COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION SEEKS TO TEACH US MORE ABOUT LOCAL WAR DEAD

Following my recent meeting with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), I would encourage constituents to learn more about their community’s connection to the First and Second World War by engaging with the Commission's sites in their towns. CWGC looks after the graves and memorials to the 1.7 million Commonwealth men and women who died serving in the two World Wars. More than 306,000 of those who gave their lives are commemorated on British soil, including 170,000 burials. I believe it is important to keep their stories alive. In almost every city, town and village in the country there lies a war hero who will be commemorated in perpetuity by CWGC. A simple search on the Commission’s website at www.cwgc.org can reveal just how many of those who died in the conflicts found their final resting place in your home town. Anyone can support the Commission’s work to remember the war dead by joining as a supporter of the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation and help to fund educational outreach work to engage the next generation. Almost every family in the country has a story or connection that links them personally to the First and Second World Wars but not everyone knows about those who are commemorated in their home town. It’s astounding to think that wherever you go in the UK you are rarely far away from a poignant reminder of the sacrifice given by the generations before us and North Ayrshire and Arran is no exception. I would encourage those who live and work in North Ayrshire and Arran to search on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s website and learn more about those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the two World Wars. You never know, you may even make a connection to your own family history that had been forgotten. I’m proud to support the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation’s work to ensure the next generation continues to learn about those who died in two World Wars and keep their memory alive.