WWI bodies to be buried separately

The bodies of Australian and British soliders who were killed in the Battle of Fromelles will be exhumed and reburied in individual plots in a cemetery nearby.

Up to 400 soldiers are thought to be buried in the graves, which were discovered by Glasgow University’s Archaeological Research Division in June.

More than 7,000 troops were killed, injured or missing following the Battle of Fromelles which took place between July 19-20, 1916.

More than 5,000 of those who died in the overnight battle, intended to divert German troops away from the Battle of the Somme, were soldiers in the Australian Imperial Force.

Australian historian Ross McMullin has described the battle as “the worst 24-hours in Australia’s entire history”.

UK veterans minister Derek Twigg said the bodies would be buried in a new cemetery on the site, or as close as possible to the original grave.

"It is right and proper that those brave men who lost their lives at Fromelles are buried with the honour and dignity befitting their ultimate sacrifice," he said in a statement.

"The new cemetery will be a lasting tribute to their bravery and a place of pilgrimage for families who lost a relative in the battle. It will ensure the memory of their actions lives on for future generations."

Farmer Marie-Paule Demassiet-Beaussart, who owns the land where the graves were situated has said she is prepared to donate it and allow the cemetery to be built.

Photo: Australian soldiers waiting to attack during the Battle of Fromelles.
Only three of the men in the photo survived and they were wounded.