Today's harvest with the diggers in Boezinghe

[frans]

The whole afternoon was documented and filmed by the In Flanders Field Museum for future reverence. Piet Chielens the curator of the museum who is on the left of the photo was with the group.

The photo shows the removel of the last soldier.

The only thing I am willing to say is that a positive ID of the English soldiers regiment was found. De Diggers give no more information untill the respective countries have finished there investigations.

For the whole group these are regarded as special days and brings home the reality of war. The sobering and positive thing is that these men will receive a christian burial and are laid to rest with there brothers in arms.

Regards, Frans

[toofatfortakeoff]

There was a peogram on them last year-I think

Every time theyre going to lay foundations for new buildings along the old front they send in these guys whove got special permits to dig the area as quickly as they can for a few weeks. If they find lots then they carry on until theyve finished. Im not sure if in the programme Boezhinge the forgotten battle or maybe in a pub even so dont take it as gospel by any chalk

[6th Shropshires]

Hi Frans

Many thanks for keeping us informed of find of remains.

The only thing I am willing to say is that a positive ID of the English soldiers regiment was found. De Diggers give no more information untill the respective countries have finished there investigations.

That's best Frans no jumping the gun and people coming to wrong conculsion (spelling looks wrong).

Annette

[Malte Znaniecki]

Frans,

it's a great job, you're doing ! R e s p e c t !!

thank you for taking all the burdons and for sharing your pics with us.

Malte

[spike10764]

Once again, great work, Frans and the Diggers. Thanks for showing us shots of your work and keeping us all up to date as often as you do.

[stiletto_33853]

Frans,

Great pictures, thank you for all the posts on the diggers work.

Andy

[frans]

I have been asked a few times what size the area is of the excavation at Boezinge.

Sinds we started here in the beginning of may until now, which is in fact the start of the first posting on this thread the area is 70 meters x 40 meters.

It is truly amazing the amount of ammunition which is still recovered and it does not take much immagination to work out that if a soldier had to fight on this spot, he did not stand much of a chance to come out of it alive.

[Kathie]

Frans, May I add my thanks and appreciation to you for all your hard work and generosity in putting this information and the photos on the forum and to the Diggers for what they are doing.

I must also say how exciting this is for people like me who live very far away (South Africa) and for whom visits to Flanders, the Somme and elsewhere may never be undertaken or only very seldom.

I have learnt a lot from the information you have shared and wish the Diggers well in their work.

If one was to be travelling in your part of the world in 2007 do you think it would be possilbe to come and observe or, if permitted, to assist with digging etc???

Kathie

[frans]

Frans, May I add my thanks and appreciation to you for all your hard work and generosity in putting this information and the photos on the forum and to the Diggers for what they are doing.

I must also say how exciting this is for people like me who live very far away (South Africa) and for whom visits to  Flanders, the Somme and elsewhere may never be undertaken or only very seldom. 

I have learnt a lot from the information you have shared and wish the Diggers well in their work.

If one was to be travelling in your part of the world in 2007 do you think it would be possilbe to come and observe or, if permitted, to assist with digging etc???

Kathie

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Kathie,

Once you know when you are coming, I can make arrangements so that you can spend an afternoon wth us. Don't leave it too long because we do limit the number of visitors.

Kind Regards, Frans

[frans]

Today there is no excavation due to the weather.

It gives me the opportunity to show some items when they were found and how they look when they are preserved.

The photo shows a pipe which was found in early september in the Boezinge battlefield.

It was found pushed in the clay layer.

[frans]

Same pipe now it is cleaned and preserved.

The pipe is a GBD pipe. The company's origin was in France at the turn of the century, and then moved to London, center of the pipe universe at that time.

The sterling silver band in the middle of the pipe still shows some hallmarkings but they are hardly visible.

[frans]

When the soldiers arrived at the positions in Boezinge 1915 they were ill equiped for the static warfare. We have found many examples of soldiers improvising and making their own weapons.

[frans]

Two german belt buckles. For neither soldier the inscription "God with us" helped.

[frans]

We started today where we finished two weeks ago. First a layer of about three feet of soil which had been dumped here had to be removed before we could get to the real business.

[frans]

First find of the afternoon a Toffee Apple.

[frans]

Shrapnel shell still filled with its lead balls.

[robbie]

Same pipe now it is cleaned and preserved.

The pipe is a GBD pipe. The company's origin was in France at the turn of the century, and then moved to London, center of the pipe universe at that time.

The sterling silver band in the middle of the pipe still shows some hallmarkings but they are hardly visible.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am sure my Grandad had one just like this one. He LOVED his pipes.

