Aurel Sercu Posted 23 May , 2003 Share Posted 23 May , 2003 Something that might interest those who are planning a trip to the Ypres Salient in two weeks from now. On Monday 9 June, at 11 am, 3 Canadian soldiers will be reburied at Passendale, New British Cemetery. Canadian Minister Rey Pagtakhan, of Veterans' Affairs, will be present. This reburial is extremely important to our team (the Diggers). We found the remains on 2 February 2002. One soldier had a prominent feature : 3 gold teeth, upper jaw, front. So going to all lengths to find his identity was something that simply had to be done, as it was so promising. It was bound to be successful, we thought. We did find a soldier who had died on that spot, and that day (6 Nov 1917) when heavy fighting had taken place (Battle of Passchendale), and who was missing (with 60 others in that battalion). AND who - according to the attestation papers - had "3 gold teeth, upper jaw, front". After some time we even were sure we had found his son. (The man has died since.) Unfortunately, 3 DNA tests proved that we were wrong : the remains turned up not to be the soldier of the attestation papers. A 4th DNA test is in process now. But the remains will be reburied 2 weeks from now anyway, even before the DNA test results are known. Visitors who want to be present are asked to be at the Cemetery before 10.45 am The whole story is on our website www.diggers.be . Go to Digg-E-Zine and then to the second article "And so remains 140 will be buried as an unknown Canadian soldier". Aurel Sercu Diggers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 10 June , 2003 Author Share Posted 10 June , 2003 Yesterday was the reburial at Passendale of the 3 Canadian soldiers we found 2 Feb 2002. I intend to write an article for our Diggers website about this very special ceremony as soon as I can. However, this will not be before end of this week. Meanwhile just one photo, And a reference to the website of a friend of mine, "The Great War in Flanders Fields", where you can find more than 50 photos. (The captions however, are only in Dutch for the moment.) http://www.wo1.be/ned/mainnav.html Click on the 3rd article "Foto's herbegrafenis Canadese soldaten 09/06" Aurel Sercu Diggers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hill 60 Posted 10 June , 2003 Share Posted 10 June , 2003 Aurel - Thanks for the update and the picture. I was amazed at the size and quality of that coffin! When I saw the TV documentry of the bodies you found at Bozinghe the 'coffins' they were buried in looked like packing crates. Who supplied the coffin that was used on the 9th? Was it afamily or a Canadian Government purchase? Keep up the good work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 10 June , 2003 Share Posted 10 June , 2003 I cannot ever be anything other than moved when old soldiers, from any country, are laid to rest. A hangover of once being part of 'the family' I suppose. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 10 June , 2003 Share Posted 10 June , 2003 Aurel You must get a great feeling of pride and achievement at being able to put these guys to rest. I imagine though, that it is frustrating that you'll never discover their identities. I'm very appreciative of what you're doing Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 10 June , 2003 Author Share Posted 10 June , 2003 Michael, Lee, A feeling of pride for our team? Absolutely, I can hardly hide it. And yet, also a feeling of disappointment and frustration, because we were so close to a positive ID for one of them (as far as I am concerned : 99,9 %). If it had not been for these 4 negative DNA-tests ... And the quality of the coffins ? Yes, magnificent and amazing ! The 3 coffins (all identical) must have been a Government purchase, certainly not a family purchase. Compared to the British "packing crates" ... (Mind you, I do not want to make it sound as if I want to blame them, but the Canadian reburial was something else indeed ...) Besides, I wonder how it will be next week. A reburial of a number of German soldiers we have found, at the German Cemetery Langemark. So far, the "reburials" were not even reburials. No ceremony at all. Time to change this. Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mordac Posted 10 June , 2003 Share Posted 10 June , 2003 Hi Aurel: I've been following this story on the Diggers web site for some time now. I remember how pleased and moved I was when you first found these men, knowing they would have a proper place of burial with their comrades. I'd like to express my gratitude to you and The Diggers for honouring my countrymen by attending their burial at the New British Cemetery. Thank you. Respectfully yours, Garth Chorney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 11 June , 2003 Share Posted 11 June , 2003 I didn't know the methods of German reburials. I'm dissappointed to hear that they are not afforded the same respect as the allied reburials. I guess its a political thing but is it the German or Belgian Government who prevent ceremonies ? Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 11 June , 2003 Share Posted 11 June , 2003 The German themselves are ashamed for their past and the Volksbund is all about peace and doesn't want to emphasize the war. Another problem is about skinheads and similar idiots that every now and then seem to visit Langemark. That's why, until now, their dead were just buried without any ceremony I guess. Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bert Heyvaert Posted 11 June , 2003 Share Posted 11 June , 2003 I remember there were German soldiers, in field uniforms, present at their countrymens funerals in the past in Langemarck. Also, it seems 'ich hatte eine kamerade' was played on a few occasions. Bert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hill 60 Posted 11 June , 2003 Share Posted 11 June , 2003 The German themselves are ashamed for their past and the Volksbund is all about peace and doesn't want to emphasize the war. Being ashamed of invading other countries...yes. But the Germans should not be ashamed of their fallen, they were just as brave as any other soldier in any other army. It is a tragedy that 'skinheads and similar idiots' have such distorted morals, but it takes all sorts to make the World I suppose . When I went on my first battlefield tour I went to the Somme, in time for the 1st July memorials. I went to the Thiepval Memorial, after the morning ceremony at Lochnagar Crater, and was pleased to see 3 German Police Officers in full uniform. I noticed that they looked so uneasy and seemed very self-concious, probably because of some very odd looks they were getting. I was quite disgusted when I heard a British person say in a stage whisper "What are they doing here, trying to invade again?". The urge to batter this person for making such a crass comment was overwhelming, but I contented myself by smiling and waving to the Germans and giving the comment-maker the daggers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 11 June , 2003 Share Posted 11 June , 2003 Its certainly interesting and rather saddening to contrast the lack of Canadian budgetary constraints when it comes to burying their Dead compared to the rather stripped down arrangements on show when the CWGC deals with the British . That said, the important thing is that all is done with respect. Similarly, I noted that a Canadian ceremony I attended at Newfoundland Park a few years ago on 1st July had very nice colour printed programmes with tassles etc. Up the road at the Thiepval Memorial it was a photocopied piece of A4 ! I suppose we shouldn't be surprised. I suspect that many members of this forum would also be pleased and honoured to attend a similar ceremony where German soldiers are laid to rest. They endured nobly and fought with honour and deserve our recognition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevew Posted 24 June , 2003 Share Posted 24 June , 2003 Aurel, I was moved by both the photos I saw of the burials and the article on the diggers site for the Canadians. For me it was also interesting to see the photos of the German reburials and to see the difference in the ceremonies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyem1 Posted 24 June , 2003 Share Posted 24 June , 2003 Aurel, The work you and your Diggers do is magnificent. garyem1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
182 CEF Posted 25 June , 2003 Share Posted 25 June , 2003 As a Canadian and x-Soldier I want to Thank the Diggers for all of their work!To bad I saw nothing on the Canadian Tele that showed this burial. I would have thought that our National Network (the CBC) would have done a special on it. Dean Owen Whitby Ontario Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 25 June , 2003 Author Share Posted 25 June , 2003 Thanks, Gary and Dean. And you are right... I don't think much attention was paid to the reburial by the Canadian media. As far as I know no tv was present, and later one article + photo in a Canadian paper (no idea which one). But what people present there said, showed, felt,... largely makes up for that media lack of interest. Aurel Sercu Diggers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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