WW1 soldiers buried 108 years after death

Serving soldiers, wearing full dress uniform, lower a Union flag-draped coffin into the ground, watched by a military padre.Image source, Ministry of Defence
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The four Grimsby soldiers have been reburied, with full military honours, in northern France

  • Published

Four British soldiers who were killed in World War One have been reburied in France with military honours.

The remains of Arthur Cook, Robert Cullum, John Fraser and William London, all privates of 1/5 Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, were found during work to construct a hospital near Lens.

The men, who were all from Grimsby and part of the same Lewis gun team, died on 5 May 1917 during the Battle of Arras.

On Tuesday, descendants of the men joined military personnel for a service at Loos British Cemetery Extension, close to the spot where they died.

A young man, with a middle parting hair cut and wearing a cardigan, is standing next to his father who has a very thick moustache. He is wearing a jacket, with a pocket watch extending from it. Image source, Ministry of Defence
Image caption,

Pte William London, left, one of the four soldiers found near Lens in France, is pictured with his father James

The soldiers' remains were discovered in summer 2020 during preparatory works for the foundations of the hospital.

Found with them were shoulder titles indicating they were members of the Lincolnshire Regiment along with small box respirators – not issued until August 1916 - and a pair of boots with a 1917 date stamp on the sole, which aided identification.

A woman, the descendant of one of the four Grimsby soldiers, is handed a Union flag, folded into a rectangles, in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery. The woman is sitting on a chair, with an order of service on her lap, as she is presented with the flag by a serving soldier.Image source, Ministry of Defence
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Descendants of the four soldiers were invited to the service in France on Tuesday afternoon

Alexia Clark, from the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the Ministry of Defence's "war detectives", said: "It has been a privilege to research this case, to be successful in identifying these four men and to organise their burial service.

"When you consider half a million men are still missing from the first and second world wars, every one we can identify feels like an achievement.

"I am delighted that the four men have now been laid to rest alongside their comrades in a dignified burial which they had been denied for so long."

A grainy photograph showing a soldier in WW1 uniform, including a peaed cap.Image source, Ministry of Defence
Image caption,

Pte Arthur Cook

Ms Clark said the team was extremely grateful to the Royal Anglian Regiment who provided the bearer party and firing party for the service, and to the families of the men who attended.

The graves will now be cared for by Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC).

A black and white image showing a man with short, swept back hair.  He is wearing a collar and tie.Image source, Ministry of Defence
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Pte Robert Cullum

David Royle, commemorations casework manager at the CWGC, said: "Following the recovery of these casualties by our specialist team in 2020, it was a privilege to investigate the identification of privates Fraser, London, Cullum and Cook alongside all of those recovered from the site where the Lens hospital now stands.

"It was an honour to be a small part of their story, especially since the names of these four casualties are now known and we can provide a peaceful resting place where future generations can visit.

"We will continue to care for the graves of these four brave men in perpetuity."

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