Graves of our Fallen Project

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Graves of our Fallen is a project to gather gravestone pictures of all of our Signals fallen, the men and women who lost their lives in service to Canada, whether in war or peace time, as members of the Canadian Signalling Corps, Canadian Engineer Signal Companies, Canadian Corps of Signals, Royal Canadian Corps of Signals and the Communications and Electronics Branch. It's hoped that with the involvement of our wide community, this ambitious goal can be achieved.

Lists of the Fallen

A compiled list of fallen is being maintained as part of this project. There are a number of excellent sources such as the Canadian Virtual War Memorial and the National Books of Remembrance, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, History of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals and of course the recent history publication, Semaphore to Satellite. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the list of names in each differs slightly so through this project we will also strive to refine the list of our fallen.

No doubt this list too will have discrepancies so please let us know (gravesofourfallen@rcsigs.ca) if you spot something in need of correction. Together, we'll be able to refine the list and use it to identify where the source lists need updating or correction.

The project is maintaining two lists and a map:

Honour Roll   The Honour Roll is the full list of the fallen and features a gravestone photo if available. It is sorted alphabetically by default but it can be resorted by selecting the desired column.
     
Needed Photos   The second list, to ease the collection effort, contains just those names for whom a picture is still required. The list is sorted by country, province/region and cemetery so that it's easy for those gathering photos to use. Like the Honour Roll, the second list is also sortable by selecting the desired sort column.
     
Honour Roll burial map   In addition to the lists, a map view has been created based on burial locations. Gravestones needing pictures are shown in red, those already done are shown in green.

Based on the honour roll, the following conflict/era specific lists are generated:

Signals Casualties of the Great War   Lists all known Signals related casualties of the Great War and links to known details.
     
Signals Casualties of the Second World War   Lists all known Signals related casualties of the Second World War and links to known details.
     
Signals Casualties of the Korean War   Lists all known Signals related casualties of the Korean War and links to known details.
     
Signals Casualties of the War in Afghanistan   Lists all known Signals related casualties of the War in Afghanistan and links to known details.
     
Signals Casualties of the United Nations   Lists all known Signals related casualties due to service with the United Nations and links to known details.
     
Signals Casualties of Other Era   Lists all known Signals related casualties of other era and links to known details.

Photos

For each of our fallen, we hope to gather a photo of the graveyard itself, a photo of the grave area and a detailed photo of the gravestone. RCSigs.ca will feature pages for each cemetery to provide a description and location information as well as details of those buried there, along with the gravestone photos, so that they're available for all to view.

Photos should be high resolution and of course be clear, in focus and have sufficient contrast so the engraving can be easily read. Photos of the gravestones should be taken as straight on (perpendicular) as possible so that the stone appears in its proper shape. Please take care to show the full stone and not just the inscription. Photos of the cemetery should show the general layout or be of an identifying or unique feature in order to provide a feel for the location.

Photos should be provided in JPEG/JPG file format and at their full resolution/size if possible. If you're knowledgable and able and suitably outfitted, it would be good to enable the GPS capability in your digital camera so that the photos will be geo-tagged. It's not easy to find the burial locations sometimes even with a cemetery plan so every bit helps!

Photos submitted must come with permission to post and use them on RCSigs.ca as well as for use by the Communications and Electronics Branch. Please don't submit pictures found on the web or from other sources unless you've obtained the owner's permission and can provide evidence of their permission.

Photo credits will be gladly provided for all submitted material.

How can you contribute?

Assisting with the project is easy! Consult the list of the fallen and see if there are photos needed for those buried close to where you live or where you may be traveling. Then, grab a camera and pay our fallen a visit! Photos can then be sent to gravesofourfallen@rcsigs.ca so they can be processed and posted on this site.

If you feel there are discrepancies, errors or omissions in the list of the fallen or have other feedback, please send an email to gravesofourfallen@rcsigs.ca.

Thanks in advance to all those who assist!

Project Status

So far we have 613 of 628 gravestones photographed. Only 15 more to go!!

Conflict/Era Honour Roll Names Photos Needed
Great War
143
1
Second World War
428
1
Korean War
4
0
War in Afghanistan
3
0
United Nations
9
1
Other
41
12
Totals
628
15

Thank you to the following contributors (chronological order): LCol Grant Griswold, LCol Cathy Blue, BGen (Ret’d) Bill Richard, Judy Bell, volunteers of Maple Leaf Legacy Project©, LCol (Ret’d) Peter Sheremeta, BGen (Ret’d) Kevin O'Keefe, Col (Ret’d) Chris Weicker, Phil Smith, Jim McQueen, Bill Murphy, Sean Costello, Barbara Page, Peter Angel, Col Jeff Drummond, John and Debra Corbin, Bob Spry, LCol Doug Swinton, Kathie Edwards, MWO (Ret’d) Herb Postill, Col (Ret’d) Mike Zawislak, Major Chris Buckham, Lt Chris Bencze, Frans van Cappellen, Geoff Swallow, Major Brad Bruce, Norm Weir, Terry Ingoldsby, LCol Stephane Roy, Larry Will, Marg Liessens, KrayeB, Francois Greeff, volunteers of the Canadian Gravemarker Gallery, John Sargeant, Gloria Mills, Col Denis Boucher, LCol Ryan Walker, J.W. Cummings, Steven62, Wertypop, julia&keld, Charlie, Elviskline, Dimitrios Corcodilos, Shirley Tort, Bill Day, BobB, Canadian Virtual War Memorial, M Farah, SD Cowan, Tom Eden, John James, NCdt Kate Costello, Greg Barker

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