Page 260 - The Bugle 2018

Reburial of remains found near Gravelle on 15 March 2018 at Orchard Dump
The remains proved to be a member of TDLI but were not positively identified
Reburied as “An Unknown Soldier of The DLI” by Revd John Swanson
Reburial at Orchard Dump Cemetery, Arleux-en-Gohelle, France
After the Edmundson interment, the entire burial detail assembled the following day (Thursday 15th March 2018) at Orchard Dump CWGC in order to conduct a burial service for the remains found near Gravelle. In this case items found on the body included a D.L.I. cap badge, a ‘T7’ badge, horse shoe pendant, general service buttons, tin opener, British boot, French bullet, pen knife, small metal tin and some dentures. The National Army Museum advised JCCC that the remains were of a soldier from 7th Battalion D.L.I. and it was thought that he had died in September 1918. The Battalion War Diary confirms they were in the area of Gravelle at that time but doesn’t provide any detail of soldiers killed during that month. Unfortunately Durham County Record office were also unable to help in the identification and despite exhaustive efforts including DNA the remains could not be positively identified and thus were buried as ‘An Unknown Soldier of the Durham Light Infantry’. At the same service the remains of an unknown member of the Bedfordshire Regiment was also interred. A Bedfordshire Regimental cap badge having been found on the remains and it is thought he died in the Battle of Gravelle in April 1917.
Two unknown soldiers from WWl are laid to rest side by side in Orchard (OD7) Dump CWGC Cemetery
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