Old Aussie soldier uncovered in Belgium

[MartinJQuinn]

Slight OT, but interesting nonetheless. Did anyone else see this?

Old Aussie soldier uncovered in Belgium
August 20, 2008, 5:21 pm

Ninety-one years ago, an Australian soldier fell dead on a Belgian battlefield and unnoticed by his mates, was buried, perhaps by a shell blast.

Last week he was found, astonishingly still clutching his rifle and carrying every other item of equipment with which he lumbered into battle.

Battlefield historian Mat McLachlan said that made him very unusual indeed.

"This is an interesting discovery and a lot more important for us because he was dressed in full kit," he said.

"We actually find out a lot more about the Australians during the First World War by finding bodies such as this one."

This follows the recent discovery of the remains of a considerable number of Australians interred after the 1916 Battle of Fromelles.

The latest find was made last week by United Kingdom Ministry of Defence archaeologists Richard Osgood and Martin Brown, members of a historical group called No Man's Land which includes Mr McLachlan.

They are researching the Australian 3rd Division which trained in England then fought in the Battle of Messines in southern Belgium on June 7, 1917.

The aim was to capture a low ridge. The attack was preceded by a week-long artillery bombardment and the detonation of 19 giant mines, containing more than 400 tonnes of explosives, placed under German lines by Australian, British and Canadian tunnellers.

These explosions were heard in London and killed as many as 10,000 German soldiers. Consequently the ensuing attack was successful, albeit at substantial cost of 6,800 Australian dead and wounded.

Mr McLachlan said his British colleagues uncovered the soldier's intact skeleton in excavations near the old German frontline.

"The most likely scenario, from what we can tell at this stage, is that he was part of the attack on Messines Ridge," he said.

"Then they were pushing on to further objectives when he was hit and fell and was then covered over by a shell blast or buried in some way and that is where he has lain for 91 years.

"We definitely know he wasn't buried by his mates because he was in full battle kit. He was still holding his rifle when they uncovered him. He had his backpack on. He had hand grenades in his pockets and he had all his ammunition and his helmet."

Mr McLachlan said soldiers burying a comrade would always remove weapons and other items.

Much other equipment was found, including Australian insignia, a wallet containing 1916 French francs, medical and mess kit, toothbrush, boots and cloth fragments. Most intriguing, in the soldier's backpack was a German spiked "pickelhaub" helmet, a highly prized souvenir.

This was an era before soldiers routinely carried durable identity discs. But found with this soldier was what appears to be a homemade metal dog tag, albeit very corroded.

Mr McLachlan said this was to be x-rayed in the hope of discerning some details.

"It is a very positive start to the ID process," he said.

"The Belgian war graves currently have custody of the body. The Australian army will then be in charge of the investigation to try and identify him."

[MartinL]

i did a tour of the western front with a friend last year but becouse of lack of time had to leave out messines ridge (next year maybe ?) but did drive along it and noticed on the map the amount of mineing that had been done by both sides.
At the somme we visited hawthorn ridge,aparently the only mine detonation recorded on film , and lochnagar crater, trully a sombering experience.
and am in no way suprised that after spending a week in a grass covered moon landscape they are and will for a long time be finding the bodies of the fallen who gave there lives.
And after 90 years there is still a strange darkness hanging over the land....

[Werner]

WW.I is a sad, sad business, made worse by the peace terms, which almost guaranteed WW.II would follow shortly.

[Jack Ray]

Battle of the Somme: 60,000 British casualties on Day ONE.

Statistics like this help put life into perspective.

Jack

[chuck]

As well as consequences of that blith aspiration for war.

[Laurent]

I'm born and grew up in Flanders Fields ...

it always moves me when a soldier's body is found , my thoughts in such a moment are that this younger guy's death could be avoided if the politicians at that time had done their job properly ...

Regards ,

Laurent