§ 10. Sir B. PETOasked the Secretary of State for War, as representing the War Graves Commission, whether his attention has been called to the removal and destruction of the memorial erected by the family and comrades of the late Corporal Withecombe, of the 1st Royal North Devon Hussars, in the cemetery at Alexandria; whether his family were communicated with before this action was taken; the name of the representative of the War Graves Commission in Egypt on whose authority this action was taken; and whether, in view of the fact that it has distressed the parents and relatives of this deceased soldier, he will give orders that at least the marble scroll erected by his comrades shall be added to the memorial now placed on his grave?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSThe general policy of the Imperial War Graves Commission, which was explained to, and accepted by, the House in 1920, is to mark all graves with a uniform type of memorial. In Egypt, where a number of private memorials had already been erected during the War, the Commission did not replace them by the uniform type so long as they remained in good condition. But when these memorials, of which Corporal Withecombe's was one, have perished, they have been replaced by the standard headstone. Corporal Withecombe's relatives were informed of the proposed action. In view of the general policy to which I have referred, I regret that it is not possible to comply with the suggestion in the last part of the question.
§ Sir B. PETOCan my right hon. Friend give me any authority for the statement he has made that Corporal Withecombe's relatives were communicated with before this memorial was destroyed and another memorial substituted for it, as it seems to be in contradiction of a statement which I have had from the Imperial War Graves Commission?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSI, of course, made inquiries of the Imperial War Graves Commission when my hon. Friend's question appealed on the Paper, and my statement is on the authority of the reply they have given me, that the 961 relatives were communicated with. I have seen a copy of the form which was sent to them. With regard to the other statement in my hon. Friend's supplementary question, it is not the fact that this memorial has been destroyed by the Imperial War Graves Commission. It perished because of the salt in the air and the climate, and, after it had perished, it was replaced by a standard headstone.
§ Sir B. PETOIs there any reason why, from the point of view of sentiment, the special memorial erected by this man's comrades should not be reproduced from a photograph and placed upon the grave?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSI must refer my hon. Friend to the Debate that took place in 1920, when it was undoubtedly the view of the House that uniform memorials should be placed on all graves, and I believe my hon. Friend will find that that is still the general feeling.