WAR GRAVES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4682, 2 April 1924, Page 3

WAR GRAVES.

BODIES STILL BEING FOUND. CLEARING HIGH WOOD. The fourth annua] report of the Imperial War Graves Commission for 1922-23 states that the total British casualties during the-war. Including native African followers and mercantile marine were over three millionOf these the death casualties, as ascertained to July, 1923, were approximately 1,019,268. The report recalls that, following the withdrawal of military exhuma--tion parties in November, 1921, arrangements were made with the local authorities to report to the commission bodies discovered by the reconstruction parties, etc. Since then considerable numbers have been discovered, some by the construction pa*ties. some by the commission’s gardeners, others, through indications supplied by relatives. In this manner a total of 6107 isolated bodies have been discovered and reburied ri cemeteries, of which 1054 weie iden lified at the time. Others were subsequently identified by a study in London of the effects found with the remains. CLEARANCE OF WOODS. As time goes on the i umber oi these discoveries will grow fewei, adds the report, but bodies'are still being'found in the Ypres Salient, on Vimy Ridge, and on the Somme, particularly in the regions of Thiepval, Mouquet Farm, Delville, and Hangard Woods. It is expected that more will be found when the French authorities begin to clear Bburlon. Troncs. and High. Woods, which at present are impenetrable on account of the thickne-So of the undergrowth and the presence of considerable quantities of unex--ploded ammunition.

Some 2000 Germans burial lists, often accompanied by exhumation plans, have been received from Berlin thiough the commission’s office there. These dbcuments,have been of great value, and have led 1 to the discovery of graves, and even of cemeteries, which might otherwise have been lost, all surface evidence of graves having disappeared. The removal of graves in many small ceme ■ lories has been necessitated owing to suppression of the cemeteries by lU l ® French authorities, particularly in the case of. cemeteries containing chiefly German graves with British graves scattered among them.

SUMMARY OF THE WORK. The report deals specifically with the work of the commission up to March 31 last year all over the world: but a summary of the work done up :o the end of November is also given, which shows that outside the United Kingdom (excluding the Dominions) v.ork has been begun in 1045 cemeteries, communal cemeteries, churchyards, and burial grounds, and in the case of 725 the constructional work has been completed. Of these last. 55" are situated in France and Belyi um, 80in Italy. 21 in Gallipoli, 21 i Sweden, 14 in Egypt. 10 in Macedonia, 10 in the Balkans, 4 in Palestine, and one each in Kenya, Gibraltar, Persia, Finland, and Switzerland The remaining 320 are still under ‘-'instruction, and of these 287 are in France and Belgium, four in Italy, 15 in Gallipoli, five in Palestine, one ,n Egypt, four in Holland, and four in Kenya.

The number of headstones shipped to theatres of war is : To France and Belgium, 174,5'52: to Macedonia, 8189 ; Egypt, Palestine, and Gallipoli, 11,000 (including some in transit and some in course of manufacture); Italy and elsewhere, 7734. These figures are exclusive of headstones erected »n the self-governing Dominions. MEMORIALS TO THE MISSING, In the United Kingdom contracts have neen placed for constructional work in 83 military plats in cemeteries or churchyards, of which 62 have been completed. Headstones have been erected in 43 of these, and in addition 1547 headstones have been erected in 600 other churchyards. The memorials to the missing in Italy and Macedonia have been completed, and nine more are under construction, of which three are in the United Kingdom, two iu France, three in Gallipoli, and one in Egypt. fn Canada the total number of headstones ordered up to March 21 last was 1261, while in the United States there are estimated lo be over 300 British war graves which are being systematically dealt with. The New Zealand Government has undertaken to carry out the permanent work in respect of their war gtaves in Samoa, in addition to which (lie graves will be maintained for all time.

In South Africa arrangements are being macle to obtain estimates for the erection of permanent memorials similar to those on the Western front, and in Germany it has been decided to concentrate all the graves of the British dead in a few large cemeteries, where they can be treated on the same lines as the graves in France and Belgium.