Finding The Cemetery
Remember me as you pass by,
As you are now, so once was I,
As I am now, so you must be,
Prepare for death and follow me.
There is a Commonwealth War Graves sign on the gate now
In 1934, Reverend E. H. Pillifant Chaplain to the Forces wrote a booklet whilst he was working at Netley giving his version of the history of the hospital and telling us the information that isn’t
in the history books, things like there was a large swimming pool which was filled with sea water pumped by means of an engine driven by a windmill on the beach. The system proved unsatisfactory, and
the windmill was replaced by a steam engine on the same site. (Nowadays, it’s known as the “Boat House”) Eventually, the pool was covered over and became the Garrison Theatre.
He writes about many things which are so interesting to us researchers but at last, I have found out about the path that runs from the Hospital field down to the cemetery – It is a man-made
road!
You might remember we had a debate about it on my facebook page sometime ago. Reverend Pillifant says that the cemetery was divided from the hospital by a wooded valley. A few years after the
cemetery was opened in 1864, the pathway was built to connect the two.
That must have used a lot of soil. Do you think they made the valley deeper by pushing the soil from both sides into the middle to make the path? Anyone got any ideas how it might have been
done?
I am just happy that that question has been answered at last.
The path to the cemetery is the one that is at the back of the chapel. It leads to a wooden gate.This sign used to be on the right hand side of the gate just at the entrance to the path.
Walk on down this path. It has a steep drop either side. The trees are beautiful any time of the year. I have seen lots of birds and squirrels too, no deer yet though.
Soon you will come to a split in the path, take the left turn. The other takes you to the playing field at Hamble.
At the bottom are the gates to the Cemetery
The entrance
RM45Cdo82 on youtube:
There is lots to see on my Facebook page too:
Royal Victoria Hospital & Military Cemetery at Netley
https://www.facebook.com/NetleyCemetery/?view_public_for=747572011986277
You can shed tears that she is gone
Or you can smile because she has lived
You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back
Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left
Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her
Or you can be full of the love that you shared
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday
You can remember her and only that she is gone
Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back
Or you can do what she would want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
By David Harkins
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