IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Dowding Close, COLCHESTER, CO2 8TR

One of only two Streets in the country left honouring “Joe Stalin”. The Barn Hall Estate in Colchester was planned and built in the immediate aftermath of WW2 before the Cold War got started or the horrific truth of Stalin’s rule of the Soviet Union became fully known. I suppose the set of Churchill Way and Roosevelt Way would not be complete without the third member of the “big three”. The other town I know of with a sense of history big enough not to edit out Stalin from their street names is Chatham in Kent.

Yep Fook was a Chinese labourer in the Chinese Labour Corps. He died in Colchester Hospital 9th November 1918. The Chinese Labour Corps, nicknamed the Celestials, were Chinese auxiliaries sent to work for French and British troops during the First World War and do the hardest menial jobs. He was presumably injured on the battlefield and brought to Colchester for treatment, where he ultimately died only two days before the end of the war.

There are 267 Commonwealth burials of the 1914-1918 war, one being unidentified, eleven Australian graves are together in a group nearby, the remainder being scattered. After the war a Cross of Sacrifice was erected on a site overlooking both the plot and the group of war graves, in honour of all the servicemen buried here. There are also 114 Commonwealth burials of the 1939-1945 war here, 1 of which is unidentified. There are also 7 Foreign National burials.

In Mersea Road, B1025

Looking south from the corner of Roosevelt Way. The street-names must - I suppose - date from the time of the Yalta agreement.

18th March 2007 was a very blustery day in Colchester Cemetery

Quite a surprise to find that Colchester hasn't air-brushed Stalin out of history. Uncle Joe would have shown no such tender regard for those who resisted him.

This obelisk was purchased by the Wire family and re-sited at the cemetery as a memorial to Mary Ann, beloved wife of Charles Wire. This obelisk was originally located in the High Street to the east of St Runwalds Church. The Essex County Standard of 8th January 1858 mentions the removal and sale of the obelisk. A further report is given on 29th January 1858. It was sold for £3 5s 0d to Mr Charles Wire of Magdalen Street.