Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery is a

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

cemetery built by the

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations m ...

on the outskirts of

Fromelles Fromelles () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. it had a population of 1,041; its inhabitants are called ''Fromellois''. It is located about to the west of Lille. First World War The village of Fromelles was captured by ad ...

in northern France, near the Belgian border. Constructed between 2009 and 2010, it was the first new Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery for more than 50 years, the last such cemeteries having been built after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. The cemetery contains the graves of 250 British and Australian soldiers who died on 19 July 1916 in the

Battle of Fromelles The Attack at Fromelles (, Battle of Fromelles, Battle of Fleurbaix or ) 19–20 July 1916, was a military operation on the Western Front during the First World War. The attack was carried out by British and Australian troops and was subsidiary t ...

. The bodies were discovered following historical research that included analysis of

aerial photograph Aerial photography (or airborne imagery) is the taking of photographs from an aircraft or other airborne platforms. When taking motion pictures, it is also known as aerial videography. Platforms for aerial photography include fixed-wing air ...

s showing the presence of

mass grave A mass grave is a grave containing multiple human corpses, which may or may not be identified prior to burial. The United Nations has defined a criminal mass grave as a burial site containing three or more victims of execution, although an exact ...

s on the edge of Pheasant Wood (''Bois Faisan''), just outside the village of Fromelles. The presence of the bodies was confirmed in May 2008, and the bodies were recovered during excavation work in 2009. A specially convened Identification Board published a report on 17 March 2010 announcing the first 75 bodies to have been successfully identified using

DNA analysis Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...

. Further identification continued until at least 2014. In parallel with the recovery and identification projects, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission was asked by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and

Australian government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Governmen ...

s to construct a new cemetery to house the bodies. Building work on the cemetery began in May 2009, and the main structural elements were completed by January 2010. The dead soldiers were reburied with

full military honours A military funeral is a memorial or burial rite given by a country's military for a soldier, sailor, marine or airman who died in battle, a veteran, or other prominent military figures or heads of state. A military funeral may feature guards ...

in a series of funeral services in January and February 2010. The ceremonial first reburial took place on 30 January 2010. Following this period of reburials, topsoil was added to the cemetery, and the horticultural elements planted and allowed to grow into place. One final reburial took place as part of the cemetery's

dedication Dedication is the act of consecrating an altar, temple, church, or other sacred building. Feast of Dedication The Feast of Dedication, today Hanukkah, once also called "Feast of the Maccabees," is a Jewish festival observed for eight days f ...

ceremony, which was held on 19 July 2010 to mark the 94th anniversary of the Battle of Fromelles.

Background

Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1994-105-20, Frankreich, Fromelles, Unterstand

The

took place on the night of 19–20 July 1916, during the

Somme Offensive The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place be ...

of the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers * Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a maj ...

in the

. It was a diversionary battle, intended to draw the attention of the Germans away from the larger attacks elsewhere. It involved units of the

Australian 5th Division The 5th Division was an infantry division of the Australian Army which served during the First and Second World Wars. The division was formed in February 1916 as part of the expansion of the Australian Imperial Force infantry brigades. In add ...

and the

British 61st Division The 61st (2nd South Midland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army raised in 1915 during the Great War as a second-line reserve for the first-line battalions of the 48th (South Midland) Division. The division was sent to the ...

attacking German positions in and around Fromelles. The German positions were well defended, and the battle led to huge losses by the attacking forces, with particularly heavy losses incurred by the Australian 15th Brigade and

British 184th Brigade British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

. This was the first major battle on the Western Front involving the

First Australian Imperial Force The First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during the First World War. It was formed as the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) following Britain's declaration of war on Germany on 15 Au ...

(AIF), and has been described as "the worst 24 hours in Australia's entire history." Records kept by the

show that 1,780 Australian soldiers and 503 British soldiers died in the battle,Background
, ''Remembering Fromelles'' (CWGC), accessed 03/02/2010 but many of these bodies were not recovered. These missing dead are commemorated not by individual graves and names on headstones, but by names carved on

memorials A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of ...

dedicated for that purpose. The Australian missing dead from the battle are inscribed on the memorial at the

V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial The V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission World War I cemetery and memorial. The site is located in the ''commune'' of Fromelles, in the Nord ''departement'' of France, about northwest of the vill ...

