jay dubaya Posted 4 December , 2013 Share Posted 4 December , 2013 When the remains of fallen soldiers are found and later reburied are they interred with the equipment and personal effects that they are often found with? Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Lees Posted 4 December , 2013 Share Posted 4 December , 2013 No, I don't believe so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 4 December , 2013 Share Posted 4 December , 2013 Jon, Yes, with the equipment and personal effects. Well, that was definitely the case with the dozens of remains found in Boezinge when I was with the Diggers (till April 2004) : together with the physical remains all material objects were handed to the police, who then handed them to the CWGC or the Volksbund. And I have no reason to doubt that the material objects were buried with them. Except for the ammunition. That is the explanation of the fact that some wooden boxes in which they were reburied were larger than other boxes. That's for the Ypres area. Don't know about elsewhere ... Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 4 December , 2013 Author Share Posted 4 December , 2013 Ken, Aurel, thany you for the conflicting replies. Aurel, I've just being looking at some photo from De Diggers which was spurred on by the recent finds at Thiepval. In many cases a man is found with some form of regimental insignia or personal item and I just wondered if these items should not remain and be reinterred with the man. If this is not the case then where do all the finds go? Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 4 December , 2013 Share Posted 4 December , 2013 Jon, Yes, as to the Boezinge finds regimental insignia and peronal items were reinterred too. And I think they should ! If (elsewhere) they are not, I too wonder where the finds go. (But again, I have no idea if elsewhere they remain with the reinterred remains or not ....) It would be unacceptable of course if they go into someone's collection or end up in the commercial circuit. But again : I have no idea if this happens. Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 4 December , 2013 Share Posted 4 December , 2013 I know Sgt Whites effects ended up in the Bullecourt museum. Or some of them. That was back in late 1990's / early 2000? Not sure if Pte Nugents effects were buried with him. I spoke to a chap who purportd to be present with the party who found and partially exhumed him and he gave the impresion not all items remained with the body? I cannot confirm or disprove what he said. When I was present at a recovery a few years ago near Mucky Farm the diggers offered me small arms ammunition only (declined) and took rifle / bayonet etc. No insignia other than GS buttons. TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 7 December , 2013 Author Share Posted 7 December , 2013 Aurel, TT thank you for the continued input. I shall contact the CWGC with regards to this as it would seem only they would know for sure and perhaps have a definitive answer or at least give some clarification on the matter Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auimfo Posted 7 December , 2013 Share Posted 7 December , 2013 I believe that personal items from the Fromelles recovery were returned to family descendants if the soldier was identified. I know of several people who have those items. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 7 December , 2013 Share Posted 7 December , 2013 Lt John Pritchard's personal items were returned to the family after his burial earlier this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 7 December , 2013 Share Posted 7 December , 2013 When I was present at a recovery a few years ago near Mucky Farm the diggers offered me small arms ammunition only (declined) and took rifle / bayonet etc. No insignia other than GS buttons. TT TT, I was not present at the recovery at Mucky Farm (it must have been after 2004). If I understand you correctly, then rifle, bayonet and buttons remained with the recovered soldier, to be handed to the police (and CWGC). These were the rules indeed. That the small ammunition was not handed to the police, must have been because it was known that the ammunition would not be with the reinterred remains. Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Tulloch-Marshall Posted 8 December , 2013 Share Posted 8 December , 2013 ... when I was with the Diggers ... ... near Mucky Farm the diggers ... I think that you'll find that "The Diggers" are being confused with "the diggers". Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 8 December , 2013 Share Posted 8 December , 2013 Tom, Yes, of course ! I understand. (Well, I think I do. :-) ) Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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