Wings of a Dove Tours

The_Historian · #1 (**permalink**) August 18th, 2005, 03:16 PM

This may interest forumites in the Staffordshire area.
Wings of a Dove Tours

bigiceman · #2 (**permalink**) August 18th, 2005, 04:08 PM

Great item of interest. I would love to participate in something like that someday when I come to the British Isles.

There was an item that rasied a question I had not previously considered. One of the stops is a German military cemetery. I had never given that much thought. I am suprised the bodies were not sent back to Germany. Do you have any idea how many members of the German military are interred in the British Isles?

The_Historian · #3 (**permalink**) August 18th, 2005, 04:58 PM

Hi Ice,
I don't actually know how many Germans were buried at Cannock Chase offhand-someone else could probably give you chapter & verse on that.
All I know is that the remains of German service men were collected from cemeteries all over Britain and re-interred at Cannock in the '60s.
As far as not repatriating them, I think I'm right in saying that in Germany bodies are only allowed to occupy graves for a 25 year period. After this, the bones are disinterred and transferred to an ossuary (literally a bone 'warehouse')so that the grave can be re-used. I remember seeing a documentary years ago which toured a memorial to the German fallen somewhere in North Africa, and it was a giant ossuary. The minute the presenter walked in, it was like the inside of a mediaeval crypt; all you could see were thousands upon thousands of bones piled everywhere there was space-and one set of remains didn't always stay together.
It may not have been deemed practical (or culturally desirable) to repatriate bodies postwar, but feel free to correct me on this practice though.

bigiceman · #4 (**permalink**) August 18th, 2005, 05:04 PM

[img]redface.gif[/img] Just my lack of awareness of the customs there. I was thinking of the cemeteries on the continent where US servicemen are buried.

The_Historian · #5 (**permalink**) August 18th, 2005, 05:08 PM

I know what you mean. Some British fatalities were repatriated, but not very many. The vast majority remained in CWGC cemeteries, and (I think!) the government initially made funds available for relatives to visit. It might only have been in cases of financial hardship though.

Martin Bull · #6 (**permalink**) August 18th, 2005, 05:46 PM

Numbers of German servicemen buried at Cannock Chase are 2143 from WW1 and 2786 from WW2.

[img]graemlins/poppy.gif[/img]

The_Historian · #7 (**permalink**) August 18th, 2005, 06:28 PM

Cheers Martin!

bigiceman · #8 (**permalink**) August 18th, 2005, 07:26 PM

Thanks Martin. The number of WWII personnel doesn't suprise me but the number of WWI personnel sure does. Thanks again.

Gordon, just a coincidence but thought it was odd that while I was typing this my music shuffle brought up Scotland the Brave.

The_Historian · #9 (**permalink**) August 18th, 2005, 09:11 PM

Our influences spread far beyond the mere physical, Ice.

Incidentally, I did some research into POW camps in Britain in both wars a while back. There were 400-ish in WW1, and roughly 600-ish in the last war. Most of the fatalities from WW1 would have been POWs.