Father and son war graves in Streatham Park Cemetery

Image: © Marathon Taken: 1 Mar 2017

Streatham Park Cemetery opened as the Great Southern Cemetery in 1909. Up to the Second World War Streatham Park Cemetery accounted for one fifth of all burials in South London. It is a strange mixture with colourful gardens of remembrance near the entrance in Rowan Road, large mausolea not far from the entrance, and a 'street' of even larger mausolea, many to Italians, beyond the war memorial. Much of the rest of the cemetery is quite wild. A more complete history is given at http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=MER056 The war graves, which are from the Second World War, are in a line and are quite a distance from the entrance. Sadly they are not in a special area as in many other local cemeteries - see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3035400 and http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2528457 The gravestone at the back here is one of the standard Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstones and is to Private H. L. Edwards of The East Surrey Regiment who died 29th April 1941 age 25. The one at the front is also to Private H. L. Edwards which explains that he died of wounds. Below his name is that of his father who died in the First World War - Private Lancelot Edwards killed in action 14th May 1917 aged 29 years.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0