Hill 80 soldiers buried at Wytschaete Military Cemetery

A burial service was held today, 10 October, for thirteen First World War soldiers at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) Wytschaete Military Cemetery, near Ypres, Belgium.

These soldiers were some of the 110 found during a crowdfunded archaeological excavation at the former site of Hill 80 in Wytschaete.

The casualties were interred in three coffins, with three CWGC headstones marking their collective final resting places. Two coffins each contained one unknown soldier with a third containing the partial remains of 11 unknown individuals. In keeping with burial tradition, the casualties were interred together, ensuring that those who served and died together, are buried and commemorated together.

Victoria Wallace, Director General CWGC said:

“It is always moving and a real privilege to attend reburials. And it’s a credit to the team who excavated Hill 80 that they have recovered these men at last, who will now be laid to rest with former comrades and cared for in perpetuity by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It is sad that the men cannot be identified individually, but they will never be forgotten, by their nation, or by the people of Flanders who always show such respect for our war dead.”

The archaeological project, ‘Dig Hill 80’, excavated 550 metres of trenches and 430 bomb craters, recovering 110 soldiers including British, French, German and South African. Dig Hill 80 was highly publicised at the time, attracting international media attention and celebrity patronage from comedian Al Murray and support from military historian, Dan Snow.

The event was conducted by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) and attended by CWGC Director General Victoria Wallace, representatives from the Ministry of Defence and the armed forces, as well as members of the 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers who formed the bearer parties and a firing party.