, and over 400 unidentified bodies from the battle are also buried there. Many of the dead were recovered by German forces after the battle and buried behind German lines. Some of these burial sites were located in the years immediately following the First World War, and the bodies were reburied in cemeteries in the area, including the V.C. Corner Cemetery.

Discovery of mass graves

The burial pits at Pheasant Wood remained undisturbed for over 90 years. Their existence was discovered following research by retired Australian teacher Lambis Englezos. Following a visit to Fromelles in 2002, Englezos calculated a discrepancy in the numbers of unidentified Fromelles burials when compared to the lists of the missing. Following up on this, he investigated the possibility that the missing bodies had been buried in unmarked mass graves by the Germans, and never recovered since. In May 2006,

60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique st ...

reporter Ray Martin and producer Stephen Rice began an investigation of Englezos's theories and visited Fromelles to examine his evidence. In July 2006 they broadcast a report supporting his findings and demanding action by the Federal Government. Several years of historical research, including examination of

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

records, and German war records, led to the convening of an Army History Unit in Australia, and submissions to the All-Party Parliamentary War Graves and Battlefield Heritage Group in the UK. The evidence eventually became strong enough that an official investigation was ordered.'Getting us here – building the case', ''Remembering Fromelles'' (CWGC), accessed 03/02/2010 An archaeological evaluation of the suspected burial sites was carried out in May 2008 by the Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD). This limited survey and excavation confirmed that the sites contained the bodies of British and Australian soldiers from the First World War, and this led to the funding of a larger project to fully excavate the site.'The GUARD investigations – proving the case', ''Remembering Fromelles'' (CWGC), accessed 03/02/2010 The main excavation was carried out by

Oxford Archaeology Oxford Archaeology (OA, trading name of Oxford Archaeology Limited) is one of the largest and longest-established independent archaeology and heritage practices in Europe, operating from three permanent offices in Oxford, Lancaster and Cambridge, ...

from May to September 2009, and resulted in the recovery of 250 British and Australian bodies from five mass graves, and some 6,200 individual artefacts.'Questions and answers', ''Remembering Fromelles'' (CWGC), accessed 03/02/2010 Appeals have been made for relatives of soldiers known to have died in the battle to come forward, and

LGC Forensics LGC Group, formerly the Laboratory of the Government Chemist, is an international life sciences measurement and tools company. It provides the role and duties of the UK Government Chemist, a statutory role and adviser to the government. LGC als ...

is being carried out in an attempt to identify the bodies.

Planning

Following the discovery of the mass graves at Pheasant Wood in May 2008, the British and Australian governments set up a jointly funded body, the Fromelles Management Board (FMB), to achieve three main aims: to recover, identify, and re-inter the bodies. The FMB would co-ordinate between multiple French, British and Australian organisations, and provide overall supervision for the project. Although the British and Australian governments, through the FMB, retained overall responsibility, the

(CWGC) was asked to act as their agent and provide day-to-day project management, with the Fromelles Project Manager, provided by the CWGC, also being a member of the Board.'Fromelles – the story so far', Air Commodore Steve Martin, AM (Australian Defence Staff – London) and Tracey Vennai (UK Ministry of Defence), Co-Chairs of the Fromelles Management Board, 14 September 2009 In addition to providing management for the project, the CWGC was asked to construct a new

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a bu ...

for the reburial of the bodies that would be recovered. Although asked to do this by the British and Australian governments, the design, construction and maintenance of such cemeteries is part of the central remit of the CWGC, and as such the estimated 900,000

euro The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...

