The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

Adam Brown

Several Edinburgh cemeteries have CWGC war crosses. Rather than post a message for each cross I will put the ones I have photgraphed here. There are others in Edinburgh I have not photographed yet.

Seafield Cemetery

The main burial place for sailors from the Port of Leith during the wars

Rosebank Cemetery

Most of those lost in the Gretna rail disaster are buried in this cemetery

Warriston Cemetery

Edinburgh Council seem to have given up on this cemetery although it is still open for burials by the looks of it.

Eastern Cemetery

Comely Bank

I don't have a war cross from Comely Bank. I don't know if there are enough burials to warrant one. The CWGC markers are unusual so worth posting.

Adam

apanderson · Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:35 pm Post subject:

Adam,

I didn't realise these crosses were CWGC Crosses. Are these the ones which are refered to as "Crosses of Sacrifice"?

I've got photos of these from umpteen cemeteries but I didn't include them as I didn't know their significance. I wondered why they were all the same but never had any names on them - never thought to try and find out for myself (obviously!!).

Would you know the reason for them being in some cemeteries and not in others?

Anne

Adam Brown · Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 4:05 pm Post subject:

Anne

They are examples of the Cross of Sacrifice designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield. I think I'm right in saying that any cemetery in any part of the world which has more than 40 CWGC graves can have a Cross of Sacrifice.

That means many of the cemeteries in cities or near major airfields or ports in the UK have them. Any cemetery which has less than 40 CWGC graves does not have a cross.

Originally the IWGC asked Sir Edwin Lutyens to produce a monument to be placed in each cemetery. He came up with the simple Stone of Remembrance with no religeous or military symbolism.
Unfortunately it was very expensive so it was restricted to very large cemeteries of over 1,000 graves only. In it's place Blomfield's Cross with the bronze sword was chosen for the majority of war cemeteries. It was designed in four sizes from 14 to 24 ft to fit the cemetery it was placed in.

Adam

apanderson · Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 4:57 pm Post subject:

Thanks for that info Adam.

Next question . . . . where to post the photos?

Falkirk (Camelon) Cemetery has one of these Crosses and so does Grangemouth (Grandsable) Cemetery, but they both also have quite separate War Memorials. Falkirk's WM doesn't have any names on it (there's a plan afoot to erect a separate Camelon one) but Grangemouth's WM has.

To cut to the chase - would I post these as Cemetery Memorials on a new thread and title the posts as this is or just add them to the already existing threads with the other War Memorials for these locations?

Anne

Malcolm · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 184 Location: Edinburgh

The one at Dunfermline Cemetery in Fife is here:
http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=794

Aye
Malcolm

Adam Brown · Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 8:19 pm Post subject: