Remembering those who served.
It was really special to visit Brookwood American Military Cemetery & Memorial recently with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and spend some time looking around the site.
Having spent six years working for the Commission, it was lovely to catch up with some former colleagues too. I also found myself reading some of the personal inscriptions on the headstones. Some are only a few words long, but they give you a sense of the person being remembered.
I also had the chance to see the new 1914-1918 Memorial, which remembers around 400 men and women who died during the First World War in the UK and Ireland but don’t have a known grave, with more names able to be added as research continues.
With November marking 110 years since the end of the Battle of the Somme, I have also secured a debate in Parliament to mark the anniversary and share some of the stories of those from South West Devon who served. If someone in your family served during the Battle, I’d really like to hear their story and, where I can, include it in the debate.
You can share their story with me at the link here: https://www.rebecca-smith.org.uk/campaigns/share-your-somme-story-me
