Extension of Pas-de-Calais Commonwealth Military Cemetery is Inaugurated with Ceremony

Princess Anne attended the Loos-en–Gohelle Commonwealth Military cemetery extension ceremony at the end of September.

For only the second time since the end of World War II, a new Commonwealth military cemetery in France has been built to provide a final resting place for the hundreds of British, Indian and Canadian soldiers who died in the Battle of Loos (25 Sept.- 8 Oct. 1915) and Battle of Lens (15-25 Aug. 1917) and whose remains are being found during construction work of Lens hospital in northern France. 

HRH The Princess Royal, president of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), together with Dame Menna Rawlings, British ambassador to France, Geoffrey Mathon, mayor of Loos-en-Gohelle, and other officials paid their respects at the formal opening of the Loos British Cemetery extension on 26th September with the burial of the remains of two unknown Scottish soldiers. 

The UK’s Ministry of Defence Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the “War Detectives”, were able to establish that thus far 48 separate sets of remains have been found on the hospital construction site. Although many Scottish Regimental artefacts were found, including kilt pins, regimental buttons and shoulder titles, individual casualties could not be accurately identified. 

The headstones of the two unknown soldiers, like those of the 46 others already buried privately earlier this summer in the new extension and 2,000 of the 2,800 in the adjacent cemetery, are engraved simply with “Known Unto God” and, in cases where their regiment is known, that is also inscribed.  

One of the two unknown soldiers was identified by clothing as a Black Watch soldier and so it was soldiers of 3 Scots Black Watch Battalion who carried the caskets. The religious service was conducted by Reverend David Anderson CF, the Senior Chaplain of HQ 51 Infantry Brigade.  

Tracey Bower, head of commemoration with the JCCC, told France Today that despite DNA testing by specialised laboratories “the soil where these remains were found is quite contaminated by mining and other industrial activities so no exploitable DNA was found in the remains which is why we’ve not been able to identify the individuals.” 

Given the intensity of the WWI battles in Northern France, it is normal practice before any digging begins anywhere to have a demining company come and clear the area first. Alexia Clark, another War Detective said it was such a demining company that found the first remains on the Lens Hospital construction site.  

Security was very tight for the event in Loos-en-Gohelle, a town of 7,000 inhabitants just north-west of Lens, with streets closed off, an overhead drone scanning the area, sniffer dogs and armed gendarmes. The latter appeared to be observing their Scottish counterparts in full Highland dress somewhat enviously!  

François Maréchal, the Loos deputy mayor in charge of urbanism, explained that the town had owned the property next to the old Loos British military cemetery and had sold it to the French Defence Ministry which, in turn, has conceded it in perpetuity to the CWGC. But Stephan Naji, head of the CWGC’s recovery unit, specified with a laugh that “contrary to a popular myth, the land of all our cemeteries remains French so you can’t seek refuge in them if you’re trying to escape French law!” 

As work continues on the hospital and begins on digging the 185km long Canal Seine-Nord Europe from Compiègne to Aubencheul-au-Bac it is expectd that up to 1,000 casualties will be found of soldiers who lost their lives on these major battlefields of WWI and WWII. 

In July 2010 Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Cemetery, west of Lille, was the first new Commonwealth military cemetery to be built since WWII. It has 250 graves.