New CWGC headstones erected in Camberwell Old Cemetery
What now for the 48 CWGC War Graves on Area Z?
After two years of lobbying by this campaign, the CWGC has this month started erecting headstones for The Unremembered in Camberwell Old Cemetery.
They have begun with 19 headstones in the central and western areas of the cemetery for service personnel killed on active duty in the First World War.
These areas, as we have been reporting, have long been developed over by Southwark Council, without consultation with the CWGC or any regard for those buried in the CWGC war graves beneath.
131 CWGC war graves of service personnel lie scattered across Camberwell Old Cemetery. They were killed on active service in the First and Second World Wars or sadly afterwards from injuries sustained.
The War Memorial Screen Wall lists the graves and Southwark Council knew their locations – public information available from the CWGC since it was established in 1917 – and now on www.cwgc.org/find
The majority are buried in common graves – as most people were – and never marked with a CWGC headstone, until now.
This is some kind of justice for these 19 service personnel, shown below with details, even though several seem to lie half buried under later graves.
But what about the 48 Unremembered in Area Z along Underhill Road, service men and women killed in WW1 and WW2?
What now for Area Z – two acres of woods cleared for roads, terracing and 700 burial plots over 48 CWGC War Graves and 30,000 other people in public graves?
Dozens of service men and women killed in the First and Second World War lie buried in public graves across Area Z, Underhill Road.
Southwark Council’s 2015 planning application only listed 6 CWGC war graves – then had to admit there are 48 service men and women buried on the site.
Southwark intends to concrete over many of the 48 CWGC war graves with roads and terracing for 700 burial plots.
Now that the CWGC is marking the 131 scattered war graves with headstones, Southwark will have to rethink their plans.
Below we list the 19 graves newly marked with the CWGC headstone in the centre of Camberwell Old Cemetery. We want answers from the CWGC and Southwark Council about their plans for the rest of the cemetery, and Camberwell New Cemetery too on Brenchley Gardens.
Contact us for further information: Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries – the Save Southwark Woods Campaign: savesouthwarkwoods@gmailcom
NEW CWGC HEADSTONES IN CAMBERWELL OLD CEMETERY, IN CENTRAL & ISLAND AREAS (central west area of the cemetery) and AREA F/F1 (corner of Langton Rise and Woodvale)
CENTRAL AREA
Group – Private Allen, Air Mech. Wassell and Airman Gleed
Duke Well. (W Riding Reg) Depot. (Unlisted family)
Roy Flying Corps No. 3 Stores Depot (Unlisted family)
RAF, 60th Sqdn. (Only Son of: Charles William John & Emma Gleed, 12, Pentridge St., Peckham, London).
THE ISLAND AREA
Air Mechanic NORRIS, W. H. DoD: 15/12/1916
Royal Flying Corps (Unlisted family)
Private HUGHES, P. C. DoD: 12/07/1916
[Roy] Army Serv Corps, (Hereford) [1916 faulty] (Son: Charles Sanders Hughes & Annie Hughes, 86, Green Street, Hereford).
Boy 2nd Cl. GLEN, WILLIAM DoD: 05/10/1918
RN, H.M.S. “Powerful.” (Son of: William & Hannah Glen, O’Connor Avenue, Ryde, Sydney, New South Wales.)
Private THOMPSON, H. DoD: 04/05/1916
[Roy] Army Serv Corps,52nd Mechal Transport Coy. (Aldershot) (Son of: Henry &Mary Thompson; Husband of: Daisy R. Thompson, 3, Sturdy Rd., Peckham, London).
Gunner PEW, STANLEY HERBERT DoD: 22/05/1918
[Labour Corps &] Roy Field Artillery (Brother H. E. Pew, 2, Dundas Rd, Peckham,London).
Lead Airman TIPSON, H. G. DoD: 15/03/1919
RAF, Stores Park (Ely). (Son of: Fredrick S. Tipson, 100, Hill St., Peckham, London).
Private BLAKE, WILLIAM DoD: 15/01/1919
Roy Army Serv Corps Husband of: Emily Blake, Bella Vista, Stourghton Rd., Guilford).
Private ROBINSON, J. E. DoD: 11/12/1917
The Buffs (East Kent Reg), 10th (R. East Kent &W. Kent Yeomanry) Bn. (Unlisted family)
Rifleman SCOREY, C. F. DoD: 15/02/1915
Rifle Brigade, 3rd Bn. (Son of: William & Emily Scorey, 36, Coleman Rd., Camberwell, London).
Private TOMLINSON, A. DoD: 09/09/1919
London Reg, 22nd Bn. (Husband of: Mrs. R. Tomlinson, 52, Cowan St., Albany Rd., Camberwell, London).
Private BLUTE, FREDERICK DoD: 24/01/1916
National Reserve, Supernumerary Coy. Husband of: Margaret Blute, 52, Bells Garden Road, Peckham, Surrey. (Served in the South African War).
Rifleman SMITH, HAROLD CURTIS DoD: 12/03/1916
London Reg (Queen’s Westminster Rifles) 16th Bn. (Son of: Edward William & Elizabeth Smith, 16, Tresco Rd., Linden Grove, Nunhead, London)
AREA F/F1 CORNER OF LANGTON RISE & WOODVALE
Group – Sergeant Thompson, Private Constable, Able Seaman Wood and Pioneer McAuliffe (see below)
Serj THOMPSON, G. R. DoD: 24/07/1917
[Roy] Army Veterinary Corps, Depot. (Husband of: Mrs. J. Thompson, 4, Hildreth St., Balham, London).
Private CONSTABLE, W. DoD: 20/05/1919
Gordon Highlanders Depot (late Garr. Bn.). (Unlisted family)
Pioneer McAULIFFE, T DoD:18/01/1920
Roy Engineers, Tyne Electrical Engineers (Unlisted family)
Able Seaman WOOD, JOSEPH WILLIAM DoD: 26/03/1920
RN, H.M.S. “Tourmaline.” (Son of: Mr. &Mrs. W. Wood, 56, Neate St., Camberwell, London).
