MelPack Posted 5 September , 2016 Share Posted 5 September , 2016 CWGC Announcement: A funeral service will be held for an unknown soldier of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment and an unknown soldier of unknown regiment at 1100 hours on Thursday 29 September 2016 at St Mary’s ADS Cemetery, Haisnes, France with The Royal Anglian Regiment providing support. A set of remains was discovered in Auchy-Les-Mines in February 2016 and accompanying military insignia indicated the remains were of a WW1 casualty of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment. A second set of remains was discovered in the same location in June 2016; no identifying insignia accompanied this soldier. Despite extensive research, the Ministry of Defence’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) was unable to identify the soldiers. Both soldiers will be buried under separate headstones as Soldiers of the Great War, Known Unto God. The service has been organised by JCCC and will be attended by British Defence Staff, regimental representatives and local dignitaries. http://www.cwgc.org/news-events/news/2016/8/burial-service-in-france.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 5 September , 2016 Share Posted 5 September , 2016 (edited) 9 hours ago, MelPack said: CWGC Announcement: A funeral service will be held for an unknown soldier of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment and an unknown soldier of unknown regiment... accompanying military insignia indicated the remains were of a WW1 casualty of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment... You'd think the CWGC would know better than most, but apparently not : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Leicestershire_Regiment "Post-War In 1946 the regiment was granted "royal" status, becoming the Royal Leicestershire Regiment..." Plain old Leicestershire Regiment until then. Edited 5 September , 2016 by Andrew Upton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 5 September , 2016 Admin Share Posted 5 September , 2016 Errors aside, thank you for the details, I will be staying in Loos from 24/916-1/10/16 so shall attend Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelPack Posted 6 September , 2016 Author Share Posted 6 September , 2016 I have just realised that the Leicestershire Regiment burial relates to this press release of the Durand Group that I posted on a separate thread: 'Engineering the Loos Salient 1915-2018' is a long standing and on going inter-disciplinary study of the Loos battlefield being conducted by the Durand Group in conjunction with local communities and authorities. The aim of this research is to educate and inform the general public on all aspects of subterranean warfare during the conflict. The Group has already uncovered several sections of tunnel system near Loos-en-Gohelle and Hulluch in the Pas de Calais region of northern France. During a 3-day project in February 2016 work has recently continued to investigate x3 possible entrances related to a First World War tunnel system. Work is on-going here to ensure safe access to subterranean systems to enable further investigation and recording. On all 3 sites significant progress was made despite the short time frame the work was carried out under. On Saturday 20th February the remains of a First World War British soldier were uncovered during the process of investigating the existence of one of the potential tunnel entrances, near the ‘Hohenzollern Redoubt’, just south of the town of Auchyles-Mines. The Hohenzollern Redoubt was a heavily fortified German strong point, which became notorious for the ferocity of the fighting that took place there, especially at the Battle of Loos which took place from 25th September to 14th October 1915. Immediately on making the discovery of human remains, team members from the Durand Group halted their work in order to set in motion the correct protocols for such a discovery. Led by historian and author Mark Khan and archaeology lead, Dr Matt Leonard, contact was made with the local police and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). Some items of ordnance and ammunition were also uncovered and were removed and isolated by an EOD expert. The French police and a member of the CWGC initially attended the site. The soldier’s remains were recovered by a team led by archaeologist Dr Matt Leonard and were handed over to the French Police who have now released them into the care of the CWGC. Andy Prada, Project Manager of the Loos Salient initiative for the Durand Group, said he was sad that soldiers were still being recovered from First World War battlefields after 100 years but at least this soldier will now be buried with honours, unlike so many of his colleagues whose bodies were never recovered. http://www.durandgroup.org.uk/Press release march 2016 v2.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steandpaula Posted 21 September , 2016 Share Posted 21 September , 2016 Will also be visiting next Thursday. Will be my third after HAC and Prowse Point. Ste Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelPack Posted 21 September , 2016 Author Share Posted 21 September , 2016 Hello Ste Pleased that you can make it - have a look out for Michelle. it would be interesting if you posted your impressions of the occasion upon your return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steandpaula Posted 21 September , 2016 Share Posted 21 September , 2016 Will do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 21 September , 2016 Admin Share Posted 21 September , 2016 Hi Ste, keep your eye out for a very short woman who will be wearing a green felt hat, stood with a bald guy! Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steandpaula Posted 22 September , 2016 Share Posted 22 September , 2016 I'll be the tall guy with black jacket, but also with a bald guy ! Regards Ste Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 25 September , 2016 Admin Share Posted 25 September , 2016 The graves are dug, massive amount of chalk in the compost area of St Mary's Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battle of loos Posted 29 September , 2016 Share Posted 29 September , 2016 good morning, this is the picture about the funeral service in "ADS Cimetery" this mornig for two soldier. the cimetery : the two grave (pre funeral service) some rank in back, the Kippling grave : during the funeral service : Chaplain to 2nd Bat. Royal Anglian Regiment after the funeral service : R.I.P. michel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 29 September , 2016 Admin Share Posted 29 September , 2016 Bonjour Michel the last photo has my feet in it! A very good service, very respectful. We went back late afternoon and the graves are filled in, and the stones in place Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battle of loos Posted 29 September , 2016 Share Posted 29 September , 2016 good evening, I was in black jacket with my military medals. It is in a quite normal for me to participate in this kind of ceremony. for my part, I had the opportunity to serve in Bosnia with NATO rn 1998. I've been a soldier for 10 years. regards michel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steandpaula Posted 29 September , 2016 Share Posted 29 September , 2016 (edited) Hi Michelle, Nice to meet you and your husband today. It was a very nice service and quite well attended I thought. Unfortunately when we went up to Auchy to do my research/photos, some ar** in a 4 wheeler and trailer, forced us off the narrow road and we ended up with a puncture! Only had a temporary spare wheel, tiny, but got back to billets and repaired it, scary. Still got my photos though:-) Will get photos on when home. Regards Ste Edited 29 September , 2016 by steandpaula Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 29 September , 2016 Admin Share Posted 29 September , 2016 Hi Ste, good to meet you as well. A very nice service, I think they did they boys proud. Having had a puncture on the M20 back in April, I know hope scary that is, but in France........than goodness you have the little spare. I have had a job getting a spare for my Picanto, it was delivered last week. Glad I have it for that peace of mind. Those inflation kits are useless. Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelPack Posted 30 September , 2016 Author Share Posted 30 September , 2016 Michel Many thanks for posting the photographs and pleased to see that Michelle and Ste managed to rendezvous. There is a full report and more photographs here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/two-unknown-soldiers-from-world-war-1-honoured-as-they-are-finally-laid-to-rest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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