Men Buried in the United States but not Commemorated by the CWGC

In the course of examining the burials in the United States, other men have been identified who may be eligible for commemoration by the CWGC.

So far, an Army officer and two discharged British soldiers have been identified:

302366 Private Edwin Jones

Edwin Jones was born in England but became a naturalised citizen of the United States. He was a long-serving member of the Boston Police Department. He volunteered to serve early in the war with the British Army; he was reportedly gassed. He served with the Army Service Corps and, after being gassed, with the Labour Corps. Discharged unfit for further service on 24 April 1918, he returned home and died on 5 September 1918, aged 54. He is buried in North Burial Ground, Providence, RI alongside Sapper William Bustin.

18/1002 Sergeant William Pattinson

Sergeant Pattinson served with the 18th (Service) Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry (1st County), from which he was detached to 93rd Brigade Trench Mortar Battery. After being wounded in July 1916, he served with 1st Training Reserve Battalion. He was discharged in February 1918 and moved to the United States in August. He died on 24 September 1918 in Hagerstown, Maryland, where he is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery.

Captain Rowland Siddons Smith OBE

Captain Smith (an officer of the Special Reserve of Officers), was a long-time member of the diplomatic service who served as the translator at the British Embassy in Petrograd from 1906 until 1918. When travelling to a new post in Vladivostok, he fell ill on board SS China en route from San Francisco to Hawaii and died at sea on 21 October 1918. He is buried in O’ahu Cemetery, Honolulu.

In addition, two sailors of the mercantile marine died in an accident alongside a sailor of the Royal Navy. Their deaths are not commemorated by the CWGC because they were not as a result of enemy action:[1]

Cadet Reginald Cyril Johnson and Seaman Algot Buske

Both men served on the armed merchant ship SS Kerry Range. They died in a major fire that wrecked the ship on 30 October 1917. Both men are buried in the same grave in Oak Lawn Cemetery, Baltimore with Leading Seaman Eustace Alfred Bromley, Royal Navy.

Canadian Book of Remembrance (Virtual Cemetery)

In 1992 the Canadian Book of Remembrance (Virtual Cemetery) was established to commemorate those listed in Canada’s official World War One Book of Remembrance  but who are not in the Commission’s records. Several are believed to be buried in the United States. The Virtual Cemetery may be found here.


1. (Back) When the Imperial War Graves Commission was established, its charters did not include the commemoration of mercantile seamen. In the aftermath of the First World War, it was decided that responsibilities should be extended to the Commonwealth mercantile marine but only if they died as a direct result of enemy action. This rule does not apply to members of the Mercantile Marine Reserve, which comprised merchant seamen who served under a special wartime Naval engagement and were subject to Admiralty regulations and the Naval Discipline Act; casualties of the Mercantile Marine Reserve are commemorated regardless of the cause of death.

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