The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

The new CWGC Fromelles (Pheasant Wood ) Military Cemetery at Fromelles was dedicated today and the final burial took place.

" Ninety-four years to the day since Australian and British troops were sent over the top on the western front to be killed in one of the briefest, bloodiest and most useless battles of the first world war, a cemetery containing the remains of 250 of those killed was dedicated today as the last body to be found was buried with full military honours. "

More here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/19/fromelles-war-cemetery-opens-battle
_________________
Jim

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

www.kinnethmont.co.uk

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

The Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel, Warren Snowden, has announced the names of a further 14 soldiers among those reburied in Fromelles, France.
These fourteen were originally from the New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia regions of Australia.

Names of Soldiers Identified by the 2011 Joint Identification Board

Regimental number Rank Surname Name Unit
4811 Private Percy Geason 55th Battalion
1390 Private Herbert James Haslam 29th Battalion
4744 Private Albert Clive Bromley 53rd Battalion
Captain Thomas Francis Sheridan 29th Battalion
4420 Lance Corporal William Andrew Craigie 54th Battalion
1590 Corporal Charles William Murray 30th Battalion
3310 Corporal Frederick Fletcher 55th Battalion
3256 Private Maurice Leslie Reid 32nd Battalion
4299 Private Arthur Russell 54th Battalion
3327 Private George Hungerford 53rd Battalion
1168 Corporal David Frederick Livingston 29th Battalion
2056 Private Matthew Hepple 30th Battalion
743 Private Daniel Bernard Ryan 30th Battalion
311 Private Leslie Gordon Walsh 31st Battalion

The replacement headstones for the 14 Australian soldiers who were identified will be dedicated during a commemorative event held at the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery on 19 July, the 95th anniversary of the Battle of Fromelles.
_________________
Jim

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

www.kinnethmont.co.uk

DerekR · Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 9:14 am Post subject:

What a fantastic achievement.
_________________

Time but th' impression stronger makes, As streams their channels deeper wear.

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 12:44 pm Post subject:

I've been "spinning my wheels" with this man for some weeks now before I realised that he was mentioned on this thread:

Name: MARSHALL, ROBERT
Initials: R
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry
Unit Text: 2nd/1st Bucks Bn.
Date of Death: 19/07/1916
Service No: 266236
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 83 to 85.
Memorial: LOOS MEMORIAL

He is listed on the Irongray War Memorials
http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=675
and http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=1919 (Shawhead Hall)

SDGW has him Resident at Shawhead and Enlisted Aylesbury (Bucks)
and his MIC has two service numbers 3440 & 266236.

The Stewartry Roll of Honour has him of Midtown of Killylaur, Shawhead, Irongray, enlisted April 1915, and a Death in Service notice in the Dumfries and Galloway Standard of 23/6/1917 page 3g has "reported wounded and missing and now reported killed..... eldest son of Mrs. Marshall of Midtown Cottage"

To date I have been unable to trace either Robert or his mother in any civil record.
_________________
Ken

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

31 March 2012

The Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, Warren Snowdon, today announced that a Joint Identification Board held on 23 March 2012, has identified by name, a further nine Australians among the 250 Australian and British WW1 soldiers who were recovered from Pheasant Wood in France in 2009.

This identification brings the total number of Australians identified to 119.

Mr Snowdon said tens of thousands of young Australian soldiers gave their all on the Western Front, and the latest identification project has now ensured Privates Leonard Broadhurst, Robert Carrington Forland, John Robertson Forrest, John Joseph Goulding, William Alexander Jamieson, Arthur Joseph Johnson, Claude Ward John Cyril Wynn and Corporal Alfred George Tuck now are known by name where they lie in Fromelles.

Names of Soldiers Identified by the 2012 Joint Identification Board

Service NumberRank Given Names Surname Unit Enlistment Place
3013 Private Leonard BROADHURST 55th Battalion Sydney NSW
4779 Private Robert Carrington FORLAND 53rd Battalion Lithgow NSW
3046 Private John Robertson FORREST 54th Battalion Liverpool NSW
555 Private Joh Joseph GOULDING 31st Battalion Brisbane QLD
2144 Private William Alexander JAMIESON 31st Battalion Cootamundra NSW
2203 Private Arthur Joseph JOHNSON 29th Battalion Melbourne NSW
1252 Corporal Alfred George TUCK 29th Battalion Melbourne VIC
2184 Private Claude WARD 30th Battalion Newcastle NSW
2485 Private John Cyril WYNN 30th Battalion West Maitland
_________________
Jim

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

www.kinnethmont.co.uk

anne park

John Robertson Forrest Pte 3046 54th Australian Inf Fordyce 13/10/1890 North Ryde, NSW 25 Killed in Action F & F 19-Jul-16 Son of James Allan & Isabella (nee Esson) Forrest, Lilacbank, Keith. Native of Fordyce. Educated : Grange, Banffshire. The Roll of Honour: Vol III Page 105. Brother Frank also died. (Jack). V. C. Corner Australian Cemetery M. R. 07 Panel 10 Cemetery: FROMELLES (PHEASANT WOOD) MILITARY CEMETERY IV. A. 3.
Additional Information:
Son of James and Isa Forrest, of Lilac Bank, Keith, Banffshire, Scotland. Native of Fordyce, Scotland.
N.B.
This casualty is currently commemorated on V C Corner Australian Memorial. The headstone on the grave is presently marked to that of an Unknown Australian Soldier and will be changed shortly.
BH 18-11-16 1/1 BA 23-11-16 4/6 Keith Memorial