Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I rise to make a ministerial statement on the progress of the project which is currently underway in Fromelles, France. The project involves the meticulous excavation and identification where possible of the remains of up to possibly 300 Australian and British soldiers who will be re-interred in a new Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery with full military honours. The new cemetery will be known as the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery.

The Battle of Fromelles took place on 19 to 20 July 1916 and was the Australian forces’ first major action on the Western Front. The attack itself was meant to be a strategic distraction. It was meant to prevent the German forces reinforcing their line on the Somme, some 100 kilometres south of Fromelles. The battle included the Australian 5th Division, British 61st Division and 6th Bavarian Reserve Division.

In total, 5,533 Australians were tragically recorded as killed, wounded or missing over just a 24-hour period of the battle. The terrible loss of Australian soldiers stands the Battle of Fromelles in the position of the worst 24 hours in our military history. The British 61st Division reported 1,547 killed, wounded and missing, while the German casualties were estimated at fewer than 1,000.

The real tragedy of the Battle of Fromelles is that it need not have been fought at all. It was no more than a diversionary attack for the Somme offensive raging to the south.

In 2007 a previously undiscovered site thought to contain up to 400 World War I Australian and British soldiers was discovered in Fromelles, France. The discovery was the result of considerable research and effort by amateur historian, Mr Lambis Englezos, a retired school teacher from Melbourne, Australia. I would like to put on the record that the Australian government greatly appreciates the efforts of Mr Englezos, without which, I think it would be fair to say, this discovery would not have been made. For his efforts in this regard, Mr Englezos was awarded an AM, Member of the Order of Australia, in the 2009 Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Countless other generous individuals volunteered a significant amount of their time and effort in making this discovery, and to them I also say on behalf of the government that we are extremely grateful.

Following their discovery and discussions conducted between the Australian and United Kingdom governments, it was jointly announced that, with the support of the French government, a project to recover and re-inter the soldiers would be commenced. The Fromelles project aims to give the soldiers who lost their lives a dignified final resting place. This will require the excavation, recording, recovery and analysis of the remains of the soldiers buried at Pheasant Wood, Fromelles.

Before I outline some of the specifics of the project, I would like to outline to the House the governance arrangements that apply to this important project. Firstly, it is important to emphasise that this is a joint project between our government and the government of the United Kingdom. The project requires coordination between the French, Australian and British governments, the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence, the Australian Department of Defence, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the people of Fromelles.

The Australian government involvement in the project includes elements of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Office of Australian War Graves and the Australian War Memorial, and the Department of Defence. Within my department, the project is represented by the Australian Fromelles Project Group (ASFPG). This group is a team of Australian Department of Defence members headed by Major General Mike O’Brien. The team includes both uniform and civilian members and is coordinated by the Australian Army under the guidance of the Chief of Army. The UK government involvement in the project is represented by the Ministry of Defence, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel) Pensions, Compensation and Veterans. The relevant minister for this department is the Under Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Veterans, Mr Kevan Jones MP.

On behalf of the two governments the day-to-day management of the sensitive recovery operation is contract managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. As I think a number of members would be aware, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission are responsible for providing and maintaining the graves of members of Commonwealth forces who died during the two world wars. They build and maintain memorials to the war dead whose graves are unknown and provide records and registers of approximately 1.7 million burials and commemorations of Commonwealth forces across the globe. For this project, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is also responsible for construction and ongoing maintenance of the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Cemetery.

Oversighting the project as a whole is the Fromelles Management Board. This board is co-chaired by representatives of the UK Ministry of Defence and the Australian Defence Force on behalf of their respective governments. Its membership includes representatives from the Australian and British governments and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which acts as prime contractor for both governments and is located in London.

I would now like to turn to the excavation of the soldiers. After the initial discovery of the site in 2007, limited excavation of the site took place in late May and early June last year to confirm the presence of human remains and to determine the quantity and condition of remains across the entire site. The Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD) undertook this excavation and reported back to the governments with their findings. They were able to uncover the presence of human remains at that time, estimate that approximately 400 remains were present and confirm that both British and Australian soldiers were buried at the site. We are very grateful for their contribution to the project.

