The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) works to protect South Africa’s deep and often overlooked contribution to both World Wars.
On 21 May, the CWGC hosted an event at the Hamilton Cemetery in Bloemfontein, as part of War Graves Week.
Hamilton Cemetery is one of the Free State’s most historically significant military burial sites. This cemetery contains 83 Commonwealth war graves spanning both World Wars. This includes 62 Second World War burials and 21 First World War burials.
From these, 29 Second World War burials are South African Army personnel whose remains were relocated from an unmaintainable non–European cemetery in the 1970s.
A futher 11 First World War casualties were reinterred here in 2005 from the former Rooidam Native Cemetery, with a further 10 commemorated on special memorials because their graves could not be located.
The cemetery includes members of the South African Native Labour Corps, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, South African Air Force, Cape Corps, General Service Corps, Indian and Malay Corps, and South African Engineer Corps.
Joey Moreng – supervisor for Commonwealth Graves in Southern Africa including countries such as Namibia, Eswatini and Botswana – said these graves are being kept beautiful because of the passion of the team. Gardens have been changed to be waterwise. Her team looks after around 1 000 different sites across Southern Africa, with new sites being discovered often.
War Graves Week was celebrated from 16 to 24 May, across the Commonwealth countries.
