Friends of Spital Cemetery commemorate the erection of a Commonwealth War Grave in honour of Private 4128 Harry Rodgers

A First World War soldier who was buried in an unmarked grave in Chesterfield has been recognised with Commonwealth War Graves headstone, thanks to help from the Friends of Spital Cemetery

Nigel Stokes got in touch with the Friends of Spital Cemetery a while back as he was researching his family history and had found that his great-grandfather, Harry Rodgers, was buried in Spital Cemetery.  He asked for details of the plot and it turned out that this was an unmarked grave.

A Friends spokesperson said: “ Many people get in touch with the Friends to enquire about the location of their ancestors’ graves as more and more people are using online resources to delve into their ancestors’ past. 

“Nigel also noted that Harry was a serving soldier during WW1 when he died.  Sadly, Harry did not die in battle on some foreign field, but of typhoid in a local hospital. After some email exchanges, we agreed that it was surprising that Harry had not been given a Commonwealth War Graves (CWG) headstone in recognition of his contribution.

“Nigel lives in Australia which potentially made things a little difficult, but he agreed that he would contact the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and see what could be done. He was asked to supply a death certificate, military information and even the Derbyshire Times obituary to assist with the process, and after about 8 months the request for a headstone was accepted.

“Bereavement Services at Chesterfield Borough Council were contacted to mark out the location of the grave, and a post was used to mark the spot. It then took another 9 months for the manufacture of the stone in France and final installation – just in time for Nigel and his wife to see it on a visit to Europe they had booked some time before.”

Harry was born in Chesterfield in 1885, to a George and Harriet Rodgers.  He signed up late in 1914 and was attached to the 3/6th Sherwood Foresters, then quartered at the Industrial Homes on Ashgate Road. Harry died not very long after at the Penmore Isolation Hospital at Hasland on the 9th May 1915, at the relatively young age of 29, from typhoid which led to peritonitis. 

Harry had a full military funeral at the Crooked Spire church, attended by some 250 men and officers of the battalion, along with the drum and bugle band. He was then interred at Spital Cemetery in an unmarked grave, the service terminating with the firing of 3 volley shots over the grave.

Steve Brunt, Chair of Friends of Spital Cemetery and also a tutor for the Commonwealth Graves Commission commented: “ We are delighted that we have been able to assist Nigel and his family to honour the resolve of his ancestor to join the war effort that was gaining momentum in 1914 at the early stages of World War 1.  Harry was buried with full military honours and this deserves to be recognised.”