Fromelles Identification Board to reconvene
22 February 2012
The third annual United Kingdom and Australian Joint
Identification Board will convene in London in late March 2012 in
an effort to formally identify some of the remaining 140 unknown
soldiers who are buried in the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military
Cemetery.
In accordance with previously announced plans, the Board will
convene annually until the scheduled completion of the project in
2014.
Each year the Board meets to consider and evaluate all available
evidence, including DNA samples provided by families since the
previous Board.
There is no guarantee that this year's Board will lead to further
identifications but, at the conclusion of the Board, families of
any newly identified soldiers will be contacted by the Australian
Army or the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence.
The outcomes of the Board will be made public in the days
following the Board and the headstones of those identified soldiers
will be changed in accordance with the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission's long standing procedures.
Both the UK and Australian Governments continue to encourage
anyone who believes that a member of their family was lost at
Fromelles/Fleurbaix on 19/20 July 1916 and who has no known grave
to make contact with their national project team.
Members of the public who believe they may be related to British
soldiers buried at Fromelles should contact Post Death
Administration, Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre, Service
Personnel and Veterans Agency, Imjin Barracks, Gloucester GL3 1HW
Tel: +44(0)1452-712612 extension 6303 or 7330 or email
fromelles@spva.mod.uk
Anyone who believes that they are related to one of the Australian
soldiers are asked to register their details with Unrecovered War
Casualties - Army via the online
registration tool at www.army.gov.au/uwca or by calling
toll-free in Australia on 1800 019 090 (9am to 5pm Monday to
Friday) .