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In 2008 a number of burial pits dating from the First World War were identified at Fromelles in northern France. archaeologists began to excavate the pits in May 2009, and by early September last year they had carefully removed the remains of 250 British and Australian soldiers, buried behind German lines after the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916.
The British and Australian governments asked the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to supervise the operation to recover the remains and to create a new cemetery at Fromelles for their reburial. Every soldier recovered, will be reburied with an unnamed headstone in the new Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. If the soldiers can be identified their relatives will be able to add a personalised inscription on the headstone at a later date.
A Forfar family are among those who lost a relative at the Battle, and would feel that they have some final closure if he was identified through his DNA.
The remains of Private John Smith, who transferred from the Highland Cyclists Battalion to the 2/7 Royal Warwickshire Regiment, ma be among those recovered from the mass grave.
He was from Forfar and was killed in action at Fromelles aged 21.
Louise Smith is the great-great niece of Pte Smith, and has said that the family were awaiting the results of DNA tests, but were hopeful the body recovered and identified as her great-great Uncle. She added: "It is important, any family member would want to have a grave with a name and so it is important to all us, especially my grand-dad and my gran, having known they were looking for him".
On 19 July 2010 a special commemorative event will be held at Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery.For more information about the project, go to the project website at
Commonwealth War Graves Commission