The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) has erected its first Cree inscripted headstone for a soldier who died 99 years ago on Friday, July 15, 2016 at Englefield Green Cemetery, Surrey.
Private John Chookomolin was a Cree First Nation Canadian with the Canadian Forestry Corps, and was originally buried with a Commission headstone bearing the name Jakomolin - the phonetical spelling given, as he didn't speak English.
After discovering that Mr Chookomolin was in fact from the Canadian First Nation community, Englefield Green resident, John Scott MBE, managed to contact some descendants in Canada. They confirmed John Chookomolin had been signed up as John Jakomolin by the Canadian military authorities in 1917.
Mr Scott then put the family in touch with the CWGC, who after verifying the family information, agreed to provide a new headstone inscribed with the correct spelling of his surname and gave the family the opportunity to add a personal inscription. They asked if it would be possible to include one in John's mother tongue, Cree.
Pte Chookomolin's family asked for the new headstone to read 'I left my daughter and my wife at Nahmehkoo Seepee (Trout River) for this war.'
The 22 year old, married father of one, died on September 20, 1917 at Windlesham Court Military Hospital, near Bagshot. He had just arrived a few days before at Liverpool on September 15, but died five days later from pneumonia. He was originally from Attawapiskat in Canada ...
