The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) identified inequalities in the way the organisation commemorated the dead of the British Empire from the two world wars.
The report estimates that between 45,000 and 54,000 casualties (predominantly Indian, East African, West African, Egyptian and Somali personnel) were commemorated unequally.
A further 116,000 casualties (predominantly, but not exclusively, East African and Egyptian personnel) but potentially as many as 350,000, were not commemorated by name or possibly not commemorated at all.
This report finds that the IWGC is responsible for these shortcomings – either because of its own decision-making or its complicity in the decision making of other authorities. In certain circumstances the IWGC did not stand by its principles or insist upon them being upheld. This would not have happened in Europe.
Despite clearly making this argument, this report also shines a light on wider administrative errors and prejudiced attitudes that influenced or played a role in bringing about these issues.
Ultimately, many of these errors and attitudes belonged to departments of the British Imperial Government, including the War Office and Colonial Office.
David Lammy, MP has told LBC he “shed a tear” after the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) apologised following an investigation which found hundreds of thousands of predominantly black and Asian service personnel who died fighting for the British Empire were not formally remembered in the same way as their white comrades.
David presented a documentary about the more than 100,000 Africans denied the honour of an individual grave after they died fighting for the British Empire features a document which refers to victims being “of a semi-savage nature”.
Boris Johnson has said he is “deeply troubled” by failures to properly commemorate potentially hundreds of thousands of black and Asian service personnel who died fighting for the British Empire.
The Prime Minister offered “an unreserved apology” on Friday after an investigation found the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) did not formally remember the individuals in the same way as their white comrades.
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