It's about how the Compassionate Cell, based in at Abbey Wood in Bristol, bring Service personnel and civil servants home from anywhere in the world when they are needed by their families. This service is provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Cell works with the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), based at SPVA at Imjin Barracks, Gloucester and the Employee Wellbeing Centre based at the Defence Business Services.
Radio 4 are marking Remembrance with a special selection of programmes
On Remembrance Sunday at 14.45 hours, Radio 4 is scheduled to broadcast the burial that took place on 1 September at Sanders Keep Cemetery, France of an unidentified British World War 1 soldier , known to have died whilst serving with the Machine Gun Corps (MGC).
The Coverage will include interviews with Captain Nick Stanley and Wing Commander Graham August from the British Embassy in Paris, Graham Sacker from the MGC Association and Sue Raftree from the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre.
The Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, Sir Henry Elwes KCVO recently visited the SPVA offices at Imjin Barracks to find out more about the work of the MOD Medal Office and Joint Casualty & Compassionate Centre.
During his visit, Sir Henry visited the Elizabeth Cross section where he was able to meet the people who administer the prestigious award. As the Queen’s representative for the county, he has presented crosses to local families on several occasions.
Sir Henry was also given an overview of the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre, highlighting the important work undertaken to ensure families are quickly notified of UK Service casualties wherever and whenever they occur in the World.
Sir Henry Elwes KCVO, Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire said:
“I have enjoyed the opportunity to visit the Medal Office and JCCC and to see the important work they do for our Armed Forces, their families and the Veterans community, particularly in respect of the Elizabeth Cross.”
We've just released the third in a series of videos highlighting a variety of items of interest to the service and veterans community.
In the latest video, presenter Don Goldie looks at the work of the Historic Casualty Casework team, a small, dedicated unit working within the MoD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC).
The Casework team deals with all enquires relating to individual military fatalities outside the recent past and co-ordinates investigations following the discovery of human remains of personnel killed in the First and Second World Wars,. This fascinating work involves attempts to identify the casualty and trace their next of kin or descendants. They then arrange an appropriate military funeral in the country concerned, if that is the wish of the family.
The team have recently been heavily involved in the Fromelles Project which called for their expertise in the identification and reburial of 250 British and Australian troops who were killed during the battle in 1916. The videocast features an interview with Sue Raftree, head of the Fromelles team, who explains the procedures that were undertaken in attempting to identify the remains of those bodies recovered from their original resting place.
Fromelles will also feature in a future SPVA podcast, in which Ranald Leask of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission talks in some detail about the background to the project. Watch out for the release in the next couple of days!
