Record

Unique IDCWGC/8/1/4/1/2/77
File NumberCCM25013
TitleCaptain CHARLES GORDON DOWDING - DAR ES SALAAM WAR CEMETERY -
Multimedia

CWGC_8_1_4_1_2_77 (CCM25013).pdf

DescriptionFile of correspondence regarding the grave of Captain Charles Gordon Dowding in Mtama Cemetery (later concentrated to Dar es Salaam War Cemetery, Tanzania).
Content NoteIncludes: Letter to Miss Dorothy Dowding, Captain Dowding's sister, informing her that her brother was buried in Tschivata in East Africa, in response to her enquiry made by telephone call, 19 May 1919; letter to Miss Dowding from the Directorate of Graves Registration and Enquiries, clarifying that her brother's body was moved from Tschivata to Masasi, East Africa, and reburied in the presence of a military chaplain, 29 August 1919; handwritten letter from Miss Dowding, asking for information on the location of her brother's grave and explaining she had mislaid the letter sent to her in 1919, 24 August 1920; handwritten letter from Mrs Dorothy Burleigh-Leach (née Dowding) to Sir Fabian Ware, recalling that she had known him whilst working as a private secretary at the War Office and asking him for the location of her brother's grave, a photograph of it, and any information with regards to travel assistance given by the Commission, 6 July 1924; letter written by Fabian Ware, but signed by Major Stopford, IWGC Assistant Secretary, to Mrs Burleigh-Leach, informing her that Captain Dowding was buried in Masasi Cemetery but it appeared that the graves there would have to be moved to Mtama Cemetery, in order for them to be properly maintained, and stating that he would try to get an IWGC officer to take a photograph of the grave, 26 July 1924; handwritten reply from Mrs Burleigh-Leach to Major Stopford, thanking him and Ware for their time, and explaining that she was personally against her brother's body being moved for a second time, 28 July 1924; letter from Major Stopford to Mrs Burleigh-Leach, enclosing the final verification and personal inscription forms, 24 September 1926; handwritten reply from Mrs Burleigh-Leach, returning the forms and asking once again for a photograph of the grave and the cemetery, undated but received by the IWGC on 30 September 1926; handwritten letter from Mrs Margaret Berkeley-Dowding, Captain Dowding's mother, to Fabian Ware, explaining that she had heard his Armistice Day address on the radio, during which he offered to help the relatives in any way, and asking firstly if the inscription she submitted had been engraved on his headstone, and secondly for a photograph of the grave to be sent to her, as she would never be able to travel to East Africa herself, 17 November 1933; reply from Fabian Ware, confirming that the headstone had been engraved with her choice of personal inscription and the grave was being cared for by the Tanganyika Government on behalf of the Commission, and offering to arrange for one of the Tanganyika Government officials to take a photograph of the grave during an inspection visit, 4 December 1933; handwritten letter from Keith Dowding (Captain, Royal Navy), Captain Dowding's brother, asking for the location of the grave, 28 November 1947; reply from the IWGC Secretary, informing him that his brother was buried in Mtama Cemetery, Tanganyika [Tanzania], 2 January 1948.
Date15/5/1919 - 2/1/1948
Extent1 file
CollectionArchive
CategoryEfiles
ArchNoteRepackaged by Jenny Turner (Trainee Archivist), 16 October 2019
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