Connecting the Household Cavalry Past and Present
TAKING THE TIME TO CHECK ON A WAR GRAVE - TO RESPECT THE FALLEN, WHILE LOOKING AFTER OURSELVES
Our military and Regimental values are with us cradle to grave. So why not play your part in supporting this by helping the Associations and keeping an eye on the condition of Household Cavalry War Graves.
"Studies have found that acts of kindness are linked to increased feelings of wellbeing”
Taking a bit of time to track down a grave near to where you live will not only be a respectful thing to do but it will give you a short-term purpose and a sense of achievement, getting you out in the fresh air. Why not do it with another member of the Regiment, or do it with a group? Then share what you discover with other members through the militaryapp.org to inspire more to follow and connect the Household Cavalry past and present.
And whatever you find will help to update the Regimental archives as well as having the potential to support the CWGC database. If we see there is a problem, we will notify the correct body to ensure that the graves of our fallen members are being looked after and maintained.
Steps to checking on a Household Cavalry 1st & 2nd World War Grave:
- Visit https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/ and scroll down to the search parameters – enter your country and region, then tick the boxes for First World War and Second World War, then click Search
- Here’s where the detective work starts… You’ll have to search through each cemetery location, clicking on More Details, then Find these casualties. Under Unit / Regiment, if you do not see 1st or 2nd Life Guards, 1st Royal Dragoons or Royal Horse Guards, then click back twice to go and look into another location. This may take a long time as there are lots of sites and no way of guaranteeing if there is a HCav grave in that location.
- Once you find an HCav name, click on More Details to find out the address of the cemetery.
- Arrange to visit with a friend or make the trip alone to get out in the fresh air. Take a phone camera with you.
- It could take some time to locate the head stone once you are at the cemetery so be ready to search.
- Once you find the head stone take a picture of it within the surrounding area, a close-up picture of the front of the headstone showing the details and condition, and also take a picture of you next to it. If it was hard to find it may be worth making a note of where it is.
- Finally, if you can access the What3Words app, record the exact position of the grave.
If you have got this far, well done! It is a special and meaningful effort to track down and reach a Household Cavalry gravestone.
You may then want to try looking online to see if you can find out any additional information to bring that memory and their actions to life.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How to pass on what you have found?
Fill in the web form below and then upload
1. A clear photo of the full front of the headstone
2. A photo of the headstone in its surroundings
3. A photo of you next to the headstone
4. If you have managed to find out more about the story online please add one image that best brings the story to life
This information will be sent to the HCav Associations and the Regimental Archive to be added to the main database with the museum (all records are linked by name). From the information provided, if we assess that there is an upkeep issue that falls within the remit of the CWGC we will notify their team. Your photo and any information you have found can then be shared on the check to respect group and on the website.
We will share a list of recently visited cemeteries so that members can work in teams and set themselves a target of covering the regions where they live.