CLA News / An introduction to The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
This summer, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) became one of the newest accredited organisations with the Commonwealth Secretariat. With November being the month of Remembrance, it is the perfect opportunity to find out more about their work.
The CWGC’s mission is simple but powerful: to honour and care for the 1.7 million Commonwealth servicemen and women who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars, making sure they’re never forgotten. Their work stretches across more than 150 countries, navigating different cultures and legal systems in all their operations.
Many will be familiar with the large cemeteries in France and Belgium, but the Commission’s reach is far wider, looking after graves and memorials on every continent except Antarctica.
Founded in 1917 under a Royal Charter, the CWGC is funded by six governments in proportion to the number of commemorations: the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and India.
The CWGC is also one of the largest horticultural organisations in the world, maintaining cemeteries and commemoratives sites in 23,000 different locations. It is responsible for looking after this ageing estate whilst dealing with significant challenges, such as climate change and global security.
The Commission is keen to work with other accredited organisations and to support the Commonwealth Secretariat in its work. Recent projects include working with the Commonwealth Heritage Forum, another accredited organisation, to protect historic monuments within the Commonwealth, and to work with local communities, and offer in-country training opportunities to share their expertise. The Commission is also committed to sustainability, aiming to reach net-zero by 2050.
Through its charitable arm, the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation, CWGC runs volunteer programmes that connect people with the past. In the UK, “Eyes On Hands On” volunteers visit local war graves and report issues. A new volunteer programme has just been launched in Canada, helping to care for 15,000 war dead across nearly 3,000 sites in Canada and the US — servicemen and women who died during training, from illness or wounds, or while flying and sailing from Canadian bases.
At the heart of it all, is storytelling, sharing the stories of those they commemorate and inviting the public to contribute and share their stories. With this in mind CWGC has launched For Evermore, a digital portal where anyone can upload and share stories of those commemorated. The goal is ambitious: to record the stories of all 1.7 million casualties.
Men and women, from all different professions and backgrounds served during the two world wars and lawyers were no exception. It is estimated that during the First World War, nearly 3,500 legal practitioners from the UK served with the British, of which 588 were killed in service.
During the Second World War, it is thought that over three hundred barristers from New South Wales, Australia served, eighteen of whom are commemorated by CWGC.
The Commission welcomes any information that members of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association may have about Commonwealth casualties which could be added to For Evermore, alongside those that have already been shared.
Private William Forster, born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, studied law at Trinity College, Cambridge before working as an articled clerk in London. During the Great War, William enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers and within six months he was posted to France, where he was killed two months later during the Battle of Le Transloy, on 7th October 1915 aged just 23. William is remembered at Thiepval Memorial, France.
Thiepval Memorial, France
Flight Lieutenant Harold North, a law clerk from Dunedin, New Zealand, joined the RAF in 1938 and fought in the Battle of Britain during the summer of 1940 during which he survived being shot down. He continued to fly until 1942 when protecting a bomber squadron, he was last seen diving to chase an enemy plane, ten miles inland from the French coast. Presumed to have been killed in action, he is commemorated at the Air Forces memorial at Runnymede, Surrey, England. Harold was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
As living memory of the Second World War fades, CWGC is stepping into a new chapter. By working with high commissions, embassies, defence staff, and commemorative partners worldwide, they’re not only keeping history alive but also showing how commemoration can be a powerful way to bring nations together. Commemorative and heritage organisations and the sites that they maintain are uniquely placed to provide a space for reflection and to connect communities to the people and histories they preserve.
Author: Lizzy Shipton
Public Affairs Officer, The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Find out more about the work of The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