s construction cost was covered by funding from CWGC member countries. The funding for the excavations, DNA analysis, and reburial ceremonies, was shared equally by the British and Australian governments.'Ministers announce end of excavation at Fromelles', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Maidenhead, UK, 9 September 2009 The plans and designs for the new cemetery were drawn up by the commission's architect, Barry Edwards. One of the immediate problems faced was deciding on a suitable location. The original location of the mass graves was considered as a site for the cemetery (and was offered as such by the landowner), but the ground was found to be too prone to flooding. The site that was chosen was nearby, about 120 metres to the southwest of the original battlefield mass graves, but on a higher piece of land just outside the village of Fromelles. The overall cemetery shape is hexagonal, and the design incorporated radial rows of headstones leading towards a raised

Cross of Sacrifice The Cross of Sacrifice is a Commonwealth war memorial designed in 1918 by Sir Reginald Blomfield for the Imperial War Graves Commission (now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission). It is present in Commonwealth war cemeteries containing 40 or m ...

on the southern side of the cemetery. This higher location for the cemetery allowed the deliberate placement of the Cross of Sacrifice at a place where it would be visible on the skyline when viewed from the nearby

. This memorial is one of several locations in and around Fromelles where those who fell in the battle are commemorated. The Fromelles battlefield of 1916 would also be visible from the elevated Cross of Sacrifice terrace. Another consideration in the design was the cemetery orientation, with the headstones orientated to the south to avoid shadows and to increase the daytime visibility of the headstone inscriptions. The exact layout of the burial plots was left flexible as the number of burials needed was not known at that point. A small car park was included in the design. Unlike earlier CWGC cemeteries, this modern cemetery was designed to include ramps to allow

accessibility Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i. ...

for wheelchair users.'A cemetery of today with its roots in tradition', ''Remembering Fromelles'' (CWGC), accessed 03/02/2010 The CWGC plans for the new cemetery were made public in April 2009 and announced by the commission's Director-General, Richard Kellaway, who stated a desire that the cemetery would be worthy of the sacrifices made by those who would be buried there, and that it would become "a place of dignified pilgrimage and remembrance for generations to come."'Plans for first war cemetery to be built in fifty years made public', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Maidenhead, UK, 22 April 2009 In September 2009, a report was published by the Fromelles Management Board ('Fromelles – the story so far'). Written by the Board co-Chairs from the UK Ministry of Defence and the

Australian Defence Force The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Fo ...

, the report stated that the object of the project is "the dignified recovery of the remains of those soldiers who have lain in the field at Pheasant Wood for the last 93 years so as to provide them the same courtesies that were extended to their colleagues when the battlefields were cleared at the end of the War – an individual burial with military honours and their name on their headstone where ever possible."

Construction

The cemetery construction contract was awarded to Beton-Bouw Bentein BVBA. This company, which was founded in 1921, helped to rebuild

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...

after the war, and had previous experience working with the commission.'Work starts on new war cemetery', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Maidenhead, UK, 28 May 2009 Before construction could begin, the area had to be checked by the French authorities for ordnance and other

materiel Materiel (; ) refers to supplies, equipment, and weapons in military supply-chain management, and typically supplies and equipment in a commercial supply chain context. In a military context, the term ''materiel'' refers either to the spec ...

left from the war. This was done in April 2009, and though no unexploded munitions were found, other wartime debris was cleared from the area, including barbed wire and shell cases.War time debris – Fromelles
24 April 2009, David Richardson (CWGC, Fromelles Project Manager), accessed 03/02/2010 Construction proper began in May 2009, with the site being levelled in preparation for the laying of the foundations, while temporary hoardings were put up to enclose the site. Although access to the main construction and excavation sites was restricted by this point, there was still great interest shown, with visits both by the media, and by schoolchildren and relatives of those who had died at Fromelles. Information was displayed at the site on display boards, and

commemorative plaque A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other ...

s were also installed. Artworks on the theme of ' Remembrance', drawn and painted by schoolchildren from the UK, France and Australia, were installed on aluminium panels on the hoardings. The artwork from the UK came from the

Year 7 Year 7 is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand. It is the seventh full year (or eighth in Australia) of compulsory education and is roughly equivalent to grade 6 in the United ...

schoolchildren from Stonyhurst St Mary's Hall, Lancashire, and in June 2009, they travelled to Fromelles to visit the site and see their artwork on display.Children of three nations paint their respect
, 11/06/2009, ''Remembering Fromelles'' (CWGC), accessed 03/02/2010 The geology of the site, a former farmer's field on a slight slope, with a heavy

