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Isle Of Wight Volunteer Wins Award For Work Maintaining Graves

Sunday, 17 April 2022 06:00

By Oliver Dyer X @olidyer

An Isle of Wight man has been recognised for his voluntary work helping to maintain graves on the Island.

Gary Newman, a volunteer for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), has received an award for "going above and beyond" for the organisation.

He has also been recognised for his passion for world war history and inspiring people with talks.

He was recently given the prestigious Spotlight award along with a letter from the CWGC’s Director General, Claire Horton, congratulating him and thanking him for his work.

He said:

“I served in the Royal Navy in the medical branch for more than 35 years. At one time involved in preparing the fallen for their final return home from Afghanistan, which when I left, helped inspire me to volunteer with Commission, along with having quite a few relatives (from the Island) having fallen in WWI & WWII, including my paternal grandfather who is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France.”

The CWGC’s Spotlight Awards are designed to shine a light on and celebrate the exceptional work of volunteers, individually or in teams who have gone over and beyond what is expected from them.

Gary is one of four volunteers to help across 12 sites, with 214 casualties on the Isle of Wight. He joined as a volunteer in 2021 and has eight talks booked for this year.

He will be involved in this year’s War Graves Week — titled Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times — which takes place from May, 21 to 28. This will be a chance for residents to explore the war graves on their doorstep, with planned talks and tours.

He added:

“I very much enjoy my work for the Commission and now the weather is improving, I am looking forward to getting out on the ground and visiting the lads and lasses in my care.”

To find out more about the Commission’s work and the upcoming War Graves Week, please keep checking back on its website: www.cwgc.org

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