Pheasant Wood, Fromelles.

Just read on MSN and thought an update appropiate.

Mass DNA tests on Fromelles WWI soldiers

10:11 AEST Mon Aug 10 2009

Scientists have received the go ahead to launch a mass DNA testing program on the remains of hundreds of Australian and British World War I soldiers discovered in unmarked pits in France.
The Australian and British governments gave the nod to the project after pilot tests on a small selection of remains found at Fromelles yielded enough good quality DNA to warrant wider testing.
DNA experts in England will this week begin the huge task of taking genetic samples from each of the estimated 250-300 soldiers, who all died in the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916, one of WWI's most ferocious conflicts.
The expansion of the DNA tests gives a major boost to hopes that many of the soldiers can be identified before being reburied in 2010 at a new military cemetery at Fromelles, near Lille in northern France.
About 1,400 Australians and Britons who believe they are related to the soldiers have volunteered to help with the identification process using family trees and their own genetic samples.
British DNA expert Dr Peter Jones is overseeing the project and studying each family tree to select specific descendants to provide DNA samples to match against each soldier's genetic profile.
Descendants will be chosen in the next three to four months based on their direct maternal and/or paternal genetic links to a soldier.
They will be asked to provide a sample of cells from the inside of their cheeks using a swab which will be sent to LGC Forensics' laboratories in England for analysis.
Dr Jones said he expected a "high proportion" of soldiers to be identified, allowing them to be buried with a headstone bearing their name.
"It looks as though (the number of soldiers who can be identified) will be at the higher end of expectations than the lower end," he told AAP.
"We will have a better idea towards the end of this year or early next year once the family member samples come in."
Working out which surviving descendent to DNA test is not straightforward.
"We are looking at specific maternal and paternal lineage," Dr Jones said.
"If a soldier had a brother who married and had sons, that's all fine.
"If the brother married and only had a daughter, there's no paternal line there and it basically dies out.
"The maternal line is the same. If a soldier had a sister and she had sons and daughters, we can take either. But if she only had sons, then the maternal line dies out."
Archaeologists began excavating the mass grave, discovered by amateur Melbourne historian Lambis Englezos, in May and are expected to finish their work in late September.
So far, the remains of 167 individuals have been recovered along with a variety of artefacts including Australian Army Rising Sun badges, British and Australian army-issue buttons, pencils, a shaving brush and belt buckles.
The artefacts and DNA test results will be used by a special identification board to officially confirm the identities of individual soldiers before their reburial.
Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science Minister Greg Combet said he hoped the mass DNA tests would help identify as many of the soldiers as possible.
"Every one of these men will be given a dignified burial with full military honour," Mr Combet said.
"Putting names on their headstones is an additional benefit."

Cheers
Paul

 

Thanks for that, Paul.

 

Paul,

Thanks for the update and the good news.

Regards
Tom

 

In the news today, Fromelles Grave Excavation ends:

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Fromelles grave excavation ends

Today is the 25th anniversary of Sir Alec Jeffries (accidental) discovery of a technigue of DNA profiling, to identify individuals from their DNA.

 

Thanks for update, Geoff. There is still months of very detailed work to do before any remains can be formally identified and then laid to rest in the new cemetery.

H

 

A bit more here Soldiers to be reburied with military honours - EDP24

 

New video report from CWGC on the construction of the Fromelles (Pheasent Wood) Cemetery. The re-internment of the remians recovered last year will take place in February, with a full opening on the anniversary of the battle in July.

CS





:: CWGC ::

 

Just had an e-mail[newsletter] today from the Fromelles Site. The first of the re-burials will take place on 30th January 11-00am. Official Ceremonies and open to the public. [would have posted e-mail if i could work out to do it!]
The remaining burials will take place throughout February on Mon-wed-fri at 9-00am each day at Pheasant wood cemetery----i don't think the public are actually allowed in the newly built bit and it seems they are expecting big crowds

 

I hope that there is good TV coverage of the Official Ceremony.

