Commonwealth War Graves Foundation

Commonwealth War Graves Foundation
Name	Commonwealth War Graves Foundation
Formation	1997
Type	Charitable foundation
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Region served	Worldwide
Leader title	Chair
Leader name	John McCrae

Contents

Commonwealth War Graves Foundation The Commonwealth War Graves Foundation is a charitable body linked to memorial work commemorating personnel from the British Empire and Commonwealth who died in the First World War, the Second World War and later conflicts, supporting cemetery maintenance, conservation, research and education at sites associated with battles such as the Battle of the Somme, the Gallipoli Campaign, the Battle of Verdun and the North African Campaign. It works alongside organizations including the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the Imperial War Museums, the National Archives (United Kingdom), and international partners such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross to preserve memorials, records and landscape at places like Tyne Cot Cemetery, Thiepval Memorial, Delville Wood, and Vimy Ridge.

History

Established in the late 20th century, the Foundation traces origins to post-First World War commemorative movements and links to earlier bodies including the Imperial War Graves Commission and figures associated with memorial design such as Sir Edwin Lutyens, Gertrude Jekyll, Herbert Baker, Charles Sargeant Jagger and Rudyard Kipling. Early activity drew attention from scholars of military history focused on campaigns like Passchendaele, Gallipoli Campaign and Battle of Jutland, and from descendants of those commemorated at sites including Amiens and Ypres. Over ensuing decades the Foundation coordinated with heritage agencies such as Historic England, Cadw, Heritage New Zealand, and the Canadian War Museum to respond to conservation challenges after events including the Second World War, the Cold War and contemporary conflicts like the Falklands War.

The Foundation’s mission emphasises preservation, scholarship, and commemoration, supporting conservation at cemeteries and memorials such as Menin Gate, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Helles Memorial and Longueval while funding research into personnel databases curating records linked to archives like the National Records of Scotland, Library and Archives Canada, Australian War Memorial and the New Zealand Defence Force. It sponsors projects on battlefield archaeology at locations including Somme (department), Ypres Salient, Gallipoli Peninsula and the Western Front (World War I), and collaborates with museums and institutions such as the Imperial War Museum, the National Army Museum, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and university research centres at University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, King's College London and University of Manchester.

Governance combines trusteeship, advisory panels and professional staff drawing expertise from heritage sectors including the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, academic partners like University of Oxford and University of Edinburgh, and conservation bodies such as International Council on Monuments and Sites and Institute of Conservation. The board has included figures from diplomatic and military backgrounds with links to institutions such as the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), the Royal British Legion and national representatives from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and India. Operational units coordinate with regional partners including Veterans Affairs Canada, the Australian Department of Veterans' Affairs, Heritage Canada, and municipal authorities in cities such as Ypres, Amiens, Arras and Casablanca.

The Foundation’s funding model mixes philanthropic grants, legacies, corporate sponsorships and project-specific donations from foundations like the National Lottery Heritage Fund, trusts such as the Wolfson Foundation, and corporate partners including firms with historical ties to campaigns such as Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, HSBC, and Lloyd's Register. It forms partnerships with international bodies like UNESCO, the European Union cultural funding programmes, national museums including the Canadian War Museum and research collaborations with universities such as Royal Holloway, University of London and University of Birmingham. Fundraising campaigns frequently coordinate with commemorations such as Armistice Day, Anzac Day, Remembrance Sunday and centenaries of battles like the Battle of the Somme.

Major projects have targeted conservation at sites like Tyne Cot Cemetery, restoration work at Helles Memorial and document digitisation in partnership with archives including the National Archives (UK), the Australian War Memorial, Library and Archives Canada, and the Imperial War Museums. Campaigns have included battlefield archaeology at Somme (department), community recording projects with local councils in Ypres and Amiens, oral-history initiatives linked to veterans of the Second World War, the Korean War and peacekeeping operations under United Nations Peacekeeping, and educational resources developed with museums such as the National Army Museum and universities including University of Oxford.

The Foundation supports exhibitions, lectures and digital outreach with partners like the Imperial War Museums, British Library, BBC, Australian War Memorial and New Zealand Defence Force educational services, producing resources used in programmes associated with Remembrance Sunday, Anzac Day and school curricula in countries including United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It facilitates volunteer programmes linked to cemetery maintenance at Tyne Cot Cemetery and Menin Gate, alumni and descendant networks with organisations such as the Royal British Legion and veteran associations including the Veterans Affairs Canada constituency groups, and collaborative exhibitions with institutions like Museum of the Order of St John and regional museums in Normandy and the Somme.

The Foundation’s work has contributed to preservation acknowledged by heritage bodies such as Historic England, Cadw, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and Parks Canada, earning recognition in partnership awards alongside Commonwealth War Graves Commission, museums like the Imperial War Museums, universities including University of Oxford and cultural programmes supported by UNESCO and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Its projects have influenced scholarship on battles such as the Battle of the Somme, the Gallipoli Campaign and the North African Campaign and supported commemorative practice across the Commonwealth in cities like London, Canberra, Ottawa, Wellington and Pretoria.

Category:War memorials and cemeteries Category:Heritage conservation