LIST OF FIRST AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE SOLDIERS BELIEVED BURIED AT FROMELLES
Photo: Minister Snowdon laying a wreath at Pheasant Wood Memorial, October 2008.
Mr Curley said he hoped that relatives for all of the 191 soldiers on the list can be identified and would offer to participate in DNA matching to assist in identification of the soldiers’ remains.
Mr Curley paid tribute to members of the Families and Friends of the First AIF who had invested much of their personal time in the development of the list:
o Lambis Englezos, who was assisted by John Fielding and Ward Selby of The Friends of the 15th Brigade, in developing the initial list;
o Tim Whitford, whose uncle Harry Willis is on the list, for his assistance in further research on the list;
o Professor Bruce Scates, of Monash University, who had highlighted the importance of the Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau Files as a source of detailed information on missing soldiers; and
o Tim Lycett and Sandra Playle for the development of the Fromelles Descendants Database and its photographic Gallery of the Missing of more than 70 of the soldiers and the researching of family histories that when combined with those who have contacted the Department of Defence mean that relatives have been identified for more than 60% of the soldiers on the list.
Photo: Private Arthur Momplhait, whose name appears on the working list. [AWM H06484]
This photo has been reproduced with the permission of the Australian War Memorial
The soldiers thought to be buried at Pheasant Wood were most likely killed in or behind the German front line and were buried by the Germans after they returned to their original front line on 20 July 1916. The identity tags and personal effects of the soldiers were removed by the Germans and returned to the families in Australia through the International Red Cross and Australian Red Cross in March 1917. This is why the Australian soldiers thought to be buried in the pits at Pheasant Wood are known by name and DNA samples are being sought from relatives to match with the DNA profiles from the individual soldier’s remains and so return to the soldiers their identities.
The Minister’s statement follows and the list of soldier names in alphabetical order is available on the Defence website at http://www.defence.gov.au/fromelles/buried.htm and additional details and photographs, where available, are on the Fromelles Descendants Database at http://www.fromelles.net/. Descendants and relatives of soldiers thought to be buried at Pheasant Wood are invited to make contact through either web-site and further photographs to add the the Gallery of the Missing and family history contributions should be sent to fromelles@gmail.com
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The Minister’s statement:
The group burial at Pheasant Wood was confirmed during a limited excavation in May 2008. It is believed up to 400 Australian and British soldiers still lie at this site where they were buried by German forces following the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916.
“Following intensive research and consultation, we have identified a list of 191 Australian First World War soldiers who we believe may be among those buried at Fromelles,” Mr Snowdon said.
He cautioned that the list was not definitive and that research into the group burial at Fromelles would continue; both in Australia and abroad.
“Given the information available, it is impossible to be absolutely certain who is buried at Pheasant Wood. However we, and many other historians and interest groups, believe this list provides a solid foundation for further investigation.
“Together with the British Government, we have contracted research at the Red Cross in Geneva and the German War Archives in Bavaria in the hope we may uncover more conclusive information regarding the burials at Fromelles.”
Members of the public are encouraged to check the published working list and contact Army to register their details if their relative’s name appears.
“We have already established contact with relatives of approximately 40 per cent of those who appear on the list, and we want to reach more,” Mr Snowdon said.
“It is my hope that we can lay many of these soldiers to rest under a named headstone so their kin may know their final resting place and have the opportunity to pay respects.”
The working list of names is a result of intensive research conducted by Professor Peter Dennis, an independent historian contracted by Army, and follows consultation with several well-recognised War historians late last year. Those involved in the research include individuals from Friends of the Fifteenth Brigade; Families and Friends the First AIF (Australian Imperial Force); Australian War Memorial; Army History Unit; Fromelles.net; Office of Australian War Graves, and; Monash University.
For more information about the project, including the working list of names, or to register your details, go online at http://www.defence.gov.au/fromelles/ or call 1800 019 090.
Background:
The Battle of Fromelles began 19 days after the opening of the Somme campaign, and was the first battle fought by Australians on the Western Front. It is known as Australia’s bloodiest 24 hours with 5,533 Fifth Australian Division casualties including 1,917 killed.
The group burial at Pheasant Wood was confirmed during a limited excavation in May 2008. It is believed up to 400 Australian and British soldiers still lie at this site where they were buried by German forces following the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916.
Planning is underway for a full archaeological excavation of the site and individual re?interment of remains in a new Commonwealth War Cemetery at Fromelles, to be known as the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery. The archaeological excavation is scheduled to commence in May 2009 and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is overseeing the work on behalf of both the Australian and British Governments.
Photo: Site of the new CWGC Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery
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News reports on the announcement include:
Nine News: Diggers buried at Fromelles named. Click here.
Nine News: Unknown diggers finding their names. Click here to view video
The Sydney Morning Herald: Defence releases the names of 191 Aussies dead at Fromelles. Click here.
ABC pm: List of lost World War 1 Diggers released. Click here to listen to the interview with Roger Lee, Head of The Army History Unit.
The Australian: DNA brings closure for Digger’s families. Click here.
Yahoo 7 News: Diggers buried at Fromelles named. Click here.
The Bendigo Advertiser: Our fallen found at last. Click here.
The Illawarra Mercury: Soldier may be located at last. Click here.
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The Families and Friends of the First AIF thanks the Australian, UK and French governments for affording Australian and British soldiers – presently buried in mass graves at Pheasant Wood – dignified individual reburials in a new CWGC cemetery at Fromelles, and applauds Minister Snowdon and his British counterpart, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Veterans, Kevan Jones MP, for their joint decision to DNA test the remains at exhumation and use every reasonable method to attempt identification of each soldier.