Collecting photos of Grave stones - Why?

This has got my attention as Widnes is my hometown.

Phil, is there any particular reason for your focus on Widnes?

Jad, I am originally from Widnes myself, so hence the link

 

Can I point out that it's not a case of 'collecting' but of 'compiling.

Collecting makes it sound Ghoulish, and its not halloween yet

 

Cash_13, what are your next travel plan's
Urgh, you will have to let us graveies know which area you are in

 

im getting northants one for drew and a market harboro one. but ill do any east midlands and home counties from next month when ill have time on hands ..

 

I started when I was researching my uncles service and I got involved with the British War Graves Project, now called the War Graves Photographic Project and I basicly carried on from there. When you read some of the letters of thanks from people from all over the world who have no opportunity to visit their relatives last resting place, its worth the effort. Also I feel it keeps their memory alive and shows that they are not forgotten. Derek.

 

im getting northants one for drew and a market harboro one. but ill do any east midlands and home counties from next month when ill have time on hands ..

Urqh, you may just have escaped my net, as the nearest I have in that area is Staffordshire, Birmingham and Berkshire...

 

It was Gage who posed the original query

Ron

Right you are, Ron. I was at the end of my energy level in the day and didn't double check before double clicking.

Thanks for setting the record straight.

phil

 

Ill be able to do brum but as i say..nothing outside northants till november.

 

In my case I am compiling Headstone/Memorial photos of Recce men to go with the Rolls of Honour I have collated and posted here. I started because my father was with 56th Recce and was blown up in Nth Africa losing 2 good mates in the same incident. I started researching them and its snowballed into all Recce Regiments. When I have 80 to 90% photos compiled I will create a web site for posterity. I have also photographed all War Graves at Fremantle, Karrakatta and Perth War Cemeteries the photos of which are available on request. Still seeking help in obtaining photos.

Cheers
Paul

 

Thanks all for your responses. Thanks Ron and Phil (you're right it does sounds ghoulish - sorry).
I understand the research aspect and the posting online for people who can't make the journey. Also the intrigue of a strange date or name and wanting to find out background to a fallen warrior.
I'm a bit more enlightened and I totally respect all of you on here who are doing this to help present and future generations.

But I get this niggling feeling that there are those who collect just for the sake of collecting. So be careful out there.

 

I wanted to test the camera out on headstones today..see what detail comes out.. Went to local village cemetery. Brought up cwg site on phone.. Sent me to graves as on site.. Took few pics to test.. Gent turns up at grave with elderly lady.. Apologised and told them what i was doing.. She was amazed that people were still interested in her husband.. You ww2 gravers have won me over on that one simple experience this afternoon.

 

Digressing ....but stumbled across this Headstone for Gdsm Flynn in Naples Cemetery whilst photographing for a historical researcher....

Indeed it now has flowers placed there as often as I can.

Some of the epitah are quite moving.

 

Hi Gage,

The need for closure is very real, not only for those who have lost loved ones but also for those who witnessed the sudden death of a comrade. It is one that doesn't just go away with the passage of time.

From the many enquiries received perhaps the most poignant have been letters from folks who lost a relative in WW One. Viewing a headstone helps but strong is the need to know how death occurred, especially for relatives of thirty-six men of the North Irish Horse who have no grave upon which flowers may be laid.

I am most grateful to the many who have taken time out to photograph headstones of NIH casualties who rest forever near and far.

Gerry

 

I can remember when I went to Auschwitz, our guide strongly recommended to not take photographs, as it is not appropriate and they never do the experience justice for the feelings and thoughts you experience there. Only after going round do you realise what they mean, its not the sort of thing you should take holiday snaps of. OK, if you were a professional photographer taking pictures for an educational project, fair enough... but the sight of tourists flashing away with their big zoom lenses was very distasteful and disrespectful.

On the other hand, I think war graves are different. Whilst they are headstones to a person and that deserves the utmost respect, individually and collectively they are also a visible reminder. I feel that it people being able to see pictures of them means that those chaps arent forgotten, then that can't be a bad thing. I hope they would be glad to know that people still care about them.

 

Hi Gage,

The need for closure is very real, not only for those who have lost loved ones but also for those who witnessed the sudden death of a comrade. It is one that doesn't just go away with the passage of time.
Gerry

Thanks Gerry. Never thought of comrades/friends.

 

Why indeed! I never thought that I would be collecting headstones/memorial photos on such a scale however events of mid 2007 sent me on this long project. I received a call from a friend who knew I was on a WW2 forum and asked me if I could assist a female friend of his in Sydney.

She was trying to get a photo of her mum's older brother's grave. He left their house to go to England in 1940 when the mum was nine and she never saw him again. The daughter was quoted €20 for the photo from a commercial site. Anyway, one of the members here had the photo, the daughter had a print done, gave it to her mum and she apparently cried uncontrollably for two days nursing the photo.

I thought there must be many more stories like this and decided to gather together these photos and eventually make them available to all on a website for free.

Added to WW2 Aussies killed in the RAAF/RAF I decided to gather together all of those from the fledgling WW1 AFC/RFC/RNAS/RAF as well.

The final destination after the website will be the RAAF museum at Point Cook in Victoria where these photos will be kept forever along with over 300 who are not listed as Australians on the CWGC database and number over 11,400.

I am also adding as much detail as I can about how they died, the aircraft etc.

Those people in many countries who have assisted me have been extraordinarily generous with their time and their wish to see my project completed.

God willing it will be!

 

I received a call from a friend who knew I was on a WW2 forum and asked me if I could assist a female friend of his in Sydney.

She was trying to get a photo of her mum's older brother's grave. He left their house to go to England in 1940 when the mum was nine and she never saw him again. The daughter was quoted €20 for the photo from a commercial site. Anyway, one of the members here had the photo, the daughter had a print done, gave it to her mum and she apparently cried uncontrollably for two days nursing the photo.
God willing it will be!

What lovely ending, G. Well done mate. I also hope you get finished.

 

Phil I always try to let people know where I am going time permitting but this year has been extremely bad financially work wise so have not done had the normal french holidays that we have.......saying that we are due to go away at the end of August for a few days as its our 25th wedding anniversary........will proberley go to dorset....

Geoff does this mean we will have our names in lights in Point Cook for helping....:p

 

Phil I always try to let people know where I am going time permitting but this year has been extremely bad financially work wise so have not done had the normal french holidays that we have.......saying that we are due to go away at the end of August for a few days as its our 25th wedding anniversary........will proberley go to dorset....

Geoff does this mean we will have our names in lights in Point Cook for helping....:p

Sure will!

The least I could do for those that have given their time to help me achieve success in the project.

Cheers

Geoff