Dates on War Memorials

New topic created from a discussion in village war memorials

The official date for the end of wwi is 28th June 1919, so why do so many war memorials say 1918?

No I havent, but I have a copy in a book of a death certificate that says something like this "a register of a death due to active service 1914-21.

Oh and not wishing to score points does anyone know what year wwii officially ended?

In the Cannock Chase war cemetery which was intended for casualties who died at the nearby military hospital a very large number of the graves are for 1919 and represent victims of Spanish flu who were patients at the Hospital. In View of the Horrific nature of some of the injuries including lungs ruined by poison gas it is not suprising that 2 years after the armistice ex soldiers were still dying due to injuries sustained on active service.Also Perhaps active service included such things as clearing unexploded ordnance,and garrison duties making sure that the armistice and peace treaty was observed.

I can recall seeing cases from the coroners court in the eighties and the coroner recording the death as being caused by injuries sustained in wwi. And when my dad died the coroner got involved due to dad being in receipt of a war pension.

Also now i think of it were not British Forces sent to aid the "white Russians" against Trotsky' " Red Army" and i presume as it was not clandestine but acknowledged there would have been casualtys on active service. If so are there any memorials recognising there service i wonder ?

There was also a war in Afghanistan in 1919.