John Walters and John Short Erskine

John Walters and John Short Erskine
Danygraig Cemetery
credit - findagrave

 John Walters and John Short Erskine are buried together at Danygraig Cemetery.

John, who was 41 when he died on the 24^th of August 1921.  He served with the Welch Regiment.  John was born in 1880 at Aberdare, and he was the son of James Watts.

John was the last First World War burial at Danygraig Cemetery, commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The First World War officially ended on the 31^st of August 1921, when the Termination of the Present War (Definition) Act 1918 was passed by Parliament.  Giving discretion to His Majesty in Council to declare the date of the termination of the war. Consequently, war with each of the Central Powers ended close to the date of the ratification of the various peace treaties. Although a treaty with Turkey had yet to be ratified, it was decided that the 31^st of August 1921 'should be treated as the date of the termination of the present War’.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission was then known as the Imperial War Graves Commission (IWGC) was charged with responsibility for the graves of service personnel who died between the outbreak and end of the War, this meant that those casualties of the First World War who died after 31^st of August 1921 fell outside the remit of the Commission

This was the case with John Short Erskine, who died on the 31^st of October 1921. John was born in Dunfermline, Scotland.

However, John served with the Welsh Guards.  He was 35 years old when he died.