Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Breaking news from Ieper


gnr.ktrha

Recommended Posts

Just been sent this email from a friend in Ieper-

''From the Five Australians, being found in 2006 and buried on the 4th October 2007 at Buttes New British Cemetry, two of them were identified, Sergeant George Calder and Private John Hunter. Many of you visited their graves with me. I just received the news that another of these soldiers has been identified by DNA. Unfourtunately we can not give you his name yet as the family is still not informed. From the moment we are allowed we will give you all details.''

I wonder who he was/is.

Regards,

Stewart

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just been sent this email from a friend in Ieper-

''From the Five Australians, being found in 2006 and buried on the 4th October 2007 at Buttes New British Cemetry, two of them were identified, Sergeant George Calder and Private John Hunter. Many of you visited their graves with me. I just received the news that another of these soldiers has been identified by DNA. Unfourtunately we can not give you his name yet as the family is still not informed. From the moment we are allowed we will give you all details.''

I wonder who he was/is.

Regards,

Stewart

Stewart, I was sent a similar e-mail purporting to come from the Passchendaele Museum, but no one in Australia seems to have heard of this and I e-mailed the museum to confirm and as yet have received no reply.

I hope the news is true but it seems a bit nebulous at present.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just been sent this email from a friend in Ieper-

''From the Five Australians, being found in 2006 and buried on the 4th October 2007 at Buttes New British Cemetry, two of them were identified, Sergeant George Calder and Private John Hunter. Many of you visited their graves with me. I just received the news that another of these soldiers has been identified by DNA. Unfourtunately we can not give you his name yet as the family is still not informed. From the moment we are allowed we will give you all details.''

I wonder who he was/is.

Regards,

Stewart

Stewart,

I hope that this is true and then that they do the same for the diggers at Pheasant Wood, Fromelles.

Len

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

Sorry to appear doubtful, but if the soldier has been identified by DNA, how is it possible that the family have not yet been informed?

Surely the family must have submitted a DNA sample for comparison?

Has there been a DNA collection programme in anticipation of a scenario like this?

Cheers,

Nigel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there some kind of National DNA Data base in Australia? It would be great if it is true. The fellow who sent me the info is one of the Chief of Police for Ieper. He is very interested in the history of the Great War and seems to hear of somethings before they 'get out'

Regards,

Stewart

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seems to me somewhat strange behaviour from a Chief of Police divulging the information before apparently the N.O.K are informed and no proper agreed statement has been made to the press or other interested parties such as the “In Flanders Fields” Museum, CWGC, Australian Defence Dept etc. If this man is “one of the Chief of Police for Ypres” how many more of them are there, after all the place is not that big?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't worry, he is not giving out secret information, it is far from anything like that. He has a small guest house in Ieper as well as being one of the duty Chiefs of police [of which I think he said there are 3, one per shift]. He sent the information in a newsletter he produces a couple of times a year. He likes to let former guests know of any interesting events or happenings from the Ieper area.

When I said he finds out about things before they get out, I did not mean he tells people things he is not ment to, what I meant was he passes on items which may not be widely known beyoned the Ieper area, I am sure you know what I mean, each small town is the same the world over.

So you can stop getting all excited about a Bent Coper in Ieper selling state secrets :P It is far from that. I will ask him who gave him the info though. I know he knows many of the local Museum type people etc. It has maybe come from the Zonnebeke Museum.

Regards,

Stewart

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that when I attended the burials last October, one of the three men had 'possibly' been identified but the official procedures had to be followed. If memory serves me right his family attended the burials.

In fact as I attended on behalf of one of the Aussie towns and wrote a report in their local paper, I am sure his family knew.

So hardly new news.

sm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If my memory is correct there were only a few possible candidates to consider for the five sets of remains. Therefore the requirement was at the most to trace descendants of a very small number of men. This clearly made the task narrower, although still challenging.

Keith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hello,

it's been in the newspaper twice last week that an other soldier was identified, but no source and the reason for not telling his name is that the family has to be notified.

maybe they asked dna from several people related to aussies missing in that area.

if it not true then it is a sick joke if you ask me

sabine

Link to comment
Share on other sites

them were identified, Sergeant George Calder and Private John Hunter.

If it is them, this looks to be their A.I.F. service records and CWGC entries:

Sgt. George CALDER

3/51st BATTALION, A.I.F.

Service no 1868

b. Goldsborough, VIC

d. 30.9.1918, Belgium

http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.as...mp;I=1&SE=1

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...asualty=1598099

Pte. John HUNTER

49th Battalion, A.I.F.

Service No 3504

b. Jimboola, QLD

d. 26/9/1917, Belgium

http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.as...mp;I=1&SE=1

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...casualty=924382

regards,

Martin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes that is them. George was buried first but he was in 51st Bn not 3/51st.

If anyone is interested I have the newspaper article which I wrote for George.

steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Martin's information is correct but so is Steve when it comes to Calder's battalion.

He was in 51 Bn, but it was part of the draft of its 3rd reinforcements. Often, on documents, this would be recorded as 3/51 Bn or 3/51 reinforcements.

I must admit that the 3/51 does mislead some researchers.

Chris Henschke

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think you will find that if you search for CALDER there are several threads on this topic (including mine with service records etc) that go into great detail. There are several large articles concerning these five and many photographs that were posted.

Bright Blessings

Sandra

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...

Fantastic! Cheers Andrew.

Rgds

Tim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This probably repeats the above:

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24174004-29277,00.html

THE remains of an Australian soldier recovered from a World War I battlefield nearly 90 years after his death have been identified.

DNA-matching was used to identify the soldier as Private George Richard Storey.

He was killed during the Battle of Polygon Wood in Belgium in September 1917.

His body was recovered from a lost grave in 2006.

Pte Storey's remains, along with those of Private John Hunter, Sergeant George Calder and two other unidentified Australian soldiers, were discovered during excavations near Westhoek in Belgium two years ago, the Federal Government said today.

"While very good research work produced a list of seven possible names for the men, DNA matching techniques were only able to confirm the identity of two of the five prior to the re-burial ceremony with full military honours last year," Minister for Defence Science and Personnel Warren Snowdon said.

"Confirmation of George Storey's identification was made using DNA together with compelling historical research.

"It has been a long, arduous process, but now Pte Storey's place of burial is known to his country and, most importantly, his family."

There were plans to install a new headstone at Pte Storey's grave, replacing the Known unto God inscription with his name.

A small, informal ceremony would be held in Belgium and it was hoped the Storey family could come, Mr Snowdon said.

Pte Storey was born in London, England, but was working as a farmhand in Western Australia when he enlisted in March 1916 as a 20-year-old.

He was posted to the 51st Battalion and embarked for Europe in September 1916 where he joined his unit in December.

Pte Storey was wounded in June 1917 but recovered in time to rejoin his unit and participate in the attack on Polygon Wood.

He was killed in action on September 30, 1917.

His brother Jack survived the war and returned to Australia in January 1918.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wonderful news ... yet another family that has closure.

Bright Blessings

Sandra

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Andrew, thanks for posting that article - Im so glad another one of the 51st has been found! It must be a very special time for his relatives after all these years to finally have an answer as to what happened to him. Its lovely that he will finally receive his own special headstone.

Cheers,

Elle

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great news, his family how have a place to visit, a headstone to place a poppy on.

Peter

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it would appropriate for the "Known Unto God" headstone to be donated to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra where it can be displayed with the story of how the five were discovered.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...