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay pa ...

soil that is subject to seasonal movements when wet, meant that substantial foundations and

drainage Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of a surface's water and sub-surface water from an area with excess of water. The internal drainage of most agricultural soils is good enough to prevent severe waterlogging (anaerobic condition ...

had to be constructed. The main support for the above ground structures consists of 210 concrete

piles Hemorrhoids (or haemorrhoids), also known as piles, are vascular structures in the anal canal. In their normal state, they are cushions that help with stool control. They become a disease when swollen or inflamed; the unqualified term ''he ...

extending vertically downwards into the soil, each up to 7 metres deep. These pilings were engineered in June 2009 by a specialist company, Wig-Palen, from Belgium, using a 62-ton machine to drill and compact the required holes. Concrete was then poured into the hollow drill to fill the void as the drill was extracted, and steel reinforcement cages were then placed into the still-wet concrete. This screw-piling technique ensured that the cemetery foundations were both end-bearing and friction-bearing in nature, increasing the stability of the pilings and the structures they support.Cemetery construction – piling almost complete
, 15 June 2009, ''Remembering Fromelles'' (CWGC), accessed 03/02/2010'Piling the site', June 2009, ''Remembering Fromelles'' (CWGC), accessed 03/02/2010 By July 2009, work was being done on carving the

headstone A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a stele or marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. It is traditional for burials in the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religions, among others. In most cases, it has the deceased's name, ...

s. A supply of the traditional

Portland Stone Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries are cut in beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building ...

(Broadcroft Whitbed) was reserved, and blank headstones shaped and shipped to France. Carving of the headstones was done using the commission's computer-controlled Incisograph system.Looking ahead: preparing the headstones
, 27 July 2009, ''Remembering Fromelles'' (CWGC), accessed 03/02/2010 Also that month, planning and cultivation had started for the plants to be used in the new cemetery. Many months would be needed to develop and prune the plants in pots so they would be ready to transplant in the Spring of 2010, in preparation for the opening ceremony that July. The limited time between the planned reburials in February 2010, and the opening of the cemetery, meant that the grassed areas would need to be turfed, instead of growing the grass from seeds. The

rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

s used are the 'Remembrance'

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

, one often used in Commission cemeteries.Looking ahead: progress in the nursery
, 28 July 2009, ''Remembering Fromelles'' (CWGC), accessed 03/02/2010 In August 2009, work began on the construction of the cemetery boundary walls. Horizontal reinforced-concrete beams, laid down below ground, provided a foundation for the stepped boundary walls, built using brick. Like all the foundations laid here, the concrete beams were encased in a

polystyrene Polystyrene (PS) is a synthetic polymer made from monomers of the Aromatic hydrocarbon, aromatic hydrocarbon styrene. Polystyrene can be solid or foamed. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and brittle. It is an inexpensive resin pe ...

casing to allow for expansion and contraction of the soil.'Laying foundations for the boundary wall', August 2009, ''Remembering Fromelles'' (CWGC), accessed 03/02/2010 Heavy rain during August delayed the construction work, but in September and October, a period of fine dry weather allowed progress to be made on the most complex part of the project, the

and its terrace and foundations.Cemetery construction – work pushes ahead in good weather
, 20 October 2009, ''Remembering Fromelles'' (CWGC), accessed 03/02/2010 The size of the Cross of Sacrifice, a standard Commission structure used for cemeteries with over 40 graves, varies according to the number of burials in a cemetery. For this cemetery, a Type-A Cross, around 4 metres wide at the base and 6 metres high, would be used. Carved from Massangies,'Stonework for the Cross terrace', October 2009, ''Remembering Fromelles'' (CWGC), accessed 03/02/2010 a French

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

, the shaft of the cross alone would weigh four tonnes, while the entire raised stone terrace would weigh many more tonnes. To support the weight of the Cross and the raised terrace on which it would stand, special foundations of twenty-six vertical 7-metre deep concrete piles were prepared, each capable of supporting ten tonnes, four of which would support the Cross itself. A connecting network was also built between the piles to ensure the load was spread evenly. The raised terrace includes ramps to allow access by wheelchair, and

bastion A bastion or bulwark is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fi ...

