Three Great War Soldiers Buried in France
More than a century after his death, Private (Pte) Joe Stevenson, a 34-year-old soldier from Framlingham in Suffolk, has finally been laid to rest with full military honours alongside an unknown soldier from his regiment, and another unknown British soldier.
Artefacts recovered with the casualties that helped with research and identification. (Crown Copyright)
The service, organised by the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the ‘MOD War Detectives’, was held at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) Brown’s Copse Cemetery, Roeux, France yesterday 21 June 2023.
Their unidentified remains were discovered after construction work in 2018 in the village of Fampoux, France. Along with the remains, they discovered various regimental insignia of the King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment and a partial ID tag bearing the name “Stevens…”.
JCCC research and DNA testing identified one set of remains as Pte Stevenson: reported missing on 10 April 1917 at the beginning of the Battle of Arras. With no remains recovered at the time of his death, he was commemorated on the Arras Memorial. Despite extensive additional testing, the other two men were not able to be identified so have been buried as unknown soldiers, one of them being linked to King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment.
Nicola Nash, JCCC case lead said:
Although it was disappointing to not name all three men, we are thrilled to finally lay Pte Stevenson to rest. The Battle of Arras is best known for the action at Vimy Ridge. But just a few miles down the line, during the British capture of the village of Fampoux, Pte Stevenson and these two unknown soldiers tragically lost their lives. Today, we honour their sacrifice and pay tribute to their memory”.
Members of the 1st Battalion, Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment travelled from Cyprus to lay their comrades to rest.
Members of the 1st Battalion, Duke of Lancaster Regiment who supported the burial ceremony (Crown Copyright)
Kingsman Cumming, 1st Battalion, Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment said:
It was an honour to take part in this burial. Seeing the huge numbers that died was very humbling. This will stand out as one of the highlights of my career.
The service was conducted by the Reverend Paul Van Sittert, 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment.
The Reverend Van Sittert said:
It has been a humbling experience for all of us that have been part of these burial services remembering those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. For me, it has been an incredible privilege and honour to have played a part. So many have paid the ultimate price, named and unnamed, yet their sacrifice will not be forgotten. We will remember them.
Last post is sounded (Crown Copyright)
The graves of Pte Stevenson and the two unknown soldiers will now be cared for in perpetuity by CWGC. Head of Commemorations Casework at the CWGC, Mel Donnelly, said:
It is our privilege to be part of this journey in identifying Pte Stevenson, to learn more about his story and the sacrifice he made during the First World War. Although it has not been possible to identify two of his comrades, we will care for their graves with the dedication and respect they deserve, at Brown’s Copse Cemetery.