SOLDfERS' GRAVES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14190, 6 January 1917, Page 3

SOLDfERS' GRAVES.

Th p Oct. 28. '• Wo. nffi Vernment has r « Je^ T ed firom the war Uttice a' memorandum relating to the registration and care of soldiers' graves m which any Canadians are deeply interested. The memorandum reads as follows : — *i," I)l ri" g the P resent war a. branch of tne Adjutant-general's department has been created to care for and preserve! the identity of the graves, of their officers and men. Units were , established tor this purpose in France and Belgium shortly after the battle of the MSrne, in Egypt and Salonika recently, and an officer has now been despatched to Mesopotamia. Much unnecessary correspondence will be saved if relatives will carefully note the following facte : Some time may elapse after burial before the grave has, been properly registered and marked and the position accurately recorded. As soon as this is done a notification will be sent to the next of kin. It is not possible to arrange for distribution of flowers or wreaths for individual graves, but the cemeteries, as a whole, axe grass-sown and planted with Bowers and shrubs, where military conditions* allow, under the advice of the director of the~Royal Botanio Gardens, Jiew, Photographs , of such graves in ]

France and Belgium as are accessible to the photographers employed for the purpose, are furnished to reliijtives on application, free of charge out of funds placed at the disposal of the "directorate, for this object as well as for the planting of burial grounds, by the joint war committee of the British Red Cross Society and St. John Ambulance Association. Circumstances not infrequently arise which make it undesirable in the interests of the military situation to disclose the position of a grave, although it has been diily registered and recorded. The exhumation of bodies during the war is strictly-forbidden by both the French and British military authorities*. Relatives are requested to confine themselves to written, communications which should be addressed to Director of Graves, Registration and Enquiries, War Office, Winchester House, St. James Square, London, S. W., England:" ..*-..