s for flower displays.Cemetery construction – foundations laid for the terrace
, 23 September 2009, ''Remembering Fromelles'' (CWGC), accessed 03/02/2010'Laying foundations for the cross terrace', September 2009, ''Remembering Fromelles'' (CWGC), accessed 03/02/2010 The system of underground piles and beams that has been constructed not only supports the cemetery walls and the Cross of Sacrifice terrace, but also supports the graves and headstones as well. Each headstone is installed in an individual base, which is supported by horizontal ground beams, which rests on the vertical piles. All this is needed to isolate the cemetery structures from ground movements. Carving of the Cross of Sacrifice started in October 2009, and the same month the stonework for the terrace and the base of the cross was laid,'Shaping the Cross of Sacrifice', October 2009, ''Remembering Fromelles'' (CWGC), accessed 03/02/2010 and excavations took place to prepare the

burial plot A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as grave ...

s. Several feet of soil were removed across much of the cemetery area and replaced with limestone

aggregate Aggregate or aggregates may refer to: Computing and mathematics * collection of objects that are bound together by a root entity, otherwise known as an aggregate root. The aggregate root guarantees the consistency of changes being made within the ...

and

gravel Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gravel is classifi ...

. These materials drain more easily than the clay soil, and provide a solid surface for the burial parties to stand on. The actual burials involved the coffins being lowered into wooden

sarcophagi A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek ...

that were installed at this point in the construction process.'Excavating the burial area', October 2009, ''Remembering Fromelles'' (CWGC), accessed 03/02/2010 Following the February 2010 burials, the headstones were installed, and the limestone and gravel layer covered with

topsoil Topsoil is the upper layer of soil. It has the highest concentration of organic matter and microorganisms and is where most of the Earth's biological soil activity occurs. Description Topsoil is composed of mineral particles and organic matt ...

and turfed with grass. Finally, the plants were added and allowed to bed in prior to the

ceremony in July.

Burials

Following their recovery, the remains of the 250 British and Australian soldiers were stored in temporary

mortuary A morgue or mortuary (in a hospital or elsewhere) is a place used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification (ID), removal for autopsy, respectful burial, cremation or other methods of disposal. In modern times, corpses have cu ...

facilities. Since any possible identification would take many months, it was decided to carry out the reburials as soon as the cemetery was ready, and use temporary headstones. Following the report of the Identification Board, in March 2010, permanent headstones were installed. The headstones include any names and nationalities that it has been possible to ascertain using historical,

anthropological Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...

, archaeological and DNA evidence, but where the identity is unknown the carved inscription on the headstone will simply read "Known Unto God", the standard phrase used for the headstones of unknown soldiers. The inaugural reburial and ceremony took place at 11 am local time on 30 January 2010, with around 400 people watching from the viewing areas outside the cemetery walls. The cemetery grounds were covered with a light dusting of snow. Orders of service were available in English and French, and the ceremony was attended by representatives from

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, the UK and the

, all of whom paid tribute to the fallen. Representing the UK government was

Kevan Jones Kevan David Jones (born 25 April 1964) is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Durham since 2001. He served as a defence minister under Gordon Brown, and resigned as a shadow defence minister ...

, the Veterans Minister.First soldier from forgotten First World War battle laid to rest in cemetery in France
Olga Craig and Jasper Copping, ''The Daily Telegraph'', 30 January 2010 Representing Australia was Alan Griffin, the

Minister for Veterans' Affairs The Minister for Veterans' Affairs is an Australian Government position. In the Government of Australia, the minister oversees income support, compensation, care and commemoration programs for more than 400,000 veterans and their widows, widowe ...

, while from the French military was the former Chief of Defence of the French Army, Bruno Cuche.French vow to keep memory of war dead alive
Peter Wilson, ''The Australian'', 1 February 2010 In his speech, General Cuche paid tribute to the sacrifice made by the young soldiers that fought in the battle: The gun salute was fired by soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (CA), who ...

