Henry's death marks end of era

Sunday, 19th July 2009

The death of WWI Henry Allingham at the age of 113 is the true end of an era, says UKIP Leader Nigel Farage.

Officially the world's oldest man at the time of his death, Henry was a veteran of the Battle of Jutland and the last of the founders of the RAF,

"Henry was a truly wonderful character," Mr Farage said.

"With his passing we really have come to the end of an era. Through my abiding interest in military history, I had the good fortune to meet him on a number of occasions and was always struck by his vitality and sense of humour.

"My thoughts go now to all his family."

Henry jokingly put his longevity down to "cigarettes, whiskey and wild, wild women".

Artefacts found at Fromelles provide clues to nationality of WW1 soldiers

The operation to recover the remains of WW1 British and Australian soldiers buried in mass graves at Fromelles in France is on schedule and will be completed in September

Oxford Archaeology have excavated the first two graves and work is already advanced on the next two. The excavation of two further pits has been completed and these did not contain any remains or artefacts. Having fully exposed four graves and established how the bodies were laid in two of them, archaeologists now believe the number of soldiers buried at Fromelles is between 250 and 300. More than 100 have been recovered to date.

There has been a number of finds during the excavation which directly associate individuals with the Australian or British Armies. Personal items recovered include: a heart-shaped leather pouch containing a solid gold cross and a copper alloy crucifix; a leather heart; a leather coin purse with its contents; and a leather wrist strap.

The artefacts demonstrate the excellent conditions for preservation within the graves. Last week a whole boot with sock and inner stocking were recovered. A paper train ticket was also among the items found. The ticket was a second class return from Fremantle to Perth, where Western Australian soldiers signed up for duty. Fremantle was their point of embarkation for Europe.

British and Australian families who believe they have connections to, or information on, the soldiers who may be buried at Fromelles are being urged to come forward to assist with identification.
DNA samples are currently being taken from a number of the remains for the pilot study being undertaken in the UK by LGC Forensics and the results are expected by the end of July. If the DNA is viable it is hoped further testing can be used to link the soldiers to living relatives.

All remains will be buried in a new Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cemetery currently under construction at the site.

The 93rd anniversary of the battle takes place on Sunday 19th July and will be marked in a traditional ceremony by the villagers of Fromelles, who lay wreaths at the site. A commemorative service attended by the British, Australian and French governments will take place on 19 July 2010 to mark the reburial of the remains and the creation of the new cemetery.

Veterans Minister Kevan Jones said:
“This Sunday marks the 93rd anniversary of the Battle of Fromelles and it is a fitting time to remember and reflect upon the sacrifice of these men. I would urge people who think they may have a relative who died there to check the list of names and get in touch. I am pleased with the progress being made on this important project, to identify these soldiers and honour them with a dignified burial.”

Louise Loe, project manager for Oxford Archaeology, said:

“The momentum of the operation continues to be excellent - indeed we are slightly ahead of schedule. Our team of experts is recovering the remains of each soldier in a dignified manner and uncovering artefacts that will prove invaluable in the identification process later.

“All of us involved on the project are honoured to be here. Although at times it is a deeply moving experience, we are focussed on the job in hand – giving these men the dignity in death they so richly deserve.”

(MOD) Recovery of Fromelles WWI War dead begins

Work to recover the bodies of up to 400 WWI British and Australian soldiers began today at Pheasant Wood, in the small village of Fromelles in France.

In a simple yet poignant ceremony Reverend Ray Jones from St. George's Memorial Church in Ypres and Fromelles parish priest Father Duprez blessed the site of the five mass burial pits, before the turning of the first soil began.

Dignitaries from the UK, Australian and French governments were present alongside representatives from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which is overseeing the project on behalf of the UK and Australian governments, and the team from Oxford Archaeology which is undertaking the recovery operation. They were joined by people from the local community, and those visiting Fromelles to pay their respect to the fallen.

Quentin Davies, Defence Minister said:

"Today's ceremony marks the start of our programme to see these brave soldiers laid to rest with the honour and respect they deserve. Archaeologists will now embark on painstaking work that will hopefully lead to the identification of the remains of hundreds of British and Australian soldiers.

"I urge families whose relatives may have died here in 1916 to check the list of possible casualties and come forward if there is a chance their grandfather or great-grandfather died at Fromelles."

His Excellency Mr David Ritchie Australian Ambassador to France, said:

"The United Kingdom and Australian governments are jointly committed to honouring the ultimate sacrifice of these World War One British and Australian soldiers. It is only through this commitment that these men can finally be laid to rest."

By the end of the project in 2010 all bodies found will be permanently laid to rest in individual graves at a new Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at Fromelles, the first to be constructed in fifty years.

Admiral Sir Ian Garnett, Vice Chairman of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission said:

"Today marks the beginning of the journey to afford many of those killed at Fromelles with a fitting and dignified final place of rest. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is honoured to be managing the project on behalf of the UK and Australian Governments, and the creation of the new cemetery will provide a focus for pilgrimage and remembrance for years to come."

The process of recovering the bodies will last until September 2009. It is the hope of both governments that identification of some of the fallen will be possible, and DNA extraction will be taken from a small cross-section of remains to test for viability.

The lists of names of UK and Australian soldiers who are thought might be recovered has been published, and families who believe their relatives may have lost their lives at Fromelles are urged to check the lists on http://www.cwgc.org/fromelles.