PRESS RELEASE : Graves of Six Great War Soldiers Rededicated [October 2022]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 20 October 2022.
The final resting place of six soldiers killed in World War One have been identified and now been honoured in Services of Rededication at their graves around Ypres in Belgium on 18 and 19 October.
The services were organised by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the ‘MOD War Detectives’, and were held at various Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cemeteries. The services were conducted by The Reverend Andy Nicolls, CF and attended by representatives from the current day equivalents of these casualties’ regiments (Royal Fusiliers, the Mercian Regiment, Royal Logistics Corps and the Royal Regiment of Scotland).
Details of the six soldiers who have been identified:
Name Place of Birth Regiment Age at time of death
Second Lieutenant Frank Wood Royton, Oldham, Lancashire 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers 19
Private Thomas Parry Tyldesley, Leigh, Lancashire Kings Own Scottish Borderers 19
Private David Christie Graham Angus, Scotland 8th Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) 20
Second Lieutenant Herbert Ernest Martin Peterborough, Cambridgeshire 16th (attached 1st/8th) Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) 22
Corporal Gilbert (Bert) Willcocks Taunton, Somerset Army Service Corps 24
Corporal Herbert Pearce Kent 4th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 26
Louise Dorr, MOD JCCC case worker said:
“Our thanks go to several of our regular researchers, who have investigated these six graves and been able to prove who is buried in each of them. Thanks to their efforts we have been able to confirm their findings and return these soldiers’ names to them.
“I’m so honoured to have been able to be here to rededicate their final resting places.”
Although some of soldiers’ families live overseas or have been unable to attend, family members for Second Lieutenant Wood and Private Parry were in attendance. Each of these soldiers has also been well represented by their military family on behalf of a grateful nation.
The headstones over their graves will be replaced by CWGC as part of the rededication.
Director for the Central and Southern European Area at the CWGC, Geert Bekaert, said:
“We are privileged to be able to honour these six brave men, who all paid the ultimate sacrifice fighting in the Great War. Thanks to the research and work of many, we are able to renew our commitment to care for these soldiers’ graves, in perpetuity”