. A guard of honour was formed by forty French veterans, each carrying a flag representing a town or village in the Lille area, with the flag for Fromelles itself dating from 1914. The pallbearers were from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, and standard bearers from the

Royal British Legion The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants, as well as all others in ...

were also present. Following the ceremony, a reception was hosted by the Mayor, Hubert Huchette, and the people of Fromelles.'Order of Service for the re-burial of soldiers killed in the Battle of Fromelles', January 2010, ''Remembering Fromelles'' (CWGC), accessed 03/02/2010 The remainder of the reburials, with the exception of one reserved for the dedication ceremony in July, took place in February 2010. The reburials, starting on 1 February, took place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, starting at 9 am, with up to thirty soldiers being re-interred each day, all with full military honours. There is a viewing area from which the

military funeral A military funeral is a memorial or burial rite given by a country's military for a soldier, sailor, marine or airman who died in battle, a veteran, or other prominent military figures or heads of state. A military funeral may feature guards o ...

s can be observed, and an area to leave

tributes A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of land which the state conq ...

. In addition, there were public displays at Fromelles Town Hall ( Mairie) and at the recovery location, and a Book of Remembrance is available to sign. Each day of reburials opened with a

parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of s ...

where a ceremonial guard oversaw the raising of the Union (British),

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...

and French flags. Following a

blessing In religion, a blessing (also used to refer to bestowing of such) is the impartation of something with grace, holiness, spiritual redemption, or divine will. Etymology and Germanic paganism The modern English language term ''bless'' likely ...

by the

military chaplain A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations. Although the term '' ...

s, the flags were lowered to

half-staff Half-mast or half-staff (American English) refers to a flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a salu ...

, and the reburials began. Each funeral followed the same standard pattern used for the inaugural reburial, but were carried out in pairs to reflect the joint British-Australian nature of the battle. A bearer party conveyed each coffin from a hearse to the designated burial plot, and the chaplain conducted the

funeral service A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...

. At the end of the day, the chaplain said a

prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deifie ...

, military

collect The collect ( ) is a short general prayer of a particular structure used in Christian liturgy. Collects appear in the liturgies of Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran, and Presbyterian churches, among othe ...

s were read out by Australian and British soldiers, and a soldier recited the Exhortation from the ''

Ode of Remembrance "For the Fallen" is a poem written by Laurence Binyon. It was first published in ''The Times'' in September 1914. Over time, the third and fourth stanzas of the poem (usually now just the fourth) have been claimed as a tribute to all casualti ...

'' ("They shall grow not old ... We will remember them"). Following this, a firing party fired three volleys, a trumpeter sounded the

Last Post The "Last Post" is either an A or a B♭ bugle call, primarily within British infantry and Australian infantry regiments, or a D or an E♭ cavalry trumpet call in British cavalry and Royal Regiment of Artillery (Royal Horse Artillery and Ro ...

, and a one-minute silence was held. The silence was broken by the trumpeter sounding

Reveille "Reveille" ( , ), called in French "Le Réveil" is a bugle call, trumpet call, drum, fife-and-drum or pipes call most often associated with the military; it is chiefly used to wake military personnel at sunrise. The name comes from (or ), th ...

, the chaplain then read a final blessing, the flags were raised back to full-staff and then re-lowered and removed, and the parade marched off. Care has been taken over the allocation of the burial plots, with the position of each body in the mass graves recorded to ensure that the soldiers who lay side by side at Pheasant Wood for ninety-three years will be buried in adjacent plots in their final resting place.

Identifications

Identifications of the reinterred in the cemetery were first announced by the Australians and British on 17 March 2010. Of these, were identified by name, were found to be Australian, three were British, and unidentified. An identity board was held in May 2010 and further boards annually until 2014. On 7 May 2010 Australian news sources reported that a further soldiers had been identified, with ''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory ...

'' stating that no further British casualties had been identified. Two identifications were announced on 7 July 2010, one being Lieutenant-Colonel Ignatius Bertram Norris, who commanded 53rd Battalion in the attack on 19 July 1916. Ninety-six Australians have been named and of the remaining , known to be Australian, three are British and unidentified.

