Excavation begins at Fromelles
Monday
- 26 May 2008 -
MINSCIENCEANDPERSONNEL59/08
The first sod was turned today on a
small northern property in the
countryside near Pheasant Wood, France,
where a suspected World War I group
burial site may have gone undiscovered
for over 90 years.
Minister for Defence Science and
Personnel, the Hon. Mr Warren Snowdon
MP, announced that the limited
excavation project will ascertain
whether the remains of fallen Australian
and British soldiers from the battle of
Fromelles are buried beneath the soil.
“Reports prove beyond reasonable doubt
that approximately 400 Australian and
British soldiers were buried here during
the battle on the Western Front in 1916,
and now we are trying to ascertain
whether the remains are still buried
here or if they were disinterred at some
stage during the subsequent years,” Mr
Snowdon said.
“I am confident that the planned process
is robust, and the personnel assigned to
this task will work tirelessly to
determine once and for all whether
Australian WWI remains lay buried at the
Fromelles site.”
The Army has engaged experienced
battlefield excavation contractor,
Glasgow University Archaeological
Research Division (GUARD), to carry out
the works and Senior Army
Representative, Major General Mike
O’Brien, is overseeing the project in
France. A team of specialists are also
on hand to identify artefacts and assess
the condition of remains, should any be
discovered during the excavation.
“The most important task for this team
is to concentrate on a thorough and
scientific process to evaluate whether
remains are located in this field
alongside Pheasant Wood.”
“Conditions have been difficult over the
past months, with the high water table
causing delay to the scheduled
timetable, so I am pleased that the
excavation was able to begin today.”
The works are being undertaken with the
approval of French and British
authorities and under the auspices of
the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
It is expected that the work will take
approximately two weeks to complete,
depending on local conditions.
“We have received excellent support from
the French and British Governments as
well as the residents of Fromelles, in
particular the tenant and owner of the
excavating site.”
“I am looking forward to regular updates
from the team in France and will keep
the Australian public informed of any
progress at the site as we proceed,” Mr
Snowdon said.
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