WW1 Austrailian soldier uncovered in Belgium

[ashley]

Hi all,

i have just seen this on the Whermacht awards forum don`t know if it has been posted here yet

 

Ashley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Australian soldier, still holding his rifle, uncovered in Belgium

Read on, this soldier was a fellow collector

 

Wilhelm

 

 

 

Ninety-one years ago, an Australian soldier fell dead on a Belgian

battlefield and unnoticed by his mates, was buried, perhaps by a

shell blast.

 

Last week he was found, astonishingly still clutching his rifle and

carrying every other item of equipment with which he lumbered into

battle.

 

Battlefield historian Mat McLachlan said that made him very unusual

indeed.

 

"This is an interesting discovery and a lot more important for us

because he was dressed in full kit," he said.

 

"We actually find out a lot more about the Australians during the

First World War by finding bodies such as this one."

 

This follows the recent discovery of the remains of a considerable

number of Australians interred after the 1916 Battle of Fromelles.

 

The latest find was made last week by United Kingdom Ministry of

Defence archaeologists Richard Osgood and Martin Brown, members of a

historical group called No Man's Land which includes Mr McLachlan.

 

They are researching the Australian 3rd Division which trained in

England then fought in the Battle of Messines in southern Belgium on

June 7, 1917.

 

The aim was to capture a low ridge. The attack was preceded by a week-

long artillery bombardment and the detonation of 19 giant mines,

containing more than 400 tonnes of explosives, placed under German

lines by Australian, British and Canadian tunnellers.

 

These explosions were heard in London and killed as many as 10,000

German soldiers. Consequently the ensuing attack was successful,

albeit at substantial cost of 6,800 Australian dead and wounded.

 

Mr McLachlan said his British colleagues uncovered the soldier's

intact skeleton in excavations near the old German frontline.

 

"The most likely scenario, from what we can tell at this stage, is

that he was part of the attack on Messines Ridge," he said.

 

"Then they were pushing on to further objectives when he was hit and

fell and was then covered over by a shell blast or buried in some way

and that is where he has lain for 91 years.

 

"We definitely know he wasn't buried by his mates because he was in

full battle kit. He was still holding his rifle when they uncovered

him. He had his backpack on. He had hand grenades in his pockets and

he had all his ammunition and his helmet."

 

Mr McLachlan said soldiers burying a comrade would always remove

weapons and other items.

 

Much other equipment was found, including Australian insignia, a

wallet containing 1916 French francs, medical and mess kit,

toothbrush, boots and cloth fragments. Most intriguing, in the

soldier's backpack was a German spiked "pickelhaub" helmet, a highly

prized souvenir.

 

This was an era before soldiers routinely carried durable identity

discs. But found with this soldier was what appears to be a homemade

metal dog tag, albeit very corroded.

 

Mr McLachlan said this was to be x-rayed in the hope of discerning

some details.

 

"It is a very positive start to the ID process," he said.

 

"The Belgian war graves currently have custody of the body. The

Australian army will then be in charge of the investigation to try

and identify him."

[Snapper]

I think you'll see that Australia is a place where DNA testing remains is going to become a serious issue. I think I've actually seen this picture before relating to a separate case. Perhaps some of the others will confirm it. I did read this new story somewhere else...I think it was The Times.

 

Very interesting.

[ashley]

There is a professor (forgot her name) from Bournemouth uni who specializes in the I.D. of military personal remains, she was involved in the finding of the British Tommie's in the trench a couple of years ago and identifying one of the soldiers which eventually led to a living relation.

 

Ashley

[M.Rimmer]

I have spoken with Martin Brown the MOD archaeologist involved in this discovery concerning the P-38 Lightning I'm working on. It's good to know the MOD not only have their own archaeologists but that they are genuinly interested in their subject.

 

Matt.

[Snapper]

Which reminds me, I have a set of snaps a friend of mine took at a Liberator crash site in Scotland which he's offered me to post up....

[james-sas]

just to ressurect... snapper did you get the pics?

[Tony B]

Stick in a plug Andy Robertshaw's and Dave Kenyon's book Digging the Trenches.