War Graves Week comes to Dorchester's Fordington Cemetery
It's aimed at encouraging us to discover local World War heritage
War Graves Week will is being marked in Dorchester this week, thanks to an initiative set up by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC).
It's an initiative aimed at encouraging people from the local community to come together and discover the World War heritage on their doorstep and learning about the stories of those commemorated by the CWGC in Dorchester.
It will help them understand the skills, dedication and expertise of those CWGC staff and volunteers who work to keep their memory alive. They will also be offering free tours at Fordington Cemetery.
The free guided tours at Fordington Cemetery will take place today (Sunday 22nd May) at midday and 3.00pm, and on Wednesday (25th May) at 3.00pm and 6.30pm.
The tours will give people in Dorset the chance to discover the remarkable stories of the men and women of the Commonwealth forces that died in the First and Second World Wars who are buried in their community. War Graves Week provides a unique chance for the people of Dorchester to reconnect with their local history.
More than 30 casualties from World War One and World War Two are buried at the cemetery. These include both British and Commonwealth casualties, many of whom have fascinating back stories connected to the locality.
Those remembered in Fordington range from 19 to 64, one who served under an alias and one who died in suspicious circumstances. The cemetery also contains a unique memorial to German prisoners of war who died in the town.
On the tours, Dorchester residents will learn about the Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times project – the focus of this year’s War Graves Week. Alongside the front-line armed forces, the CWGC will be celebrating the value those who served during the World Wars brought to key sectors such as healthcare, logistics, infrastructure and communications.
To learn more about specific stories of those who served, and the parallels with today’s global Britain which they helped to create, please visit: www.cwgc.org/wargravesweek
The tours will be led by local resident, Stewart Kilby, who is a volunteer guide and public engagement speaker for the CWGC. Stewart said:
“We’re delighted that the CWGC’s War Graves Week will be taking place in Dorchester. For us at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, remembrance and the sharing and caring for World War heritage is a daily duty. Behind every name on a war grave or memorial in Dorset is a human story waiting to be discovered and War Graves Week is the perfect opportunity to do just that.
“I’d encourage everyone in Dorchester and surrounding villages to join one of the tours to reconnect with their local history to learn about the courageous ordinary people from our community who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.”
The CWGC is encouraging the people of Dorchester to seek out the stories in their local area and book onto a free tour this War Graves Week. To book a tour, visit: www.cwgc.org/tours