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Topic: Paddington (Willesden Lane) war graves (Read 288 times)
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Jamaine
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 505
Digging up the dead and annoying the living...
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I wonder if anyone can throw some light on this one...
Yesterday I visited Paddington Old Cemetery (Willesden Lane) to photograph my grt-grandfather's grave.
I was distracted by looking at the war graves in this cemetery as they seemed to be a little unusual to me. Firstly, there was no Cross of Sacrifice, instead was a stone dedicated to 'the men of Paddington'. Secondly about three quarters of all the stones showed a date after the end of the First World War, up to about 1926. Lastly, many of the stones were set together, I have seen this where for example an aircrew crashed and they were all buried together, but the ones at Willesden were of different dates and regiments.
The CWGC website does not say anything exceptional about the place. I would appreciate other's views on this and have added a photograph below.
Thanks - John
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jack1211
RootsChat Pioneer
Posts: 1
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Dear John,
Did you ever find any further information on the war graves at Paddington Old Cemetry? My grt-grandfather (Royal Artillary 1918) is also buried here and I am struggling to find any clues.
Kind regards
Steven
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Jamaine
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 505
Digging up the dead and annoying the living...
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Hi Steven,
No unfortunately I have not been able to progress this so far.
John
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IMBER
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 340
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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These are probably burials of those who died in a local hospital. The photo on the CWGC website is not that clear but it does look as though some of the headstones have "shoulders" which indicates that these are service burials/non war graves maintained for the MOD on an agency basis under whatever arrangements CWGC have agreed for the maintenance of this plot.
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scrimnet
Moderator
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 4725
No plan ever survives first contact...
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Are you sure you didn't wander into the Jewish section??
During the two world wars, the United Kingdom became an island fortress used for training troops and launching land, sea and air operations around the globe. There are more than 170,000 Commonwealth war graves in the United Kingdom, many being those of servicemen and women killed on active service, or who later succumbed to wounds. Others died in training accidents, or because of sickness or disease. The graves, many of them privately owned and marked by private memorials, will be found in more than 12,000 cemeteries and churchyards. Willesden Jewish Cemetery contains burials of both wars. Of the 33 First World War graves, six form a small plot by the assembly hall and 22 of the 77 Second World War burials form a separate plot. The rest of the graves are scattered throughout the cemetery. In place of the more usual Cross of Sacrifice, a specially designed memorial to men and women of the Jewish faith who lost their lives in both wars stands opposite the Second World War plot. The memorial is in the form of an obelisk and was the first Jewish national war memorial to be erected in the United Kingdom.
From the CWGC site...
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One more charge and then be dumb,
When the forts of Folly fall,
May the victors when they come
Find my body near the wall.
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Jamaine
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 505
Digging up the dead and annoying the living...
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Oh I see,
Brent calls it Paddington Old Cemetery, Willesden Lane
Google calls it Willesden lane Cemetery
Same man different hat 
So, any ideas on why so many are after the end of the First World War & the large number of graves are joined together?
I am thinking that Imber could be right about a local hospital? On the CWGC the entry for example: Private CJ Harding who died on 23/3/1920 was ...Wounded at Ypres, Nov., 1914...
Nearly six years to die 
John
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IMBER
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 340
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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If you look at the photo on the CWGC site you can just see that some of the stones on the left of the plot have shoulders. The CWGC notes explain that there are 43 non-war service graves.
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IMBER
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 340
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Just discovered that there was a Paddington Military Hospital, Harrow Road.
Imber
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spof
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 418
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.natio
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If you look on Geoff's Search Engine, http://www.hut-six.co.uk/cgi-bin/search14-21.php you can search by cemetery. be aware though that it also has a default search by regiment or nationality so you'll need to change that.
Lewisham in SE London also had a big military hospital (as another RCer will confirm) and there are several cemeteriesaround the area with CWGC graves.
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Bezant (London/Suffolk), West (London/Essex), Walker (Yorkshire), Phillips (West Country - believed Bristol area), Tibbetts (Warwickshire), Armstrong (Co Fermanagh), Harvison (Co Wexford), Neeb (Germany), Becker (Germany), Jakobsson (Finland). Kanneworff (Germany and Denmark)
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forester
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1891
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Two actually Glen  and I will be making a visit to Ladywell hopefully on Sunday.
John,
With Willesden Lane being an out of town cemetery for Paddington presumably, I wonder if it was used for those that died in St Mary's, Praed St.
Phil
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Paddington_Willesden_Lane.jpg