Matt Dixon Posted 18 November , 2003 Share Posted 18 November , 2003 Firstly what does AIF stand for? Australian Infantry Force or Australian Imperial Force? Secondly, what was the inscription on WW1 cap badges....was it Australian Imperial Forces, or Australian Commonwealth Forces? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Henschke Posted 19 November , 2003 Share Posted 19 November , 2003 AIF : Australian Imperial Force Badge Inscription : Australian Commonwealth Military Forces Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest paddy Posted 19 November , 2003 Share Posted 19 November , 2003 G'day I have noted an apparent anomally in that the WW1 CWGC headstones seem to be inscribed Australian Imperial Forces. Although an extra s would not be of great significance in itself, I have always been "going to"seek clarification. Extending this thread a little [if that's ok] where might one find details of cemeteries in which badly weathered headstones are to be "renewed". Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 19 November , 2003 Share Posted 19 November , 2003 Paddy Either contact CWGC HQ at Maidenhead on casualty.enq@cwgc.org or the area office of the location in which you are interested. They should be able to tell you if any location is due for refurbishment in the near future. The unit names & badges inscribed on headstones are dictated by a set of headstone directives laid down some time ago. Headstones have to match these directives - even if they are not quite accurate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest paddy Posted 20 November , 2003 Share Posted 20 November , 2003 Thanks Terry. Some further points, if I may. I would also be interested to know just how the stones are refurbished. Is it a matter of re-etching the inscription on-site? The sheer numbers of headstones is of itself overwhelming. I had never visualised the intricacies of the individual inscriptions. The "Empire" badges themselves are relatively "standard", but the range of "insignia" on the British stones surprised me. That units such as the Princess Pats would result in such a lengthy inscription was also unexpected. Far from suggesting that each person had not earned the honour, it had occurred to me that the added logistics of complying with those origional rules, might increase the refurbishment cycle unacceptably. Thanks Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 20 November , 2003 Share Posted 20 November , 2003 Pat A very hot debate at the end of WW1 lead to the design of the standard headstone and the decision was made that virtually every UK and colonial unit would have their individual badges incorporated. The Dominions made a different decision in keeping virtually one badge for all their forces (with some variations). The same policy was followed for WW2. A few 'units, however, have no badge (eg Australian War Workers). The badges are actually re-designed versions for specific headstone use (sometimes necessary to fit them in the circle design) and vary slightly from the actual badge. There have also been slight redesigns and error corrections over the years. There are 2103 different 'regiments' in CWGC's database but not all have a distinguishing badge - still there are well over a thousand different examples. All new headstones are produced in CWGC's own workshop in France and are engraved by computer and so the variety of badge/inscription does not matter or slow the process. They are all programed in! Their Headstone Manual dictates what badge and regiment name must be used in each case. When it comes to refurbishing stones, this is often done on site. A year or so ago I was in Tyne Cot and many headstones were marked with a red cross denoting that they were due for replacement or repair. Stonemasons were in the cemetery re-engraving worn lettering with something that looked (and sounded) like a dentist's drill and the end result was perfect. These men sit under portable shelters in bad weather so the work is not held up by rain! This on-site work often includes correction of inscription errors as well as refurbishment. Fellow Pal, Inky Bill, has just succeeded in having some initials changed which were wrong on a headstone and you cannot see the repair! He has sent me a photo of this stone but I'll leave it to him to post it - it is a good example of what can be amended. CWGC have a checking and refurbishment programme for all cemeteries and their workshop is never idle. Of course, headstones are made of many different types of stone which wear at different rates and depending in local weather conditions etc. It is a never ending cycle but they have never been slow in replacing a stone which is in an unacceptable condition (in their terms that is - different people have different views on what is 'unacceptable'!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest paddy Posted 20 November , 2003 Share Posted 20 November , 2003 Terry. Greatly appreciated1 Thank You Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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