Guidance

MOD War Detectives (the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre Commemorations team): our future services, current appeals and past cases

Find out about future services and what current appeals are ongoing.

From:
Ministry of Defence and Veterans UK
Published
26 September 2019
Last updated
18 June 2024 — See all updates

Our future services, current appeals and past cases

The following cases are planned to take place in June & July 2024:

18 June

  • 2pm – A burial service for an unknown British soldier of an unknown regiment. The service will be held at Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, France.

19 June

  • 10.30am – A burial service for an unknown British soldier of an unknown regiment. The service will be held at Serre Road Cemetery No. 2, France

20 June

  • 10.30am – A burial service for 12 unknown British soldiers and officers of the Suffolk Regiment, Royal Fusiliers and unknown regiments. The service will be held at Wancourt British Cemetery, France.

2 July

  • 10am – A rededication service for L/Cpl Arthur Dowding of 1st Bn Monmouthshire Regiment who died on 3 October 1918. This service will take place at Bellicourt British Cemetery, France.

  • 3pm – A rededication service for 2/Lt Noel Osborne-Jones, 2/Lt Herbert Taggart and Pte Lionel Grove of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, who all died on 8 May 1916. This service will take place at Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery, France

3 July

  • 10.30am – A rededication service for Capt. Clifford Nichols of 5th Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers (attached to the 164 Coy Machine Gun Corps) who died on 31 July 1917. This service will take place at Bedford House Cemetery, Belgium.

  • 3pm – A rededication service for Pte George Montague Price of 5th Bn South Wales Borderers who died on 2 October 1917. This service will take place at Chester Farm Cemetery, Belgium.

9 July

  • 10.30am – A rededication service for CQMS John Doherty MM of 1st Battalion The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, who was killed in action on 22 March 1918. This service will be take place at Savy British Cemetery, France.

10 July

  • 10.15am – A rededication service for Serjeant Laurence Connell MM of 1st Battalion The Royal Dublin Fusiliers, who was killed in action on 5 October 1918. This service will take place at Dadizeele New British Cemetery, Belgium.

  • 11.15am – A rededication service for Second Lieutenant Joseph Bryson MC att. 9th Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers, who was killed in action on 6 October 1918, and Second Lieutenant William Cunningham att. 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers, who was killed in action on 1 October 1918. This service will take place at Dadizeele New British Cemetery, Belgium.

  • 3pm – A rededication service for Private William McCann of 1st Battalion The Royal Dublin Fusiliers, who was killed in action on 21 October 1918. This service will take place at Stasegem Communal Cemetery, Belgium.

11 July

  • 10.30am – A rededication service for Corporal Edward Doyle, Private Bertie George Reynolds MM, Lance Corporal James Edward Freer and Lance Corporal George Washington of 1st Battalion The Royal Dublin Fusiliers, who were killed in action on 28 and 29 September 1918. This service will take place at Hooge Crater Cemetery, Belgium.

  • 2.30pm – A rededication service for Captain Valentine Knox Gilliland of 2nd Battalion The Royal Irish Rifles, who was killed in action on 7/8 May 1918. This service will take place at Divisional Collecting Post Cemetery and Extension, Belgium.

Funeral Service, Crown Copyright, all rights reserved

Appeals for family

There are no appeals outstanding at this time.

Our Past Cases

Details of some of the MOD War Detectives’ past cases can be found below:

Published 26 September 2019
Last updated 18 June 2024 + show all updates

  1. Details of past service removed Time of service on 20 June changed Details of July services added Link to news story for recent service added

  2. More detail has been added about the soldiers being buried on 20 June

  3. Details of the May services were removed as they have now passed. Details added of forthcoming services in June. Links to more past cases added.

  4. The service for Pte Birch on 23 May 2024 has been cancelled and therefore details were removed from this page.

  5. Details of April Services removed. Details of May services added. Links to past services updated.

  6. Details of March 2024 services removed, and April 2024 services added

  7. Details of March 2024 services have been added.

  8. Note added that no further services are planned in 2023

  9. Update to the services of 8th and 9th November.

  10. Addition of link to latest commemorative service

  11. Links added to news stories about services in Belgium on 25 & 26 October 2023

  12. Added details of services in November 2023

  13. Details of service on 31 October 2023 added.

  14. Updated page with details of past services

  15. Links added for details of past services

  16. Details of the September services were removed and details of forthcoming services in October were added.

  17. Details of an additional blessing service added

  18. Added details of services in late September.

  19. Added details of services planned for mid-September

  20. Details of early September 2023 services included

  21. Update for September services.

  22. Added a link to the service held on 21 June 2023 in France

  23. Derails of service for 20 June 2023 included.

  24. Included an update to provide details of the services for June 2023

  25. Links to the three May services included.

  26. Details of this week's services have been moved from "Forthcoming Services" to "Past Cases" with links to news releases

