the Director-General, "so that the reasons which led the directorate to undertake this work no longer exist; .but they have every visli and intention to coniinue helping relatives in this way so long as. it does not interfere unduly with (lie far'more urgent task of marking and preserving the graves, a task-which recent events have made infiniteJy heavier. "Up to the present 70,000 photographs have been supplied, but many thousand requests still remain to lie dealt with. The delay is due to the small number

'of photographers available, each ot whom has to be specially trained, and tho increased difficulties, owing to tlio requirements of demobilisation, in providing transport for them to the various cemeteries which, as will be seen from a "lance at. any of tho maps shownu' the area of lighting, are scattered over a verv large extent of country. As regards isolated graves, the difficulties' are naturally even greater, most of tlieso being far from any road and only to bo reached bv walking over country covered with shell-holes, wire and old trenches, necessitating slow progress even in fine summer weather. It is feared that it will bo impossible to supply photographs of many of these, within any reasonable time, but eventually it is hoped that a photograph of each permanent grave will be obtainable. Meanwhile, every effort is being made to cope with tho work: it may be possible shortly to increase %ho number of trained photographers employed, and as demobilisation proceeds mnrA transport may become available "With further reference to this subject the directorate wish it to be known that authoritative information has been received that; in certain localities a rumour has been started that the photograph received is not genuine, but is only that, of a dummy •grave; this rumour is a most cruel one. not only to the relatives lint'also to the officers and meu of the directorate, engaged in th° various theatres of war on thin work, which is a labour of lore rather .than a military duty. It .cannot be understood on what grounds such a Tumour could have been started, unless it were with the deliberate intention of causing additional grief and disappointment to .those mourning the loss "f one who has made the supreme sacrifice in the war. The directorate can avsuro th.'i public that each photograph of a grave sent to a relative is that of the actual jrave taken on the spot; in fact, nart of'the delay in supplying photographs is due to the scrupulous care ivlufh must be taken to avoid py possible error and the coiis p mient _ necessity of enmlovincr onlv specially trained noncommissioned officers and men on tho work."