WAR GRAVES

Otago Witness, Issue 3523, 20 September 1921, Page 19

WAR GRAVES

EXHUMATION TO CEASE. LONDON, September 12. It is authoritatively stated that the War Office has decided to discontinue the exhumation of graves on the French and Flemish battlefields on September 30. Neither Australia, New- Zealand, nor Canada was a party to this decision, as the matter is entirely within the discretion of the Imperial authorities. It is estimated that there are in France and Flanders 125,000 bodies not recovered, including 11,000 Australians. Exhumation would probably take years, while identification would become increasingly difficult each year. It is understood that Air Hughes and the commonwealth military authorities are anxious to continue exhumation ; but this is impossible without Imperial co-operation. It is believed that if the dominions jointly appeal to the Imperial authorities the latter may be induced to continue exhumation for at least another year.

DIFFICULTY OF IDENTIFICATION. LONDON, September 13. The Imperial authorities proposed to discontinue the exhumation last March of bodies of soldiers buried in French and blemish battlefields, but yielding to pres- j sure from the dominions agreed to con- i finite till September. Each mouth fewer ; identifiable bodies have been recovered, f because the means of identification have decayed. If exhumation were postponed the position would be practically the same two years hence, except that identification would be increasingly difficult. The suggestion that civilians should receive a bonus on each body recovered after tin military withdrawal failed to obtain the ! approval of the dominions. The War j Office is pledged to the French Govern- j ment to clear the battlefields at the ! earliest possible date to enable civil recon- J stvucticn to proceed, hence the desire to j discontinue the work of exhumation as j early as possible. The commonwealth j authorities state that the Australian fataiities were 45.000. About 32.000 bodies have been recovered, including 26,509 identified and 6000 reinterred in cemeteries unidentified, leaving 12.500 still i missing. j