More than a century after their deaths, two dozen forgotten First World War heroes buried in unmarked graves in South London are finally being granted the memorials they deserve.
Twenty-three servicemen and one woman who served in the Women's Royal Air Force will receive individual headstones at Ladywell and Brockley Cemetery in Lewisham, ending their long rest in anonymous pauper's graves.
The Search for Lost Heroes
Researchers from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission have worked tirelessly with Lewisham Council's Bereavement Services to locate these forgotten individuals. Their painstaking investigation involved examining death records, widows' pension documents, and historical cemetery maps to pinpoint the exact locations of the unmarked graves.
The project began when CWGC researchers contacted the council about four World War One soldiers. As council staff delved deeper into grave and death records, they made an astonishing discovery - there were actually many more soldiers buried in the area under investigation.
The Friends of Ladywell and Brockley Cemetery, a dedicated group of approximately 300 volunteers who maintain the cemeteries, played a crucial role in supporting these efforts to uncover the lost histories of those buried there.
Remembering the Fallen
Councillor Oana Olaru-Holmes, Cabinet Member for Safer Lewisham, Refugees and Equalities, expressed pride in the collaborative project. "We are always happy to work with CWGC and are proud to support their work by giving our officers' time to support the research," she stated.
The project will unfold over the next twelve months, with approval granted for 24 war graves. Once the new headstones are installed, the names of the located soldiers will be removed from the wall memorial at Hero's Corner, following CWGC guidance that individuals cannot be commemorated twice.
Restoration of the existing wall memorial will occur simultaneously, ensuring that all soldiers, including those still without known graves, continue to be honoured appropriately.
Stories Behind the Names
Among those being commemorated are several individuals whose stories researchers have managed to reconstruct:
Phyllis Purdy, born in 1893 in Hastings, was the eldest of nine children. Before joining the Women's Royal Air Force when it formed in 1918, she worked as a needlewoman. Tragically, she died at just 25 years old from pneumonia and exhaustion on December 8, 1918, at the Union Infirmary in Greenwich.
William Jackson, born in 1883, married Mary Ann Gould in Camberwell in 1905 and they had five children together. He served as a Private with the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment before transferring to the Labour Corps. Discharged on April 24, 1919, as he was no longer physically fit for service after suffering rheumatic fever and a dilated heart, he died on June 3, 1920, aged 37.
Charles Gerhardt had previously served in the 3rd Battalion of the East Surreys before the war. After being discharged in February 1913, he re-enlisted when war broke out, serving as a Private in the Royal Defence Corps. The stevedore from South Bermondsey died on April 5, 1921, at age 37.
Other soldiers receiving headstones include:
- B Davis, Sapper, Royal Engineers - died October 12, 1920
- Thomas B Wright, Driver, Royal Engineers - died July 27, 1919, aged 24
- Henry Charles Winder, Private, London Regiment, Royal Fusiliers - died October 22, 1916, aged 24
- Owen Stanley Curtis, leading telegraphist, Royal Navy, HMS Victory - died June 4, 1920, aged 26
One particularly poignant discovery revealed that one of the graves, Plot Z, Grave 101, contains two soldiers: a World War One soldier listed as Foxwell, and Leslie Charles Foxwell, who served as a Sergeant in the Royal Air Force during World War Two. Leslie already has his own headstone and died on September 7, 1942, aged 20, when his Spitfire collided with another over the English Channel.
How to Discover if You're Related
For those who believe they might be related to any of the soldiers being commemorated, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has established a simple process. Individuals can visit the CWGC website appeals page or email enquiries@cwgc.org to make enquiries.
A CWGC spokesperson explained: "The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is a world leader in commemoration and in the UK alone, there are Commonwealth War Graves at around 12,500 sites. We are delighted to be working with Lewisham Council on this project and, though this is still in the early stages, we look forward to being able to mark these casualties' individual graves once more."
The Friends of Ladywell and Brockley Cemetery expressed their delight at the outcome, noting that their members will help maintain the area around the new headstones as a wildflower meadow to be enjoyed by all visitors to the cemetery.