  27. Details of 3 more burial/rededication ceremonies added.

  28. Future services removed/updated and details of March Services included in 'Our Past Services'.

  29. Updated with details of two past services from March 2023.

  30. Details of services on 18 and 19 April have been added.

  31. Details of three new rededication services added.

  32. Details of an appeal for family have been added.

  33. Included details of the services to be held on 17 November 2022.

  34. Details of rededication of a Sheffield solider being laid to rest 105 years after his death added to past services.

  35. Details of an additional service have been added. Details of "forthcoming services" have now been added to "past cases".

  36. Details of "forthcoming service" deleted and link to report added to "past cases".

  37. Details of additional services have been added. "Forthcoming services" which have now passed have been deleted and links to news items added.

  38. Details of "forthcoming services" that have happened have been removed.

  39. Details of further 4 services added.

  40. Details of forthcoming services added.

  41. Details of "Forthcoming case" changed to "Past Case"

  42. Details of two "forthcoming services" changed to "past cases" with link to news item.

  43. Details of forthcoming services added.

  44. Details of "forthcoming" services moved to "past" cases with link to news release.

  45. Details of "forthcoming" services moved to "past cases".

  46. Details of two services removed from "forthcoming" and transferred to "past cases" with associated link.

  47. Details of forthcoming services changed to past cases with links to news reports.

  48. Additional information on the service to be held at New Irish Farm cemetery on 30 June 2022.

  49. Details of rededication service moved from "forthcoming events" to "past cases".

  50. Addition of 3 more Forthcoming Services.

  51. Details of 2 rededication services have been moved from "future" to "past" events.

  52. Details of two rededication services moved from "forthcoming" to "past" services.

  53. Details of another 5 rededication services added.

  54. A "Forthcoming Service" has now become a "Past Service". Updated accordingly.

  55. Details of a "Forthcoming Service" now changed to "Past Case".

  56. Details of recent ceremony removed from "Forthcoming Services". Link added to details of news release.

  57. Details of "Forthcoming Services" for May 2022 published.

  58. Details of ceremonies that have now taken place have been removed from "Forthcoming Ceremonies" and moved to "Past Cases".

  59. Details of services that have now taken place have been removed.

  60. Details of "Forthcoming Services" now changed to "Our Past Cases".

  61. Details of 3 x April 2022 rededication services

  62. Details of 4 additional rededication services in Belgium on 22 March 2022.

  63. Adding details of an additional 5 rededication services

  64. Addition of forthcoming events

  65. Update to appeals section

  66. New appeal for WW1 casualty's family launched.

  67. Details of today's service removed and link to news release about it added.

  68. Additional information on forthcoming service.

  69. Details of completed services now deleted from Forthcoming Services section. Links to recent service reports added.

  70. Details of additional military funeral November 2021.

  71. Details of 3 more commemorative funerals published. Link inserted to "previous cases" to news item about Royal Flying Corps casualty.

  72. Removed details of ceremonial services that have now taken place.

  73. Change to COVID restrictions in France.

  74. Details of additional service uploaded.

  75. Statement regarding ceremonial burials - Autumn 2021

  76. Family appeal deleted as appeal has been successful.

  77. New appeal for family added and previous one deleted.

  78. Inserting corrected email address; DBS-MODWarDetectives@mod.gov.uk

  79. Added an appeal for family under the 'current appeals' heading.

  80. Notification of cancellation of the rest of 2020 burial and rededication ceremonies.

  81. Notification of further cancellations

  82. Deleting details of services that have had to be posponed.

  83. Changing calendar of events

  84. Details of additional ceremonies added

  85. Change to dates of when services may resume.

  86. Cancellation of all scheduled services due to COVID-19

  87. Changes to details of appeals and services.

  88. We have added details of additional services and appeals

  89. To add details of future services

  90. Deleted details of services that have now taken place,

  91. First published.

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