Remarkable Memorial Angels!

Now, have you ever seen anything like this in a cemetery or graveyard. A real feat of engineering by the stone mason. Two angels support a praying figure in this remarkable memorial in the Redan Road Cemetery in Aldershot, Hampshire.

It is just an ordinary town cemetery, but it contains some unusual features as the following photographs show:

Two angels support a praying figure - remarkable!

Here is the headstone of George Greenwood who died in 1884 and his widow.
The inscription records that he was Caretaker of this Cemetery for 23 years

A grieving figures stands over a grave

The Old Contemptibles Association provided bronze memorials in the design of the 1914 Star  to commemorate members who passed away. Here, R F Colville of the Royal Fusiliers is remembered.
This type of memorial is quite rare. I have two in my own collection
that I purchased at a militaria fair many, many years ago.

This Old Contemptibles grave marker records the details of J Thompson,
Royal Army Service Corps who was a member of the Aldershot branch

A young angel prays

A view up the main avenue through Aldershot's Redan Road cemetery

A Balloonist's Grave

Twenty years ago, I happened across a military cemetery in Aldershot - a town then known as the home of the British Army. It was full of fascinating characters whose remains were buried there. Opening another dusty box today, I found this photograph that I had taken of the grave of a military balloonatic [I tend to describe early baloonists thus as they must have been mad to take such flights!

The sword draped cross marks the grave of Lt Caulfield of the Royal Engineers who lost his life while on duty in the Military Baloon 'Thrasher'. A guide to the cemetery notes:

Lieutenant William Caulfeild, Royal Engineers. Killed along with fellow Officer, Lt Martin-Leake RAMC, whilst demonstrating to King Edward VII and Prince Fushimi of Japan, military balloon ‘Thrasher’, on 25 May 1907 at Aldershot. The balloon headed SW and was last seen close to Abbotsbury, Nr Weymouth only 40 feet from the ground. One of the balloonists shouted to a nearby farmer to catch the trail rope, unfortunately he failed to do so and the two men were never seen again. The next day the trawler ‘Skylark’ picked up a tangled mess of cordage and fabric – all that remained of the ‘Thrasher’.

If they were never seen again, why the grave? Perhaps someone out there knows the reason? It would be nice to hear why
.