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Commission
Needs Your Help
As mentioned in the last issue of Veterans WORLD, the excavation
of a series of First World War mass graves at Fromelles in northern France
is progressing well. Now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which is
overseeing the project on behalf of the UK and Australian Governments, is
asking for the public’s help.
The Commission, which was founded in 1917
and is responsible for marking and maintaining the graves and memorials of
the Commonwealth forces who died during the two world wars, wants anyone
who thinks their relative may have died during the Battle of Fromelles, to
come forward. The hope is that DNA samples from living relatives can be matched
against ones from soldiers who were buried at Fromelles in 1916.
The task facing the archaeologists and DNA experts is not an easy one. Extracting
useable DNA strands from human remains, which have lain buried for over 90
years, is difficult. However, the primary task in recovering each set of
remains, in order to give every soldier the dignity of anindividual grave,
is progressing well. Over two hundred, of an estimated 250-300, sets of remains
have so far been recovered and the project is on schedule to be completed
for the opening of the Commission’s new
Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery on 19 July 2010, the 94th anniversary
of the Battle. Members of the public who believe they may be related to British
soldiers buried at Fromelles should contact the Service Personnel and Veterans
Agency on 01452 712612, extension 6303/7330 or e-mail Fromelles@spva.mod.uk
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OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC
GUARDIAN
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