Cllr Bob Derbyshire – Cabinet Member for Environment and Kevin Brennan MP
Visitor information panels providing information about the history of Cardiff’s war dead have been unveiled at Western Cemetery.
The plaques, which have been installed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, feature a QR (Quick Response) Code which can be scanned using mobile devices to access more information and personal stories about some of the 150 service personnel commemorated in the cemetery.
Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Bob Derbyshire, said: “The technology embedded in the panels will make sure that visitors to Western Cemetery can make a real connection with the lives of those laid to rest there. We owe a debt of gratitude to the servicemen and women who gave their lives on our behalf, their sacrifices should not be forgotten with the passing of time. ”
The military graves at Western Cemetery all date from the Second World War and include six servicewomen, two each from the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAFs), the Women’s Royal Navy Service (Wrens) and the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS). The cemetery also hosts screen walls which bear the names of casualties of both world wars whose graves can no longer be maintained in the churchyards where they were laid to rest.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Regional Supervisor, Andy Knowlson, said: “The First World War centenary is a major historical landmark which the Commonwealth War Graves Commission will commemorate through greater dissemination of information, high-profile events and partner initiatives to ensure that Commonwealth servicemen are not forgotten by all generations – young and old. The panels will help inform visitors of the historical context of the war, putting a human face to the names of those who died.”
