Shown as HENRY PERSSE MERRIWEATHER
Lieutenant, EC/4186, 5th Mahratta Light Inf, who died on, Tuesday, 1st
February 1944. Age 28.
Son of Henry and Geraldine Merriweather; husband of Flora Paterson
Merriweather, of Glasgow.
Commemorative Information, Cemetery: SANGRO RIVER WAR CEMETERY, Italy
Grave Reference/Panel Number: XI. B. 4.
Location: The Sangro River War Cemetery lies in the Contrada Sentinelle
in the Commune of Torino di Sangro, Province of Chieti. Take the road
SS16 between Pescara and Vasto from the autostrada A14 exit at Val di
Sangro. At about 2.5 km from this exit turn right onto the SS16 for
nearly 2 km. There is then a sharp right turn up to cemetery. The
cemetery is permanently open and may be visited anytime.
Historical Information: The site of Sangro River War Cemetery was
selected by the 5th Corps. Into it were concentrated the graves of men
who lost their lives in the fierce fighting on the Adriatic sector of the
front in November-December 1943, and during the subsequent static period
there. The 8th Indian Division was on this sector during these months;
the 4th Indian Division arrived in January 1944, and the 10th Indian
Division in April 1944. There are therefore many Muslim burials in the
cemetery, in plots VI, VII, XIII and XVIII; and the cemetery contains one
of the three cremation memorials in Italy (the others being in Forli
Indian Army War Cemetery and in Rimini Gurkha War Cemetery). The New
Zealand Division also suffered heavily in the fighting for and beyond the
Sangro River, and many of their graves are here. The Canadians have their
own cemetery not far off, at Moro River. Sangro River War Cemetery
contains, besides the graves of those who died in battle or of wounds,
those of quite a number of British prisoners of war who escaped and died
either of exposure or otherwise while trying to reach the British lines.
There are now 2,500, 1939-45 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of
these, nearly 100 are unidentified.