The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) honours the 1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the First and Second World Wars, and ensures they will never be forgotten.

In this exciting webinar, representatives from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission will explain the work of the CWGC by discussing its history. The talk will cover the work of the CWGC from its inception during the First World War to the work it continues to undertake today. This will include personal stories of some of the local casualties in the CWGC’s care, in addition to information about the ongoing work of the Commission.

Speakers:

Megan Kelleher is the Events and Challenge Fundraising Officer of the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation, which is the charitable arm of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. She is responsible for raising income for the CWGF through an innovative programme of fundraising events and challenges.

Megan has been working for the Commission since 2018. She initially started her career with the Commission as a Centenary Intern, working primarily at Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial in Belgium during the spring and summer of 2018. Upon her return to the UK, she worked as the Public Engagement Coordinator (East Central) for four years before beginning her current role in November 2022.

In her spare time, Megan is currently completing her PhD in History at the University of Kent. In her research, she is focusing on the role of the Commission in this task, and how the sites of memory across England both conform to and contrast with the sites abroad.

Will Reid is the Public Engagement Coordinator for the South of England Region, which covers the counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, London, Oxfordshire and Surrey. In his role, Will responsible for all community engagement projects and opportunities in these counties for the CWGC.

Will has always been fascinated by modern conflict history. It is something about the extraordinary variety of stories and the tangibility of this history that captures his imagination like no other period does. This influenced Will to study a degree in Archaeology and to get involved in several projects investigating battlefields and aircraft crash sites and the soldiers connected to them, which naturally led him to discover the Commission.

In April 2019, Will began his career working for the Commission as a Commonwealth War Graves Foundation Intern at Thiepval Memorial in France. Some of his fondest memories of this experience are of helping visitors discover the relatives they never knew they had. The moment they made this realisation was always incredibly profound and moving, and is a feeling that is unforgettable. After returning to the UK, Will began his current role with the Commission in January 2021.

Registration details:

Register for this talk via the following link: https://hampshirearchivestrust.co.uk/events/the-cwgc-an-introduction-to-the-history-and-ongoing-work-of-the-cwgc