The excavation of the soldiers from the eight located burial pits commenced in May this year. The work is being conducted by a company called Oxford Archaeology. I would like to say a few words about the selection of Oxford Archaeology to conduct their excavation operations as there has been some extremely inaccurate media representation of their contract. The choice to engage Oxford Archaeology was an international decision, reached using an open and transparent tender process that was in accordance with Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines. This decision was based upon their ability to meet all the requirements of this unique operation. Oxford Archaeology is one of the largest independent archaeology and heritage practices in Europe with nearly 400 specialist staff, and permanent offices in Oxford, Lancaster, Cambridge and Montpellier, France. Oxford Archaeology’s recovery plan and pricing structure included all the necessary services, infrastructure and personnel to undertake the Fromelles Project. They began excavation in May of this year and are currently conducting a very comprehensive and delicate operation to exhume the remains of both Australian and British soldiers. They have been methodically undertaking the archaeological excavation of the sets of remains layer by layer in each grave with due care and process and the operation is being fully documented in accordance with world’s best practice.

I can advise the House that as of last night our time, 214 sets of remains have now been exhumed from the mass graves. As I noted in a recent media statement, the total number of remains expected to be buried in this location has been revised down from the initial estimate of 400 to 300, with the possibility that less than 300 remains will be recovered.

I can also advise the House that a number of artefacts have been recovered so far including train tickets, books, buttons, military webbing, a gas mask and an Australian Army ‘Rising Sun’ badge. I saw a photographic image of one of the train tickets—I think it was a Perth to Fremantle ticket.

I can also advise the House that work is complete on seven of the eight burial pits at Pheasant Wood. The last burial pit to be excavated, burial pit 5, is well underway. It is anticipated that archaeological excavation work will be complete in four to six weeks depending on the number of remains that are found in burial pit 5.

I would now like to address the question of water management at the site as this has also been the subject of some adverse media comment. One of the primary issues associated with the site, and which has been known since the limited excavation of the site that was conducted by GUARD in 2008, is the management of water levels within each of the eight burial pits. As part of their water management strategy, Oxford Archaeology’s proposal included a detailed site layout inclusive of pumps and drainage systems. Oxford Archaeology has a robust plan for water management on the site, I am advised, and has been carefully executing this plan to ensure the integrity of the archaeological excavation.

Two main methods were also proposed and subsequently employed following advice from experts engaged by Oxford Archaeology to advise on water management techniques. These were the excavation of sumps adjacent to burial pits and construction of drainage ditches connecting the pits to the sumps. These measures were taken by Oxford Archaeology to ensure that every possible effort was being made to ensure that no remains were compromised at any time. I am aware that a minor delay was caused by very heavy rain in late May of this year, but the programmed recovery operations remain on the agreed schedule and the Fromelles Management Board reported that no remains or artefacts were compromised by the weather event.

I would also like to advise the House that the work at Fromelles is subject to periodic quality assurance checks conducted by an independent specialist adviser. These reports indicate that the project will be completed to schedule and to the highest applicable standards.

I would now like to turn to the second element of the project which is the attempted identification of the recovered soldiers’ remains. When the excavation began, the Australian and British governments announced that LGC Forensics had won the contract to conduct a DNA pilot study, to test a sample of the remains being excavated for viable DNA. LGC Forensics is a world leader in DNA analysis. They are the largest independent supplier of forensic services to the criminal justice system in England and Wales, supporting law enforcement agencies including police forces and non-police organisations.

LGC Forensics was contracted in June 2009 to complete the work at Pheasant Wood through a competitive select tender process. This process complied with Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines and their bid met the required standard for this part of the project. DNA operations have been underway since 9 May 2009 with the pilot DNA project.

In parallel with the DNA pilot project, LGC Forensics have been collecting DNA samples from every set of remains that pass through Oxford Archaeology’s on-site temporary mortuary. Upon announcement of the full DNA project on 10 August 2009, LGC Forensics has commenced transporting all available DNA samples to the UK. Remaining samples will be obtained as the final skeletons are excavated. Additionally, within Oxford Archaeology’s on-site laboratories full anthropological analysis has been completed for the remains from three of the graves. That equates to 104 soldiers having been analysed. Of these, I can advise the House that the overwhelming majority are Australian.