Regards
Tom

 

Just had an e-mail[newsletter] today from the Fromelles Site. The first of the re-burials will take place on 30th January 11-00am. Official Ceremonies and open to the public. [would have posted e-mail if i could work out to do it!]
The remaining burials will take place throughout February on Mon-wed-fri at 9-00am each day at Pheasant wood cemetery----i don't think the public are actually allowed in the newly built bit and it seems they are expecting big crowds

Ranville: The CWGC say that public will be allowed to observe the re-burial process from the perimeter fence.

Tom: I'm sure it will get a lot of coverage; it has been a huge story in the Aussie media.

CS

 

Ranville: The CWGC say that public will be allowed to observe the re-burial process from the perimeter fence.

Tom: I'm sure it will get a lot of coverage; it has been a huge story in the Aussie media.

CS
I bet there'll be a lot of coverage for the 30th january ceremony, but you know what the media are like, they'll soon move on to something else. I guess the following reinterments will be a lot quieter.I think the headstones will be engraved once the DNA evidence is checked.
Yes--just re-read the news letter there will be a public viewing area------It;s going to be the full military funeral ceremony with lots of dignitaries attending from Aus, UK and elsewhere.I think i might be tempted to attend one of later ceremonies.

 

19th July might be the one to go for, although it could be a bit busy.

 

19th July might be the one to go for, although it could be a bit busy.
Yes it would be nice to be there, but it will packed i think--[might be by invitation only in the immediate area of the cemetery]

 

Evening all,

Details for the ceremony on the 30th just announced by CWGC.

Fromelles

CS

 

From the West Australian.

Cheers
Paul

 

BBC News - WWI war dead reburied in special service

The first of 250 British and Australian soldiers whose remains were recovered from a World War I battlefield in northern France has been reburied.

The unidentified soldier, who died in the 1916 Battle of Fromelles, was reburied with full military honours in a special service near the site.
It is the first Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery built in 50 years.
The bodies, which were buried by German forces, were excavated from six mass graves in 2008.
The remainder of the military burials will take place three times a week over the next month, with approximately 30 burials every day.
UK Veterans Minister Kevan Jones and his Australian counterpart Veteran Affairs Minister Alan Griffin attended the one-hour service in the village of Fromelles with families of fallen soldiers.
Mr Jones said both governments wanted to give the "brave soldiers" a "fitting place of rest" which "honoured the commitment" to fallen soldiers after World War I.

He urged families who thought they might have had a relative killed during the battle to come forward to assist the identification process.
The battle, on 19 July 1916, was the first major one on the Western Front involving Australian troops.



The remains of Private John Smith were recovered from the mass grave

Heavy losses
In total, the 61st British Division suffered losses of 1,547 personnel, who were either killed, wounded, taken prisoner or missing.
The 5th Australian Division suffered 5,533 similar losses.
The four-month excavation was carried out by Oxford Archaeology.
DNA samples were taken from each soldier and specialists in the UK have attempted to extract DNA strands to help with the identification process.
Every soldier recovered will be reburied with an unnamed headstone in the new Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
In March, an identification board will consider historical, anthropological, archaeological and DNA evidence to try to identify as many soldiers as possible.
If the soldiers can be identified their relatives will be able to add a personalised inscription on the headstone at a later date.
Tony Pollard, who was in the Glasgow University team which uncovered the bodies, said the burial made him "shake with emotion".
"It was a very brutal battle and many of these men died in the German lines and were left to be buried by the Germans.
"When I first laid eyes on these men in the ground I became very determined that they should see a burial such as this," he said.
The cemetery is currently only 70% complete but due to be finished by July.
A ceremony to bury the last of the 250 soldiers and mark the 94th anniversary of the battle is expected to take place on 19 July 2010.

 

A moving tribute 94 years on, in the presence of dignitaries from the cormers of the world, at last they have a proper cemetery and last resting place.

They are remembered

 

There will be regular re-burial ceremonies between now and 19th July if anyone wants to go and pay their respects before the great and good elbow their way in again.

CS