Following a visit to war graves in New Southgate Cemetary, N11, Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet, is urging local schools and constituents to visit their local Commonwealth war graves to gain a greater understanding of the scale and magnitude of the Great War and the impact that it has had on today’s society.
The call follows a national initiative spearheaded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), the All-Party Parliamentary War Heritage Group and the ‘In From The Cold Project’ that maps over 300,000 Commonwealth war dead by each Parliamentary constituency. The initiative is supported by Theresa Villiers who accepted an invitation from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to be shown a number of the graves they maintain in her constituency.
Following the visit, Theresa Villiers said: “The Centenary of the outbreak of the First World War isn’t just a time for reflection and commemoration; it also provides an opportunity for a new generation of young people to learn about the extraordinary events of a hundred years ago and to bring to life some of the personal stories from this remarkable time - just was we did here in Barnet when we commemorated local boy, John Parr, who was the first member of the British Army to die on active duty in World War One."
"Many assume that the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is focused on the graves of the fallen in Northern France and the rest of the world. During my meeting with the CWGC today I was interested to learn about the thousands of graves they look after in the UK”.
“Working with local groups and students gives us all an opportunity to explore how we would like to secure this legacy for generations to come. Visiting the graves of the fallen is a simple but profoundly important way to commemorate the outbreak of the war.”
Deirdre Mills, CWGC’s Director of UK Area states that: “The centenary is an opportune time for us to re-engage and connect with local communities and young people, and explain how the people who are buried in our graves got to be there, who they were, and where they were from. More than 300,000 Commonwealth servicemen and women are commemorated in the UK. Many died in military hospitals whilst being treated for their wounds or fell victim to the flu pandemic as the conflict drew to a close. Their graves reflect both the local impact of the war but also its wider historical significance.”
Theresa Villiers was shown the war graves in New Southgate Cemetary by the CWCG's Regional Supervisor for London, Jeff Cavell. She is one of many MPs peers to have done such a visit over recent weeks.