War Grave Puzzle

By Carole Moody

Something was amiss. I had two stones, apparently for Lewis Dilnot, on different graves. What was going on in section 20?

What should have been an unmarked grave on my plan turned out to have a Commonwealth War Grave Commission stone for Lewis. However, a short distance away, on another grave, I had photos of a stone to Lewis from his shipmates on the TSS The Queen, but without his name.

I’d puzzled over this group of graves on photographic recording visits, as they didn’t seem to tally with the plan. After much checking of the CWGC website, plus the Cemetery burial register, and finding they agreed, I was now certain. Grave 1752 had his war gravestone, but grave 1775, with the stone from the crew, was his burial place.

I sent an email to the CWG Commission, with photos showing the situation. They replied speedily and a meeting was soon set up with the Area Representative, Kevin, who has over 1,000 cemeteries in the South East to manage. He finally agreed with Karl and me, that the stone was in the wrong place. Kevin quickly arranged for two of his men to move it to its rightful home the next week. Now the two stones are together, where Lewis is buried.

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