Lost graves of WW1
A project to document the location and stories of WW1 servicemen who died of their wounds and sickness, and are buried in St Michael's church graveyard, Honiton.
Not all WW1 servicemen who died in service are buried in pristine war cemeteries maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). Many wounded and sick men were returned to the Uk for treatment and recuperation. Many subsequently died, and where buried by their families in local cemeteries.
St Michael's church, Honiton, Devon, is one of the final resting places for at least 6 servicemen. The church closed in 2012, but the area of the graveyard containing their graves was abandoned many years ago. Nature had taken its course, and the area was made inaccessible by impenetrable scrubland.
Their stories, and final resting places, had been lost to posterity for many years.
In early 2016, I worked with Tony Simpson, a local historian who had researched the stories of these servicemen, to document and record their final resting places. The CWGC arranged for the area around their graves to be cleared, and I was able to record their graves before nature took its course and closed over them once again.
Nature has reclaimed the area again, and access to these graves will soon be lost.