Testing of soldier samples for the full DNA project is commencing at LGC Forensics’ London based laboratory at the end of this month. The DNA contract is in place for a five-year period. This period allows the bulk of potential matches to be made before March 2010 when a joint identification board will sit to identify as many of the soldiers as possible and give them the dignity of a named headstone, with further matches attempted until 2014 should other descendants become aware of a family connection. To ensure the highest possibility of an identification a cross-section of bones are being tested for viable DNA samples. This includes load bearing bones—which is a term that refers to the major bones of the skeleton that carry the weight of the body. These include the femur, or vertebra.

I am advised that the success of finding viable DNA is less dependent on the bone and more dependent on the site. There are very site-specific conditions that determine which bones are the most likely to return viable DNA samples. These include environmental conditions and the time since death. A number of other bones are also being tested during this process, including smaller bones such as hand bones and even teeth. LGC have also introduced a process where they decalcify the samples. This allows the calcium present in the bones to be removed, thus dissolving the bone but not the DNA. The decalcification process releases more DNA compared to just grinding, resulting in better profiles for sampling.

It is hoped that through this exhaustive process the highest possibility of returning viable DNA will be obtained and will ultimately assist in the difficult and complex identification process. I am advised that the estimate for useable samples currently stands at approximately 70 per cent, with a real possibility for this to increase during the project. Of course, DNA analysis is only one element of the complex identification process. All available anthropological, archaeological and historical information will also be considered. Further assisting the identification process is the fact that almost all of the remains recovered so far have had artefacts of significance in close proximity to them.

To provide a relevant testing sample, the Australian Army has established a database to collect information from people whose relatives may be among the 1st Australian Imperial Force soldiers buried at Pheasant Wood. This database currently holds contact details for 1,438 relatives of those with no known grave thought to have been killed at Fromelles. The Australian Army is keeping those on this list regularly updated on progress. I would encourage all people who believe their relative may be buried at Fromelles and who have not done so already to register their details at the Army website, www.army.gov.au/fromelles, or by calling 1800 019 090.

Despite the good work in this area, it should be noted that, while we are hopeful that collection of DNA will allow the identification of some of our soldiers, an unfortunate reality is that our chances of doing so still remain quite low. This is due to the complex nature of the identification process. Another unfortunate fact is that some family lines will not be traceable by DNA due to broken lineage along the maternal and paternal lines. This is unavoidable and irreversible. I have spent some time on the identification process due to the fact that there has been some erroneous reporting about it.

In March next year, a joint identification board will consider all available evidence to determine whether the identity of any remains can be determined. The joint identification board will be co-chaired by senior officers from the Australian Defence Force and the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence. Evidence considered by the board may include documents held in archives or by relatives, personal dossiers, anthropological analyses and proof of scientific matching with living relatives. After the joint identification board has finished its deliberations, positive identifications will be announced publicly once next of kin have been notified. The joint identification board will meet on an as required basis after March 2010 to consider unresolved identifications and allow for new evidence to be considered.

The remains of the soldiers will be permanently laid to rest with full military honours in individual graves at the new Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is responsible for the construction and ongoing maintenance of the cemetery. Construction commenced on the new cemetery on 17 May 2009 and is scheduled to be 70 per cent completed by December 2009. Commencement of the burials is scheduled at the end of January 2010 and will continue until the end of February 2010. The final 30 per cent of the cemetery will be constructed from early March 2010, after the reinterment operation, and will be completed before a commemorative event that has been planned for July 2010. The event is being planned to coincide with the 94th anniversary of the Battle of Fromelles on 19 July 2010. Family members as well as the general public will be invited to participate.

All of the soldiers will be buried initially without a named headstone. If we are fortunate enough to identify any of the soldiers, the families will be given the opportunity to add a personalised inscription to the headstone. When identification is not practical, the headstone will be that of an ‘Unknown Soldier of The Great War’. Where possible, this will record the force in which the soldier served. For example, if artefacts are discovered with a particular set of remains which confirm the force with which the soldier was serving, they will be given a headstone designating them as a British or Australian soldier. When a previously unknown soldier is identified, it is normal practice for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to change the headstone to that of a known soldier. This process will also apply to any soldiers interred at the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery whose remains are identified after they have been reinterred.

