We have 44 graves here in Aldridge-Brownhills, across 5 different cemeteries, that are covered by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and ahead of Commonwealth War Graves Week (21-28 May), I attended their recent reception in Parliament to thank them for the excellent work they do, and to hear some of the incredible stories of the men and women who lost their lives.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission honour and care for the men and women of the Commonwealth who died in the First and Second World Wars, ensuring they will never be forgotten.
Today, over a century after they first began, their work continues through their staff, supporters and volunteers who preserve our unique cultural, horticultural, and architectural heritage and ensure that the stories of those who died are told.
The Commission have constructed 2,500 war cemeteries and plots and have erected headstones over more than a million burials at military and civil sites across the world. For individuals who have no known grave, they have built memorials to the missing as places of commemoration.
Thank you to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and all those who volunteer locally.