Digitising our war graves history
Many people will be familiar with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstones marking the graves of Commonwealth servicemen and women who died during the First and Second World Wars.
In Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands the Office of Australian War Graves (OAWG) cares for these graves.
When these graves were created, masons would hand carve all of the information on them including the badge of the battalion, regiment or unit that the individual was serving in. These emblems, in the form of etchings and slide negatives, were gathered into five reference books, which the OAWG now looks after.
Over the course of 2023, these books will be digitised, preserving them and ensuring that we honour our commitment to commemorating the service and sacrifice of the fallen then, now and in perpetuity.
Over the course of more than a century, environmental impacts, supply issues and developments such as cremation placements and the specific requirements of individual cemeteries and crematoria, have seen adjustments made to the form of commemorations that Australian Government provides. As a result, both the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Government have adjusted and, where needed, changed the materials and forms of physical commemoration to ensure we continue to uphold our commemorative commitments.
Despite these changes, the emblems engraved on the headstones remain the same to this day. The reference books are an important part of our military history that will now continue to exist in perpetuity, for future generations to review and learn from.
