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From: D Howe, Defence Services Secretary (Secretariat) 1b, Rm 6/57 MINISTRY OF DEFENCE Metropole Building, Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5BL
Telephone (Direct dial)	0171 807 8336
(Switchboard)	0171 218 9000
(Fax)
0171 218 1501
Ms P Wilson
Pearlington Cemetery Association PO Box 7
Your reference
Our reference
Pearlington
Mississippi
D/DS Sec/1104/13
Date
1 gj November 1996
U.S.A.
Dear Ka ^
Thank you for your recent letter to the Prime Minister, concerning the provision of burial markers for the unmarked graves of several British soldiers who died during 1812, and are buried at Jacksons' Landing Malatto Bayou, Pearlington, Mississippi. Your letter has been passed to this branch of the Ministry of Defence and I have been asked to reply.
I■should at first explain that it has been a long-standing policy of successive Governments that the Ministry of Defence only assumes responsibility for the provision of replacement headstones and the continuing maintenance of graves for deceased Servicemen and their dependants when the deceased is buried in an official War Grave or received an official Service funeral. Traditionally, before the First World War, the burying of the deceased was a function of the ship or regiment to which they belonged and particularly in tropical climates, was often a relatively hurried and casual affair. No formal assistance was offered centrally by the then War Office or Admiralty, for the provision of a headstone or the continuing maintenance of the grave.
I regret that, as a result of this policy, it would be inappropriate to use public funds to provide markers fcr these graves.
I am sorry to send you what I know will be a disappointing reply.