Before I conclude I would like to outline some of the costs of the project, as there has again been media reporting on this issue and I want to ensure that the full information is on the record. Australia and Great Britain have agreed to share equally the cost of all combined aspects of the project. This includes the costs of joint research, investigation of DNA samples, excavation of the site, reinterment of remains and funerals, and any commemorative events. Funds to meet the Australian government’s costs for the Fromelles project were forecast by the Australian Army in previous years and will be accommodated within the Australian Defence budget. Defence’s share of costed activities for the Fromelles project is forecast at $6.2 million. Construction of the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery will cost approximately €900,000. This cost is met by the member countries of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The government firmly believes that we owe it to the soldiers and their families to ensure that this operation is conducted thoroughly and properly and is appropriately resourced.

In conclusion, the Australian government is committed to ensuring that the recovery of these remains is conducted in a professional and sensitive manner. It is essential that the appropriate respect and reverence is paid to these men in all steps of the exhumation and reinterment process. Unfortunately, there has been some doubt cast on the operation of this project due to some ill-informed media reporting and speculation. To inform media of the progress of the project, a media open day will be held at the Fromelles site for international media today European time. A number of experts will be made available at the site to answer any media questions. The government will also be providing regular public updates whenever it can and is already regularly updating the Army’s Fromelles website with information as it becomes available. However, I can assure the House that, on all available advice the government has received, whether it is from my department, the Fromelles Management Board, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission or independent experts overseeing the project, the project is being conducted in a very professional and dignified manner. I thank the House.

Mr Deputy Speaker, I ask leave of the House to move a motion to enable the member for Greenway to speak for 23 minutes.

Leave granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent Mrs Markus speaking for a period not exceeding 23 minutes.

Question agreed to.

Louise Markus (Greenway, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science for his very comprehensive statement today. I rise to respond to Minister Combet’s statement on the progress of the project underway in Fromelles, France. The project is the excavation of the remains of up to 300 Australian and British soldiers from World War I who will be reinterred in the new Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery, which will be known as the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery. This is more than just a project; it is a quintessential story of Australia and our Anzac tradition. I speak today about the closing chapter of a story that started more than 90 years ago.

The Battle of Fromelles was the first battle fought by the Australians on the Western Front and the first battle for the 5th Division. The doomed attack at Fromelles on the night of 19 July 1916 proved also to be the most costly battle fought by Australians during the First World War. Tragically, there were 5,533 members of the Australian 5th Division recorded as killed, wounded or missing. Our allies, the British 61st Division, reported 1,547 killed, wounded or missing. German casualties were estimated at fewer than 1,000. The disaster at Fromelles was not the worst in Australia’s military history but it was the worst 24 hours in Australian history. The 5,533 casualties were suffered in just one night. The Australian toll at Fromelles is equivalent to the total Australian casualties of the Boer War, Korean War and Vietnam War put together.

The Battle for Fromelles began 19 days after the opening of the Somme campaign. This was not coincidental as, according to British official history, the purpose of the Battle of Fromelles was to prevent the Germans thinning out their forces from areas of the front not heavily engaged and using them to reinforce the Somme front 80 kilometres to the south. The battle occurred in northern France just south of Armentieres. The most prominent feature in this area, Aubers Ridge, was a major terrain feature which the British tried to capture in two vicious battles during 1915. In this part of France, the low-lying land and very high water table made the ground boggy and any diggings quickly filled with water—a relevant point for today’s statement.

As shadow minister for veterans’ affairs I had the honour to visit Fromelles in November last year. I saw firsthand the challenge faced by our men and the nature of the terrain. My grandfather fought at Gallipoli and on the Western Front, and my family was fortunate that he returned safely to Australia, although he was never the same and he mourned the loss of many of his mates. Fromelles was a tragedy that shaped our country. Families lost loved ones: sons, brothers, husbands and fathers—a generation almost wiped out overnight. Many at home in Australia were left to grieve and wonder how life might have been. Many families have had to live without knowing the final resting place of their loved one, and this indeed impacts on families to this day. Many of those killed in the battle could not be accounted for at the time. Historians have long speculated that up to 400 of the missing were recovered by the Germans in the days following the attack and buried behind the lines.

The story remained unfinished for many decades. This is an Australian story and we do not give up easily. Lambis Englezos from Melbourne opened the page. In 2002, following a visit to the Fromelles battlefield, Lambis began his investigation that would eventually lead to the recovery operation taking place at Pheasant Wood. He compared the lists of Australian missing from the battle with the numbers of unidentified Australian soldiers recovered from the battlefield and buried in cemeteries in the surrounding area. Lambis found a substantial shortfall: more than 160 men were unaccounted for. He could not believe that the bodies of these men had simply disappeared; they must still be there, undiscovered, close to the place where they had died.

