Bill hern writes: Fitz Griffith is a War Hero. He served in World War 1 as a Private with the British West Indies Regiment. Tragically he contracted an illness – probably tuberculosis – and was declared medically unfit. He returned to Barbados where he died and was buried in St Lucy Parish Church Cemetery in a Commonwealth War Grave.
When I last wrote about Fitz three years ago, I expressed great sadness that his gravestone did not face the Church and was hidden from view by thick bushes.
I re-visited his grave on 20th November 2019 and am pleased to give credit to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for clearing the undergrowth, although Fitz’s gravestone does still face away from the Church.
But, much, much worse, the grave is now partially submerged in a small lake.
It is totally inaccessible to anyone not wearing waders and impossible to view as it is facing away from the Church, on the outer boundary of the Cemetery and surrounded on all sides by water.
To someone’s credit (and I suspect it is the Commonwealth War Graves Commission) an intrepid lady or gentleman must have donned waders recently to affix a poppy to Fitz’s grave. Well done that person, although the poppy, like the grave, is virtually impossible to get to or view.
I managed to get photographs of the grave after eventually tracking it down, clambering through undergrowth and ‘paddling’ until the water was well above my ankles.
It pains me to say this as I love Barbados and St Lucy, but the Cemetery is in a disgraceful state. The grounds are badly overgrown and there is rubble and litter everywhere.
Draining the lake seems an unlikely and expensive option but Fitz must not remain isolated and forgotten. Surely his gravestone could be removed and, like Siebert Raper’s gravestone in St James, be erected in a prominent position on the church wall?
This all takes on even greater importance as, in four days time on 24th November, it will be the 100th anniversary of Fitz’s death.
It would have been nice, if perhaps naive, to think people might have made an effort to visit his grave and remember him on such a momentous day but, as you can see, that is unlikely to happen. Perhaps those reading this will take a moment on 24 November to remember a brave young West Indian who gave his life for the Mother Country?