Monte Cassino

Discussion in 'War Cemeteries & War Memorial Research' started by angie999, Jul 2, 2005.

  1. angie999

    angie999 Very Senior Member

  2. morse1001

    morse1001 Very Senior Member

    Originally posted by angie999@Jul 2 2005, 03:38 PM
    A member of another forum I visit has just returned from Italy and took a number of photos which can be seen here:

    http://www.historic-battles.com/ForumSoftw...msg5201#msg5201
    [post=36099]Quoted post[/post]
    Hi Angie,

    The link comes up with expired domain!
     
  3. Gibbo

    Gibbo Senior Member

    I visit that site most days & the expired domain page has just come up today. Hopefully, it's just an oversight by the site owner & his cheque is in the post!
     
  4. Gibbo

    Gibbo Senior Member

    The link should now work.
     
  5. angie999

    angie999 Very Senior Member

    Originally posted by Gibbo@Jul 4 2005, 08:57 AM
    The link should now work.
    [post=36117]Quoted post[/post]

    It was just a technical hitch at the server end. There was some concern that a fix could be delayed because it is the 4th July weekend, but it is sorted.
     
  6. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    It's not working for me - just says this domain is 'parked'.
     
  7. angie999

    angie999 Very Senior Member

    Originally posted by Paul Reed@Jul 4 2005, 02:20 PM
    It's not working for me - just says this domain is 'parked'.
    [post=36122]Quoted post[/post]

    Try it via the home page at:

    http://www.historic-battles.com/ForumSoftware/

    The site is working fine. I posted there less than five minutes ago.
     
  8. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Thanks - found it now.
     
  9. egbert

    egbert Member

    With reference to the pictures/thread in the forum, mentioned by angie999:
    there was a posting from someone "and the paradox of the German government refusing to honor the graves of regular soldiers that went there to die just because they were ordered to do so... "
    = Rubbish!!!!

    Let me assure you that VdK does a tremendous job on all the German war cemeteries. Monte Cassino is in superb shape, very well maintained, absolute top. It is just that some foreign nationals do not understand the German way about the usual sober cemetery layout. The garden architect does this on purpose; when visiting one shall not be distracted in his remembrance by any fancy, color layout. I visited the cemetery in August 2005 and paid my respect= and I have to convey: the cemetery is an architectural jewel, situated on top of a small hill
     
  10. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Hi Egbert; I have also visited this one and as you say, it is in a beautiful setting. Nice photos!
     
  11. lancesergeant

    lancesergeant Senior Member

    Hello, could anyone explain why the German cemeteries have two/three soldiers to a grave in contrast to one in the Allied cemeteries. Is this traditional, or due to wartime contingencies or an other reason. In Scampton churchyard there are five German airman in one grave even though there would be space for more plots and yet in North Weald each German airman has his own plot alongside those of RAF aircrew. This is a sincere enquiry. Many thanks.
     
  12. No.9

    No.9 Senior Member

    I'm not sure if you're saying it's the case that all or most German graves to contain multiple burials, or you're asking about the one you've seen? From the little I've seen of German cemeteries, they use individual plots as we do. However, in the case of aircrew where remains were recovered from a crash and it's not possible to separate the remains, even we can put them in a communal plot.

    For example, in the CWGC Cemetery at Bologna there's several headstones set shoulder to shoulder with all the names of a flight crew. i.e. there are more names than headstones. I would suggest this was the case with the German flight crew and perhaps only one headstone was used because either there was not the information available to warrant more, or this was all they were willing to do for the enemy?

    No.9
     
  13. lancesergeant

    lancesergeant Senior Member

    Thanks No 9 for your reply much appreciated. I noticed that Orde Wingate's grave in Arlington is a mass plot with all those in the crash that died with him. It didn't cross my mind about remains not being able to be separated. The reason I asked the question is that a fair few are buried two or three to a plot. I thought that this was perhaps a trait unique to say the German armed forces. I noticed soldiers buried two or three - perhaps due to being killed together or the shell damage making positive id impossible hence a logical conclusion of putting them together. Perhaps egbert could shed some light on it. Thanks again for your input.
     
  14. Kiwiwriter

    Kiwiwriter Very Senior Member

    (lancesergeant @ Jan 22 2006, 06:51 AM) [post=44667]Thanks No 9 for your reply much appreciated. I noticed that Orde Wingate's grave in Arlington is a mass plot with all those in the crash that died with him. It didn't cross my mind about remains not being able to be separated. The reason I asked the question is that a fair few are buried two or three to a plot. I thought that this was perhaps a trait unique to say the German armed forces. I noticed soldiers buried two or three - perhaps due to being killed together or the shell damage making positive id impossible hence a logical conclusion of putting them together. Perhaps egbert could shed some light on it. Thanks again for your input.
    [/b]

    When bodies could not be separated out, due to an aircrash or a shellburst in a crater with a lot of men in it, they got a mass grave from CWGC or USBMC.

    In one CWGC cemetery is a stone that stays "Buried here is Either...Or..." they weren't sure which of two Tommies was killed. It's in my book on the subject at home, so now I have to remember to hunt that up. Someone send me a private message, so that I remember! :)
     
  15. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    The phrase is 'buried near this spot', and it is pretty rare in WW2 cemeteries. I can only think of a couple of examples off hand; it is more commonly found in Great War cemeteries.

    Communal or mass graves in WW2 CWGCs are relatively rare, due to the nature of the fighting. The most common types are aircrew, as mentioned above, and tank crews, where a vehicle has brewed up. In both cases you know you are looking at such a grave as it has several names on the headstone(s).

    Another inscription is 'believed to be', but again that is rare in a WW2 cemetery.

    Example of a tank crew at Hermanville War Cemetery in Normandy.
     

Share This Page