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New exhibition tells story of fallen of Fromelles and first new war cemetery in 50 years

News Release issued by the COI News Distribution Service on 22 June 2010

An exciting new exhibition, organised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which tells the story of 250 First World War soldiers recovered from a mass grave in northern France in 2009 will open at the Imperial War Museum London on 1 Jul 2010.

Remembering Fromelles: A New Cemetery for a New Century charts the construction of the Commission's new Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, the first to be built in 50 years, and explains the fascinating story of how 250 Australian and British soldiers came to be found, excavated and then reburied in a fitting and final resting place.

Using artefacts found at Fromelles, personal recollections of those who worked on the project and photographs from each stage of the recovery process, the exhibition charts the construction of the cemetery and sheds new light on a forgotten story of the First World War.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Fromelles Project Manager David Richardson said: "This has been an incredible project to work on over the past two years. The building of a new Commission cemetery is something I never thought I would see, but as it nears completion, its tranquil beauty is, I believe, the finest honour we could have paid these men."

Remembering Fromelles: A New Cemetery for a New Century also details the painstaking and complex work to identify the soldiers. Many of the DNA testing techniques, which were used alongside historical and archaeological evidence, have set new standards in the field of forensic investigation.

The exhibition opens as the Fromelles project reaches its conclusion, with the dedication of the new Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery taking place on 19 July 2010. Echoing the traditional design of cemeteries built after the Great War, this new cemetery will give the soldiers of Fromelles the dignity in death denied to them for nearly a century.

Helen Steed, a relative of one of those soldiers identified at Fromelles said: "I have been overwhelmed by the determination shown by so many people to recover my grandfather and his comrades, and have them properly buried in a new, purpose-built Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery."

The exhibition, which is free of charge to visit, runs until January 2011. It is accompanied by a book of the same title which serves as a commemorative publication to these men and the sacrifice which they made.

For further information, please contact the Commission's PR & Media Manager Ranald Leask


To view the pictures that accompany this release, please follow the link below;

http://nds.coi.gov.uk/Content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=414009&NewsAreaID=2&ClientID=430

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Notes for Editors

1. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is responsible for marking and maintaining the graves of those members of the Commonwealth forces who died during the two world wars, for building and maintaining memorials to the dead whose graves are unknown and for providing records and registers of these 1.7 million burials and commemorations found in most countries throughout the world. For more information visit www.cwgc.org

2. The press view for the exhibition, which will be officially opened by the President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, HRH The Duke of Kent, on the evening of 30 June 2010, will take place on 30 June from 10am until 1pm. In addition to representatives of the CWGC and archaeologists and DNA experts who have worked on the project, relatives of some of the Fromelles soldiers will be attending and available for interview. The exhibition opens to the public on 1 July 2010 and runs until January 2011. Admission is free.

3. High resolution images of the work being done at Fromelles and of artefacts recovered there can be obtained by visiting www.fromelles.org and going to the "image library". A photo of Corporal Frank Steed, grandfather of Helen Steed, who is quoted in this release, is attached. Corporal Steed, who served with the Australian Infantry was 33 when he died on the 20th of July 1916 at the Battle of Fromelles. Helen Steed lives in Canterbury, UK.

4. The opening of the exhibition takes place just a few weeks before the official opening of the new cemetery at Fromelles on 19 July 2010. The dedication of Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery will include the burial of the last of the 250 Australian and British soldiers found at the Pheasant Wood site. This event is open to the public and information on ticketing can be obtained by visiting www.cwgc.org/fromelles

5. The London branch of the Imperial War Museum explores how the history of modern conflict affects us all, from the front line to the home front. Exhibits range from tanks and aircraft to photographs and personal letters; they include film and sound recordings and some of the twentieth century's best-known paintings. Visitors can explore six floors of exhibitions and displays, including a permanent exhibition dedicated to the Holocaust and a changing programme of special temporary exhibitions.

Imperial War Museum London, Lambeth Road, London, SE1 6HZ
Open daily 10.00am - 6.00pm except 24, 25 and 26 December. Last admission 5.45pm
Public Enquiries + 44 (0)20 7416 5000
Press enquiries +44 (0)20 7416 5497

Contacts:

NDS Enquiries
Phone: For enquiries please contact the above department
ndsenquiries@coi.gsi.gov.uk

Ranald Leask
Phone: 01628 507204
ranald.leask@cwgc.org