The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
This talk is about the history of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) and its work today. It will start with how the Commission began, its work during the First and Second World Wars and concludes with its work today in maintaining and preserving its global historic estate. It will focus on war graves in the local area and will spotlight some personal stories of casualties commemorated locally. The talk will also highlight how family historians can utilise CWGC resources, with a brief case study of the speaker’s own family stories of military service and sacrifice.
This is the second of three talks in the Summer Potpourri Talks Series. The other talks take place on 23rd July and 24th September. You may book tickets for individual events or for all three talks in the series for a reduced price.
To book
Pre-booking is required, because the event link will be sent in advance.
To join this talk, you will need a computer device with speakers. Ideally, also a webcam and microphone. You also need to be able to access the internet from it. First-time users of Zoom, will be asked to download a small piece of software, which will be sent in advance.
Image: Rows of the names of the missing at the Menin Gate in Ypres, West Flanders, Belgium – Partonez CC-BY-SA-4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)
To book – scroll down.
Date
- Thu 27 Aug 2026
Time
- 14:00 - 15:15
Tickets
- £5.00
Category
Organiser
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The Centre - Berkshire FHS
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Email
booking@berksfhs.org.uk -
Website
https://berksfhs.org/branches/
Speaker
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Alex CarterCommonwealth War Graves CommissionAlex is an employee of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and a volunteer speaker delivering talks and tours to members of the public discussing the work of the CWGC. He is also an amateur researcher and family historian, having written his undergraduate dissertation on his own family history, with a particular focus on migration and conflict.
As a former tour guide intern working at the CWGC’s largest sites on the Western Front, Alex is passionate about engaging the public, particularly young people, with the personal stories of those who fell in both world wars.