Comments on: Dury Mill British Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais

By: Linda Keddy

Linda Keddy — Wed, 26 May 2010 14:57:47 +0000

I was just at this cemetery on Easter Sunday, 2010 visiting my great uncle’s grave . He was from St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada and died on Sept. 2nd 1918 at 23. It is very beautiful and thank you for those pictures. It is so wonderful that CWGC does an amazing job and this particular cemetery is so peaceful.

By: George Smith

George Smith — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 01:56:15 +0000

Hi Chris,
I was searching Dury Mill Cemetery and stumbled on your page. Nicely done and a tribute to both your great uncle and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
I visited Dury Mill Cemetery in Sept. 2005. Like your great uncle, my grandfather (George Nicholas Riddell) fought with the 54th Kootenay Battalion and was wounded on Sept 2 1918. Unlike your uncle, my grandfather survived. He lived a full life and passed away in 1987 at the age of 96. He has 42 descendants living today who wouldn’t be here if he would have died that day.
In case you haven’t found it, the 54th has a website: http://www.54thbattalioncef.ca/
You can also see your G uncle’s attestation papers at the Library and Archives Canada page: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/cef/001042-100.01-e.php
His previous service is mentioned.
Hope this helps you.
Geo.

By: John Clare

John Clare — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:21:21 +0000

As you acknowledge, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission does an excellent job in many places round the world, although its existence and activities may not be known to many of those who owe their present way of life to the sacrifice of those commemorated by the CWCG. My only concern (as someone whose christian grandfather is commemorated by the CWCG) is that I find it difficult to reconcile the cross placed prominently on many – perhaps all – CWGC gravestones with the admirable principle stated on the CWCG website that ‘There should be no distinction made on account of military or civil rank, race or creed’. Whilst the American assumption that all those who are not jewish, etc are christian and should therefore be commemorated by an actual cross is perhaps even more unthinking, such emblems can offend surviving relatives. Interestingly but confusingly, I have encountered church graveyards in England which do not now allow headstones in the form of crosses.