The graves of soldiers from Cornwall, Hull and East Kilbride whose names were unknown when they were buried in Belgium have now been identified, rededicated and their headstones inscribed.
The rededication services for Lance Corporal (LCpl) James Ball Baron MM, LCpl Samuel Chapman and Second Lieutenant (2ndLt) Hugh Barr were held at Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Tyne Cot Cemetery and Zantvoorde British Cemetery.
The services were organised by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the ‘War Detectives’ and were attended by serving soldiers of The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment and The Royal Yorkshire Regiment. The Machine Gun Corps Association also participated in the services.
The men’s bodies were recovered after the war and buried as unknown soldiers: LCpls Baron and Chapman in Tyne Cot Cemetery and 2ndLt Barr at Zantvoorde British Cemetery. Since they were missing, they were commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
Their graves were recently identified after researchers submitted cases to CWGC hoping to have identified their final resting places. Further research by the National Army Museum and JCCC confirmed their findings.
JCCC Caseworker, Rosie Barron, said:
“It has been an honour to have been involved in the organisation of these rededication services and to have joined the family of LCpl Chapman, their military family and the local community in Ypres in remembering these 3 men. The memory of each of these men has now been passed through generations of their families and they are all still fondly and proudly remembered.”