Dedication

The opening and dedication of Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery took place on Monday 19 July 2010, to mark the 94th anniversary of the

. This commemorative event centred around the re-burial of the final set of remains. In attendance were Prince Charles and

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. She became queen consort on 8 September 2022, upon the ac ...

; the Governor-General of Australia,

Quentin Bryce Dame Quentin Alice Louise Bryce, (née Strachan; born 23 December 1942) is an Australian academic who served as the 25th governor-general of Australia from 2008 to 2014. She is the first woman to have held the position, and was previously the ...

; the

Duke of Kent Duke of Kent is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, most recently as a royal dukedom for the fourth son of King George V. Since 1942, the title has been held by Prince Edwar ...

, president of the CWGC; senior military figures, including

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

Sir David Richards, the British

Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces (militaries), the head of the military staff. List * Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ( United States) * Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia) * Chief of General Staff (Af ...

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Ken Gillespie Lieutenant General Kenneth James Gillespie (born 28 June 1952) is a retired senior officer in the Australian Army. Gillespie served as Vice Chief of the Defence Force from 2005 until 2008, then Chief of Army from 2008 until his retirement in J ...

, the Australian Chief of Army, and General

Elrick Irastorza General Elrick James Martial Irastorza
portant réintégration dans les cadres et admission dans la 2e section, ad ...

, Chief of Staff of the French Army; government representatives including Lord Astor for the British Ministry of Defence and

Hubert Falco Hubert Falco (born 15 May 1947 in Pignans, Var) is a French politician who has been appointed Secretary of State for development of the territory in the government of François Fillon on 18 March 2008. He is the mayor of Toulon Toulon (, ...

for the French

Minister of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

representatives of the families of identified soldiers; as well as other dignitaries from Australia, France and the UK, and those who have worked on the project. A restored First World War general service wagon, drawn by horses from the

King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, is a ceremonial unit of the British Army, quartered at Woolwich. It is a mounted unit and all of its soldiers are trained to care for and drive teams of six horses, each team pulling a First World War-er ...

transported the coffin from the original mass grave site at Pheasant Wood, through the streets of Fromelles, to the new cemetery. It was escorted by British and Australian soldiers. The coffin was then carried into the cemetery by a bearer party of soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, and

Australia's Federation Guard Australia's Federation Guard (AFG) is a tri-service ceremonial unit made up of members from the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army, and Royal Australian Air Force. Formed in 2000 for the centenary celebrations of Federation of Australia, it ...

. The dedication service then took place, which included relatives of those killed at Fromelles reading extracts from letters and diaries from the First World War. The coffin was then lowered into the grave, and a joint British-Australian firing party fired three volleys. This was followed by a minute's silence, and then laying of wreaths by Prince Charles, Quentin Bryce and the government ministers.

References and notes

External links

Official Commonwealth War Graves Commission Fromelles website
(CWGC)
Oxford Archaeology website with details on the excavationsAustralian Army site on the Fromelles project
*
"Soldiers pay their respects at Fromelles cemetery dedication—New cemetery is resting place for British and Australian soldiers killed in disastrous first world war battle in northern France"
gallery of photos from the opening on ''

guardian.co.uk TheGuardian.com, formerly known as Guardian.co.uk and ''Guardian Unlimited'', is a British news and media website owned by the Guardian Media Group. It contains nearly all of the content of the newspapers ''The Guardian'' and ''The Observer'', ...

''
Actualités > Cérémonie militaire à Fromelles (19/07/10)"">"Accueil – Les photos de La Voix du Nord > Actualités > Cérémonie militaire à Fromelles (19/07/10)"
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100721020513/http://photos.lavoix.com/main.php?g2_itemId=149742 , date=21 July 2010 , gallery from '' La Voix du Nord'' (French). Australian military cemeteries British military memorials and cemeteries World War I cemeteries in France Monuments and memorials in France Buildings and structures in Nord (French department) Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in France Cemeteries in Nord (French department) 2010 establishments in France