The entire searchable database of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has been put on the Internet, writes Seamus Martin. The website (http://www.cwgc.org) contains details of the graves or commemoration places of 1.7 million people who died in British and Commonwealth forces in two world wars. Information on 60,000 civilian casualties in the Second World War is also given.
In the case of soldiers whose graves have been identified the index numbers of graves are given as well as precise road directions to specific war cemeteries. In the past week the website has been working extremely erratically and those wishing to obtain information on the whereabouts of graves are advised to wait for some days until pressure on the site has eased.