Dedication of the New Cemetery
The sun shone over the purpose-built Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery as over 5500 people witnessed the burial of the 250th soldier recovered at nearby Pheasant Wood in 2009.
Her Excellency, Ms Quentin Bryce AC, Governor General of Australia, HRH Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales, government representatives and relatives watched on as soldiers from the Australian and British Armies laid the final soldier to rest.
View the Ministerial release
or view the full gallery of photos below.
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Fromelles Museum
The local Fromelles Musuem in the town is unfortunately not open on 19 July 2010 but will be open on 20 July from 0930-1130 and from 1430- 1630.
Normal opening times are 1000-1200 and 1400-1800 on the second Sunday of each month.
Principles of Official Commemoration
Australia's war dead from the Great War 1914-1918 are commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). The casualties recovered from the mass burial site at Pheasant Wood will be permanently commemorated by the CWGC in the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery.
Since its inception in 1917, the CWGC has followed the principles of equality and uniformity in the official commemoration of war dead. In practical terms the principles mean:
- each of the war dead is commemorated individually by name, on either a grave headstone (or headstone plaque), or an inscription on a Memorial to the Missing;
- headstones and memorials are maintained in perpetuity;
- inscriptions on headstones and memorials are uniform in content; and
- there is no distinction in style of commemoration made on the basis of military rank, civil rank or wealth of the veteran or his family.
The CWGC cemeteries and Memorials to the Missing in 150 countries around the world are the tangible expression of these principles.
The Australian casualties buried at Pheasant Wood will have been listed by the CWGC as having no known grave, and accordingly they are currently commemorated by name on the Memorials to the Missing at VC Corner Australian Cemetery or the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux.
When casualties recovered from Pheasant Wood are identified, a headstone, inscribed with the following information will be provided:
- service badge (In the case of Australians, this will be the Rising Sun AIF Badge);
- name (initials and surname);
- rank;
- unit;
- date of death;
- age (optional);
- religious emblem (optional); and
- a personal inscription chosen by relatives (optional).
In due course, the name of each identified casualty will be removed from the Memorial to the Missing where it is now found as the casualty will finally have a known grave.