frans Posted 11 May , 2007 Share Posted 11 May , 2007 As promised I am going to show how De Diggers recoverred this soldier. Normally we don't publish any photo's of any soldiers we find. We don't think it is in good taste and secondly we only have a duty to recover, not a duty of identification. We therefore chose not to interfere in the ID process in anyway and let the respective authorities do their work. The procedure regarding the ID process has been finished by the MOD/CWGC and we are waiting for the regiment to come and put this soldier to rest in his new place at Cement House Cemetery. The images are not meant to shock, afterall it was a human being. I look at them taking account this was a young man doing his duty and paid the highest price. Nearly all the soldiers we find are in and around no mans land and will have died on the spot they are found. The Kings soldier was found 25.02.2006 10 meters away from the main road in Langemark next to the entrance of the football club FC Langemark. We were asked by the mayor of Langemark to screen the ground because they were going to build a sportinghall on the site. The red arrow is of the Enlish monument of the 20th light division. The road from the bottom left is the road from Boezinge. The red dotted area is where the soldiers was found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frans Posted 11 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 11 May , 2007 German army map showing the area in 1917. Red dot is the position where the soldier was found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frans Posted 11 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 11 May , 2007 While detecting the week before we had good reason to think there could be a soldier burried in this area. We had located some bones. These are covered up again and the procedure is started to recover the remains with the police present. The police first look if it is not a crime scene and when this is done we can proceed. Most soldiers will carry some kind of metal on them that is why we can find soldiers using metalldetecting. The first photo show a couple of rifle grenades only six inches under the surface. Rifle grenades close up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frans Posted 11 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 11 May , 2007 Just above Gaby's right knee are the rifle grenades. Now for the first time it is clear that we have found the remains of a soldier. If you look closely you will see the teeth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frans Posted 11 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 11 May , 2007 The area to be uncovered is increased. The main road from Langemark to Boezinge is in the background. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frans Posted 11 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 11 May , 2007 These photo's are taken after about one and a half hours of digging. The soldier appears slowly and we get our first clue the regiment of the soldier. On the top of the left shoulder is the badge of the Kings regiment. Clise up from the other direction. Blown up in size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frans Posted 11 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 11 May , 2007 More and more gets uncovered. Clear to see are the two rifle grenades from the first photo's. The remains are pritty complete, the only thing mssing is the soldiers right leg. It looks like the soldier was blown away with a big explosion. He will have stood about around six meters from the impacrt, if he would have stood closer we would have found nothing of him. The bag he carried with the rifle grenades has shot up to head hight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frans Posted 11 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 11 May , 2007 Where one of the top pockits would have been we found this cap badge. Although we understand that this soldier died most likely around half of august 1917 in the third battle of Ieper he must have kept his old cap badge as momento as by now the steel helmit was standard issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frans Posted 11 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 11 May , 2007 Another item that was found is this penknife. All the items you see and the remains are removed by the police and kept in a secure room at the Houthulst barracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frans Posted 11 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 11 May , 2007 This was found, a small oil cannister. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverSoldier Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 Frans. All I can say is thankyou for finding him. Another lost soul brought in from the cold soil he has lain in all these years. I hope and pray that his remains will be laid to rest in a nearby cemetary, among his comrades in arms. God rest him. A Soldier Remembered With Honour. Terry W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveMurphy Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 Frans, I have watched De Diggers from afar and am amazed at their discoveries; clearly the best thread on this forum. I find this thread absolutely fascinating, and would love to see more of it. What a wonderful job the Diggers do, one that many on this forum would love to do, or even assist. You are providing an excellent service to these men who paid their sacrifice, so that we may live. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShirlD Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 Frans, That we could treat each one with dignity and the care you show them It is tough looking and very sad, but he will be remembered and we trust at peace Shirley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roel22 Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 A very informative post. And a job well done, Frans. As always. Roel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 Frans - you and the Diggers hold my greatest respect. Thank you for what you do and the caring way it which it is done Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 A great piece of work. I'm wondering if the cap badge, when cleaned up, shows signs that it had been blackened (it looks like it from the photo) - I'm fairly sure that this might help identify the battalion of King's Regiment. The 5th battalion had black cap badges and were in that area in July/ August 1917. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 Thankyou, very moving. May he rest in peace. Frans I think a more likely explanation for the cap badge is that he removed it from his soft cap which may have been left with his large pack behind the lines (common practice) perhaps with batalion transport. He probably did not want someone to pilfer his kit whilst he was in the trenches, again a common practice. Thankyou again TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaymen Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 Frans Absolutely fascinating stuff, many thanks for posting. Take care mate Glyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 Frans, Thank you very much for posting these photographs and for bringing another one in from the cold. Keep up the good work. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6th Shropshires Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 Thank you Frans for posting this thread and thanks to all the De Diggers for their great work. identify the battalion of King's Regiment Ian from the location, I would think he was 12/King's but it would be hard to know for sure. Annette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 Hi Frans - most interesting. Do you keep records like this on each soldier found, and are they deposited with IFF, Document centre, MMP, or somewhere similar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Bennitt Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 Frans Although I have been a member of this forum for several months now and kept up with your diggers thread with great interest, with one thing and another I have not posted any reply or comment. But I was very moved by this series of pictures, which really brings home the fact how war affects human beings like ourselves, and is not just maps, materiel and politics. Thank you very much for your efforts on behalf of these men. cheers Martin B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greyhound Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 What Martin has said goes for me too, every word. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPotter Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 Frans, and all De Diggers, Excellent work and another excellent set of posts. I will wear my De diggers badge with pride! (Trust everyone's got one?) Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevem49 Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 Well done Frans and all De Diggers. As always an interesting set of photos to explain your work. I do not have the De Diggers badge but wear my cap everywhere and am often asked - who are they then. stevem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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