In the lead-up to Remembrance Day, a free tour organized by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), was held at Buckingham Cemetery giving residents a chance to honour local heroes.
Spread around the cemetery located off Brackley Road are the final resting place of Ten service personnel – Two service men from the First World War and Eight from the Second World War.
During the one-hour tour, the guide, Mike Chapman shared stories about each of the ten fallen servicemen and the makings of their gravestones, how they are maintained to preserve their memory.
Formed in 1917, the CWGC works to commemorate 1.7 million men and women from Britian and the commonwealth, who died in the First and Second World Wars. The commission oversee war graves in over 150 countries. With their largest in Tyne Cot in Belgium, which has 12,000 graves.
The tour raised awareness about the war graves in the community. Mike said: “The Commission has recognised that we need to help people understand what is on their doorstep because so many people who come on these tours aren’t aware of these graves.
“It’s all about raising awareness in all age groups…and that we remember these people because they served their country and, in many cases, they died in action”
“I would like to think that the people who have attended today’s tour will have a greater understanding, a better understanding of the Commission’s work, an aspect of remembrance” he added
The tour left those that attended with a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices made by those who served, the stories shared and the commission’s ongoing work to preserve their memory.
