"Who do you think you are?" October

[brigidmac]

Did the govt / army pay for gravestones? I f he had named his grandmother or girlfriend as next of kin would they have been entitled to bury him at a graveyard of their choice

I do like to think that John Wilfred was close to his mother and evidence points that way...

I've heard of a few cases where illigitimate sons who'd been shunned before the war were accepted into recomposed families afterwards either by birth father or step father

[Phil Goater]

I find speculation concerning whether Walter was or was not part of the family interesting as it mirrors the thoughts I've had about my step uncle Norman. He was the son of my gran's first husband (who had disappeared off to Australia by 1911) and in the 1911 census is recorded as living with her parents. She would have been heavily pregnant with twins and was living with relatives away from the area. She subsequently died in 1917 in Hull where my grandfather was stationed and my grandfather subsequently volunteered for more active service and was killed in 1918.  Whether Norman was part of his mother's second family I don't know and the 1921 census won't help! I do know that he ended up being sent to the sport's man C.B.Fry's school in Portsmouth which prepared boys for the navy. To say he had an awkward upbringing is probably an understatement but he lived to the ripe old age of 96!

Phil

[Sloe Gin]

Did the govt / army pay for gravestones? I f he had named his grandmother or girlfriend as next of kin would they have been entitled to bury him at a graveyard of their choice

In the case of servicemen who died at "Home" (i.e. in the UK as opposed to theatre of war),  yes the families were given burial options.  They were in due course entitled to a CWGC headstone, but some opted for a private family memorial.  That said, the Imperial War Graves Commission as it was then called was in its infancy, and it was some years before the official headstones were agreed, designed and made.

[Top-of-the-hill]

   I can't say I was terribly enthused by this episode, but did find the bit about the huge military hospital interesting, and the fact that the railway line ran right up to it. I found all the worrying about the boy living with his grandparents a bit trying - every census I have looked at has children with grandparents!

[ms_canuck]

Just watched Jodie Whittaker's episode on BBC iPlayer.  I really enjoyed her as a person, and found both stories fascinating.  Of course, being a Dr Who fan, I wanted to see how she would be on this show.  And as KGarrad pointed out,  it is mainly for entertainment purposes with genealogy as the starting point. 

Cheers,
Ms_C

[guest189040]

Here in the UK there was a regular bi-annual inspection carried out of all graves registered as War Graves.

Any found damaged or unsafe were repaired.

Mind you my experience of this was back in 2005/6 when I was associated with the Building Surveyors who were tasked with the inspections, hence things may have changed since.

[KGarrad]

They still do inspections, Biggles!

Last year there was a CWGC van doing the rounds of Manx graveyards; tidying the graves if required.

[steve100]

CWGC, at local cemetery about two weeks ago.

[guest189040]

Just watched the Ruth Jones episode.

Interesting and tragic, and the specialist who dated the great image of her family was an avenue I would like to see explored some more.

Fascinating section on the setting up of the NHS and the battle the regional Medical Societies had for their voice to be heard.