CWGC Stories

Read several stories of the 1.7 million people that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission commemorates.

The Gronert Twins 

Claude and Thomas Gronert were twin brothers, born in 1923 and raised in Cornwall. They worked together in the South Crofty tin mine, meaning they were classed as essential workers and did not face conscription. However, they both volunteered to serve in the Airborne forces in 1943. 

After completing their parachute training the twins were sent to North Africa as reinforcements for the 1st Parachute Brigade. The twins went on to see service in the Italian campaign, before returning to the United Kingdom. Following their return, the twins were posted to the 6th Platoon of the 2nd Parachute Battalion, under the commandment of Lieutenant Peter Cane. 

In September 1944, the 6th Platoon was sent to fight at Arnhem. They safely made it to the ground and were advancing through Arnhem en route to secure the famous road bridge over the Rhine River when they encountered enemy forces near the Benedendorpsweg-Klingelbeekseweg railway viaduct. Thomas was hit, and as Claude ran to his aid, he too was mortally wounded. Aged 21, they died side-by-side. 

Today, they are buried side-by-side in Plot 18. Row A. Graves 17 & 18 of CWGC Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery. Their headstones bear identical inscriptions chosen by their mother: ‘Winds of Heaven blow softly here where lies sleeping those we loved so dear.’

Lieutenant Rex Whistler

Born in London in 1905, Rex Whistler was one of the most accomplished artists of his generation. His most famous work is the mural on the walls of the Rex Whistler Restaurant in the Tate Britain in London, but he worked on many other projects: from posters and stage set design to Wedgwood china, children’s book illustrations, and portrait painting. 

At the outbreak of the Second World War he was 35 years old but nevertheless volunteered to serve. After training in England, he was deployed with the Welsh Guards to France during the Normandy Campaign. He volunteered to be the regimental burial officer and carried a stack of wooden crosses on the back of his tank. 

On 18 July, Commonwealth forces in Normandy launched Operation Goodwood, one of the greatest tank operations of the Second World War. More than 1,400 tanks and tens of thousands of men were involved, including Rex and Welsh Guards. During the advance, the tracks of Rex’s tank became tangled in wire. Rex and his crew went to free the tank, but while out in the open a mortar round fell nearby, and Rex was killed instantly. 

He was buried by his comrades near when he fell and in August 1945 he was laid to rest in Plot III. Row F. Grave 22 of CWGC Banneville-la-Campagne War Cemetery. His mother, Helen, wrote to the Commission in 1946 and requested the inscription for his headstone: ‘They shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day, when I make up my jewels’.

Violette Szabo 

Violette was born in France but grew up in London. At the outbreak of the Second World War she joined the Women’s Land Army and later the Auxiliary Territorial Services. 

In July 1940, she met Etienne Szabo, an officer in the French Foreign Legion. They were married after just five weeks and they had a daughter, Tania, born in June 1942. Four months later Etienne was killed in North Africa. 

Shortly after, Violette was recruited into the Special Operations Executive or SOE, whose agents went to occupied France to work against German forces. After a successful mission in the spring of 1944 she was sent back in June, just after D-Day. 

Just three days into this mission she was in a car with a number of French resistance fighters when it was stopped by a German patrol. She fought off the Germans, allowing the others to escape, but was captured when she ran out of ammunition. 

She was first taken to Paris and then to Germany. She was continuously and atrociously tortured by the Gestapo and the SS, but never gave away any of her companions or told the Germans anything of any value. 

In August 1944, she was sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp. Finally, on 25 January 1945, after months of forced labour in horrific conditions and with the Allied liberation Armies closing in, the Germans executed her, and burnt her body. 

For her courage and selflessness, she was awarded the George Cross. Violette has no known grave and is commemorated on the CWGC Brookwood 1939-1945 Memorial in Surrey. 

SOE agents often used codes within poems to disguise messages. This was one of Violette’s code poems given to her just before leaving for France the second time.

The life that I have
Is all that I have
And the life that I have
Is yours.

The love that I have
Of the life that I have
Is yours and yours and yours.

A sleep I shall have
A rest I shall have
Yet death will be but a pause.

For the peace of my years
In the long green grass
Will be yours and yours and yours

Rifleman Randolph Harvin

Randolph Harvin was born on 13 July 1924, in Sumter, South Carolina, USA. His father died when he was four and he was raised by his mother. He started school age 8 and from the age of 14 worked after school as a shoe shiner, at a Dry Cleaners and at his school, checking food for the cafeteria. When he was 16, Randolph and his family moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he attended Miller High School. His best subjects were bookkeeping, maths and English but he also joined the school cadet force and achieved the rank of 1st Lieutenant. He was a good sports man and would have been selected for any number of school teams, however he could not train after school as he had work in the evenings. He washed cars at Speedy Car Wash for four months and then found a job as an usher at the Warfield Theatre, earning $35 per week. He did find time to sing in the school Glee club, where he was a baritone. A popular student he was nominated to be president of his school student council during his last year.

He graduated in September 1943, and two weeks later crossed the border into Canada and enlisted into the Canadian Army. One of his older brothers was serving in the US Army and his younger brother was in the US Coast Guard but he decided to serve with the Canadians because of discrimination against black soldiers in US forces. 

