Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-11-26
ORDER COMES At LAST
IN CARE OF WAR DEAD
British Evolve System in This Work,
Important Alike i'm Sentiment
and Sanitation.
CEMETERIES BEHIND THE LINES
To Some Officers Idea of Being Bur-
led Where They Fall Is an Honor
Greater Even Than Shelter Of
Westminster Abbey.

LONDON, November 25.-ln Keeping
with all other phases of the war, order
has come at last in the care of the
dead Where, all was topsy-turvy two
years ago in the first pellmell rush to
battle. and where there was little time
TO bury men. even where they fell. the
British now have evolved an organ
cation and system OF dealing with
this evcr-growing problem which Will
at least relieve the bereaved at home
OF the added torment and anxiety of
the unknown grave.
Al the beginning of the war men
were buried near the trenches only
10 nave their graves blown away by
exploding shells the very next day
hut many remained. and some have
been identified as the allies have fought
their way slowly back over part of the
ground once occupied by the Germans.
Where there was hard lighting i'm
France and Belgium the eve of the
traveller along the roads to-day IL
struck by many low crosses stickin.
out of the ground in the fields, i'm cot
tage gardens. i'll corners of fnrmyards
strips of grass. Where the ground has
changed hands good deal in the
course of the war one can see within
few hundred yards OF each other.
the 2abled and eaved cross OF the
Germans. the "EIier Ruht in Ciott'' and
Il name painted white on a dark back
ground: the beaded wire wreath of the
French with its rcquiescat or Mort
Pour IN France" and the plain-lned
cross OF the English. white or light
brown. or just implanted wood. I'm
Loving Memory" one or more Of
ficers and men.
The very position OF some of these
isolated memorials is eloquent Near
fricourt. on what used TO he no mans
land until the English won il the past
summer number of English crosses
stand to the memory OF unknown
French soldiers. This was part of the
line turned over 10 the English by the
French. I'VE leave you our trenches
and our dead they said When the
English offensive began last July and
the first line German trenches wer,
| carried by storm. it was one of the
first cares Of the British Tommics to
bury the bodies Of their French COM
rades some having lain in the fire
swept zone since late In the winter
To some officers the idea OF being
buried where they fall and have there
erected even the modest little me-
| mortal OF roughly hewn cross is an
honor greater than the shelter of West
minister Abbey. y few such graves and
some part of the trenches near them
probably will be preserved forever by
village communes or private owners of
land.
CARE or DEAD BECOMES
IMPORTANT BRANCH or WORK
Hut as the war has fingered AID
there still is much stubborn lighting
ahcad-somc say fC- yca:s--the care
Of the dead has become a most i'm
portant branch of war work--irnport-
ant alike in sentiment and sanitation
The British have organized a Commits
sion of Graves Registration and In
Guirics. and under its direction regis
tration units and sections have been
sent tn the front and back Of the
front Much of the work is done
by noncombatants. but many of their
tasks must be carried out under fire.
and some have been killed and others
wounded.
When an officer or man is killed at
the front or dies OF wounds his burial
is now at once reported to the regis
tration units. If killed i'm action. he
may still he buried In the old way
somewhere near the trench IL so, the
chaplain. or officer who buries him.
reports tho position Of the grave
which rs soon AZ possible is marked
with durable cross and an idcntih-
cation plate stamped in aluminium.
But this mode is becoming much
! less common. The army has been
quick to recognize the dcsirahility Of
burying it's dead in the nearest Of the
300 or more recognized cemeteries be-
hind the lines. The bodies are carried
back by road or light railway to one
Of the little wooden. iron or canvas
mortnarics which the registration
units have sct--up In the cemeteries.
There Is nothing perfuhctory about
! the funerals. Everything Is done as
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