Thanks Frans for the pics.

Robbie

[marina]

Shrapnel shell still filled with its lead balls.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's a wicked looking thing!

Marina

[frans]

For the ones that might fancy having a look in the data basis. This knife handle was found last week. On the one side the letter X on the other an A.

[frans]

My apologies for only posting now the following information I received from the CWGC in Ieper last week.

The following funerals will take place on the 14 November 2005.

At 11 o'clock at Cement House Cemetery the three unknown soldiers found in the Boezinge battlefield will be laid to rest.

At 12 o'clock an unknown soldier found by the A19 motorway will be laid to rest in X Track Cemetery.

At 2 o'clock at Wulverghem-Lindenhoek Cemetery an unknown soldier found in the garden of a farm at Nieuwkerke.

The photo of the Somerset Light Infantry badge. Belongs to the last of the three soldiers found by De Diggers on the Boezinge Battlefield 10.09.2005. It was the only item that gave any information regarding this Somerset LI soldier.

The other two soldiers to be buried later in the day were not found by De Diggers.

Frans

[susanhemmings]

Juat "stumbled" across your very interesting and informative finds . Very moving re burials of the poor souls (both English and German).

Frans, what was "blue clay" - I think I read somewhere that this colour was created by bodies? Seem to think it was in one of the old mags or books I have been dipping into. Could be entirely wrong.

In any event - thank you so much for bringing all this to our attention.

It really is a worthwhile effort as it not only yields artefacts, but also uncovers some of the poor souls who can then be laid to rest in peace. God bless each and every one of them.

Thank you Frans.

[frans]

Juat "stumbled" across your very interesting and informative finds .  Very moving re burials of the poor souls (both English and German). 

Frans, what was "blue clay" - I think I read somewhere that this colour was created by bodies?  Seem to think it was in one of the old mags or books I have been dipping into.  Could be entirely wrong. 

In any event - thank you so much for bringing all this to our attention. 

It really is a worthwhile effort as it not only yields artefacts, but also uncovers some of the poor souls who can then be laid to rest in peace.  God bless each and every one of them.

Thank you Frans.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Susan,

The photo shows the two different conditions of the clay. The side walls are still yellow and the clay is untouched. The middle of the pit has been disturbed by an explosion and it is the working of water and oxygen which turns the clay blue in colour. As far as I know soldiers remains had no effect on this process.

Regards, Frans

[susanhemmings]

Wow, thank you for that Frans and FOR ALL you very intersting photos etc. It really is tremedous stuff - I take my hat off to you and all your colleagues (diggers).......

Susan.

[Martin Brown]

Interesting to see more human remains being lifted. Might I ask what records are taken when you lift? Do you make a drawn record, are formal record sphotos taken, what written record is there? Do you attempt to work out which artefacts are associated with the bodies?

I ask this because it has become clear to me that this sort of thing really matters in terms of identification, the associated items are what often give the leads to IDs. Without the consideration of these associated objects we would never have identified the 2 Germans from my site at Serre in 2003.

Also these records mean that there is something for posterity beyond the headstone and some fading snaps somewhere.

Thanks

Martin

[frans]

Interesting to see more human remains being lifted.  Might I ask what records are taken when you lift?  Do you make a drawn record, are formal record sphotos taken, what written record is there?  Do you attempt to work out which artefacts are associated with the bodies?

I ask this because it has become clear to me that this sort of thing really matters in terms of identification, the associated items are what often give the leads to IDs.  Without the consideration of these associated objects we would never have identified the 2 Germans from my site at Serre in 2003.

Also these records mean that there is something for posterity beyond the headstone and some fading snaps somewhere.

Thanks

Martin

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Martin,

What the procedure is I posted earlier on this thread. We De Diggers keep photo's and a catalogue of what is found with each soldier. The policemans duty is to photograph and document each soldiers remains and the items related to each soldier. It is a lengthy and time consuming proces.

All the items found with each soldier are bagged and taken away by the authorities as soon as we have finished our work. I do know that regarding the English soldiers that all these items are buried together with the remains.

I would like to stress once again that it is not our task to identify or even attempt to trying to establish the identity of any remains, and the group goes to great lengths to avoid any speculation regarding the identity of any remains.

You are very correct in saying that it is the items found around the soldier which could help to identify the soldier, not the remains.

Regarding copies of the documents of the remains, I should immagine that a copy is kept by the Belgian Home office and a copy is sent to either the English, French or German authorities. It is in the end these authorities who have the job of identification.

We have forwarded to interested parties information regarding previous soldiers, but only after the authorities have completed their research.

Kind regards, Frans