The officer who enlisted him described him as:

‘A negro of good neat appearance with a pleasant co-operative manner. Easy talker, seems quite self-confident and appears to be very mature for his years…Quite ambitious and appears to be self-reliant…anxious to do his best and should make a good soldier.’

Randolph trained for the next eight months and was passed as ready for overseas deployment in May 1944. He shipped out on 25 June 1944 and arrived in France on 18 July. He joined the Royal Winnipeg Rifles in Normandy but was ordered to join the Calgary Highlanders for an attack. On 1 August the Highlanders assaulted the German lines near Tilly la Campagne. Under heavy German fire the unit suffered many killed and wounded. At the end of the day hundreds were missing but by morning many had returned. Sadly, Randolph was not one of those to return. He had been in Normandy just 15 days when he was killed in action. 

His body was found when Tilly la Campagne was finally secured, and he was buried by his comrades. In November 1944, he was finally laid to rest in Plot II. Row C. Grave 1. of CWGC Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery. Upon his headstone are the words chosen by his mother, ‘In thee, O Lord do I put my trust…Deliver me in thy righteousness’.

Lieutenant John Grayburn VC

Lieutenant John Grayburn was born on 30 January 1918 on Manora Island, British India. His family returned to England when he was young and he was brought up in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire. John was sent to Sherborne School in Dorsetshire and after graduation he worked for the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) as a Foreign Staff Junior. In his spare time, he played rugby for the Chiltern Rugby Club and enjoyed boxing. He was also a member of the Army Cadet Force, serving with the 1st (London) Cadet Force, The Queen's Royal Regiment. 

After the outbreak of the Second World War, John was made an officer of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. In 1942 he married Marcelle Chambers and the couple had a son. In June 1943, bored with home service, he volunteered for the Airborne forces. He completed his parachute training at RAF Ringway in August 1943 and was described as "An average performer, but an excellent leader, tonic to men". He joined the 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment in North Africa in late 1943 and eventually took command of 2 Platoon, A Company, 2nd Para.

On 17 September 1944, John and his men took part in Operation Market Garden. After safely making it to the ground, he led his men into Arnhem. They reached the bridge after nightfall and, in the darkness, John led an assault across the bridge. As they advanced the Germans opened fire. Brightly coloured rounds ricocheted off the road and the bridge supports, and with no cover the attacking paras suffered terrible casualties. John was hit in the shoulder but fought on. He ordered the survivors to fall back and was the last man off the bridge. 

Over the next two days John and his men fought for survival in a forward position near the north end of Arnhem bridge. Despite being wounded again John continued to lead, encourage and inspire his men. Finally, on 20 September, a German tank, against which the unit had no defence, forced John to pull his men back. Filthy, exhausted and with his head bandaged and arm in a sling, John stood up amongst the rubble to direct the evacuation. He was killed almost instantly. He was 26 years old.

John’s heroic actions during the battle were recounted by Major Tatham-Warter, and on 23 January 1945 John was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award for valour that can be awarded to a member of Commonwealth forces.

John had been buried close to where he fell, but in January 1946 he was laid to rest in Plot 13. Row C. Grave 11. of CWGC Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery. Upon his headstone is inscribed a Victoria Cross and beneath are the words chosen by his wife: ‘”YET SHALL HE LIVE" ST. JOHN XI.25.’

Jemadar Abdul Hafiz VC

Born on 1 July 1918, in the Rohtak district of the Punjab, Abdul Hafiz served with 9th Jat Regiment in the British Indian Army during the Second World War. On 6 April 1944, during the Battle of Imphal, he led a counter-attack against a Japanese position. Although twice wounded leading the advance, he charged a machine-gun, killing the crew. He continued at the head of his men until finally collapsing. His last words were to encourage his soldiers on. For his inspirational leadership and courage he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award for bravery.

The following details were given in the London Gazette on 23rd July 1944,

In Burma on 6th April 1944, 10 miles north of Imphal, the enemy had attacked and occupied a prominent feature. Jemadar Abdul Hafiz was ordered to attack with two sections up a completely bare slope, very steep near the crest. Jemadar Abdul Hafiz so inspired his sections that from the start the attack proceeded with great dash. The enemy opened fire with machine-guns and grenades, causing several casualties, but the assault continued without hesitation up the last few yards of the hill. Jemadar Abdul Hafiz was wounded, but seeing a machine-gun firing, he immediately went towards it and, seizing the barrel, pushed it upwards whilst another man killed the gunner. He again advanced, killing several of the enemy, but was badly wounded in the chest. He died shortly afterwards. The inspiring leadership and bravery displayed by Jemadar Abdul Hafiz in spite of having been twice wounded so inspired his men that the position was captured and severe casualties inflicted on the enemy. His complete disregard for his own safety, and his determination to capture and hold the position at all costs, were an example to all ranks.

He is buried in Imphal Indian Army War Cemetery, Plot 3. Row Q.

SECOND WORLD WAR CONTENTS:

COMING SOON!

• Profiles People

• Living through Conflict

• A Fight For Freedom

• Commemoration and Legacy 

• Artistic Responses to Conflict

Related Content:

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission

• First World War Commonwealth Stories