War Graves and Racism

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission exists to look after the graves of people from Commonwealth countries who died in the two World Wars.

Last month the Report of the Special Committee to Review Historical Inequalities in Commemoration was published. Its findings were stark and disturbing.

“As many as 350,000 casualties, predominantly, but not exclusively, East African and Egyptian personnel, were not commemorated by name or possibly not commemorated at all.”

The Report concluded that the explanation for these failings had much to do with “pervasive racism”.

The Year 10 Sociology group has recently been researching racial inequality, including institutional racism. Later this term, Year 7 will study Kenyan History and we will make a point of considering the part played by Kenyan soldiers in both World Wars.

At BMIS, every November 11th, we mark Armistice Day and remember the sacrifices made and the debt we all owe to people who gave their lives from wherever they came from. The Poppy appeals we organise ensure that all donations go exclusively to Kenyan veterans and their families.

Following the publication of the Report, apologies were immediately forthcoming from Claire Horton, the Director General of the CWGC and Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister.

Let us hope that the lessons have been learnt and that wrongs of the past can be rectified.

“Our shared duty is to honour and remember all those, wherever they lived and whatever their background, who laid down their lives for our freedoms at the moment of greatest peril.”

Boris Johnson, April 2021