Painstaking research began. Lambis hunted down information, followed possible leads and references and attracted support for his view that a significant number of Australian and British dead had been buried, as believed, by the Germans after the battle. Evidence from First World War Red Cross records held by the Australian War Memorial, references in German regimental histories and aerial photographs taken before and after the battle showed what might be burial pits behind the German lines at Pheasant Wood. The evidence was of sufficient interest for the Australian Army to convene a panel of the Army History Unit in 2005 to consider the claims. The panel was not yet convinced.

In the summer of 2005 Lambis met British historian Peter Barton, who was on a lecture tour in Australia. Peter was co-secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary War Graves and Battlefields Heritage Group and suggested that the Bavarian regimental archives might hold crucial evidence. A request was sent off to Munich for a check to be made in any files with a reference to Fromelles. It was more than a year before the response came back, but with it was a copy of a document dated 21 July 1916 and written by Julius Ritter von Braun—the colonel commanding the Bavarian 21st Reserve Infantry Regiment—ordering the construction of mass graves for up to 400 ‘English’ soldiers behind Pheasant Wood. This document tipped the balance.

In Australia the Army History Unit reconvened. In London, Peter Barton presented the case to the All Party Parliamentary War Graves and Battlefield Heritage Group, bringing in British interest. If the Pheasant Wood mass graves contained as many as 400 bodies and only 160 of them were Australian, the rest must be British. Finally, in 2007, agreement was reached that there were burials made at Pheasant Wood. Lambis’s hunch and Australia’s tenacious spirit ensured that this Australian story continues.

Minister Combet has sought to assure the relatives of the Australian soldiers killed during the Battle of Fromelles that the recovery and reinterment of the remains of their long-lost family members is being carried out appropriately. It is important to acknowledge that there are strong and sincerely held views from various sections of the community in relation to the activity at Pheasant Wood. Some believe that the remains of the soldiers should be left in peace; however, many people think it is absolutely appropriate to ensure that proper burials take place for those who gave their lives for our nation. This certainly would enable and facilitate closure for family members.

Media stories first appeared in early July about concerns over the process being carried out in France. It was, and is, troubling to hear reports of possible complications with the project. It was not surprising that this generated concern among relatives. I have spoken at length to a number of families, and to one woman in particular who was hopeful that her great-uncle may be identified. Her fear was that the lost diggers would remain just that, lost to their nation and their families. I hope that her fears will not come to fruition. Today’s comments by the minister are heartening.

The common position of everyone involved is that the experts at Oxford Archaeology must carry out their work with the utmost care and caution. Minister Combet’s clarification that the choice to engage Oxford Archaeology was an international decision reached using an open and transparent tender process that was in accordance with Commonwealth procurement guidelines is appreciated today. The recovery of soldiers’ remains should be treated sensitively and cannot be rushed under any circumstances. It is critical that families of the fallen have complete confidence in the process. I expect the government to keep Australians fully informed and I am heartened to hear the minister’s comments today regarding what is happening at Fromelles. I will be receiving a briefing from the minister tomorrow on the progress of the project and I appreciate his and his office’s willingness to work together with regard to this.

In closing, I wish to remind the House that the Australian and British remains at Pheasant Wood represent the lives of real people, with life stories, who form a part of our combined history. The Army is particularly interested in hearing from relatives of those soldiers they have yet to have contacts for. There is a list on the Fromelles website and I mention a couple: Private James Leslie Holmes of the 54th Battalion and Lance Corporal Harold Thompson Smith of the 8th Field Company.

The story is ongoing and the last chapter is still to be written. As explained today, there are extensive and challenging DNA investigations to be done before any headstones can be engraved at the new cemetery. There is also anthropological, archaeological and historical information to be considered. What started in the beginning of the last century, long before the discovery of penicillin and men walking on the moon, will be aided by the finest science of the 21st century. I look forward with all Australians to being able to commemorate the Battle of Fromelles when all chapters of the Fromelles story will be able to be told—and hopefully brought to some completion—on the 94th anniversary in July 2010. Only then will these lost diggers rest in peace. Lest we forget.