The War Graves Photographic Project

The Autumn 2011 edition of The War Graves Photographic Project (TWGPP) newsletter is now available at http://twgpp.org/downloads/news/TWGPP_Newsletter_Autumn_2011.pdf.

The newsletter includes details of TWGPP's most important acquisition in the last quarter, the images of Basra memorial in Iraq. TWGPP has been waiting for some years to obtain pictures of the panels that commemorate 40,700 men who died during the Mesopotamia Campaign between the Autumn of 1914 and August 1921 and whose graves are unknown.

The original aim of TWGPP was to photograph every war grave, individual memorial, Ministry of Defence grave, and family memorial of serving military personnel from WWI to the present day. However, due to its popularity it has now extended its remit to cover all nationalities and military conflicts. The photographs are made available within a searchable database. Find out more at www.twgpp.org.

TWGPP's newsletter gives a good overview of the activities of this undersung project. Working in association with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, TWGPP is undeservedly far from being as well known as that excellent organisation, but it provides a hugely important service. Through TWGPP I have obtained photographs of two of my ancestors' graves - Lance Corporal G Blackburn, Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery, Haucourt, France, and Leading Aircraftman H J Riseborough, Madras War Cemetery, Chennai, India - and it is very moving to see the graves of these family members for the first time. I can highly recommend the service, so do take a look.