'Preserved' WWI British officer found 90 YEARS ON
30th May 2005
The remarkably well preserved remains of a British officer, killed in one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War, have been discovered in the mud of Flanders.

The man, still wearing his gas cape, boots and helmet, was killed during the battle of Passchendaele almost 90 years ago.

A Commonwealth War Graves Commission team is due to arrive in Belgium today to help identify the Lancashire Fusiliers' officer, whose remains were found by archaeologists.

The officer, who was found on Friday, is one of more than 58,000 men who fought in the notorious Ypres Salient in Belgium during the Great War with no known grave. Some half-a-million allied soldiers died in the mud and blood of this sector of the western front before the assault intended to smash the German line was called off after four months.

The officer was apparently buried hastily, according to the man leading the archaeological team searching a railway embankment that cut through the British and German lines during the battle. Among items found on his body were a wallet containing a stamp and a silver case of cigarettes.

Franky Bostyn, curator of the Passchendaele Museum, said the man also had a wristwatch.

"He was in a shell hole wrapped in his gas cape and when we carefully removed that, we saw the whole body was completely preserved," he said. "He was not buried, just thrown in, but he had his full equipment on him."

The dense blue clay of Flanders is credited with preserving the soldier's equipment and personal belongings. Juergen Debeleye, the museum's deputy head of research, said: "The clay is a marvellous preservative. The buttons on his tunic shone like new and we could tell instantly what regiment he was with.

"This was a wonderful find. He even had his wallet with him, and a Bible was found near the body. He would have been buried very quickly. We hope to have an identity for the man soon.

"It will be wonderful to give a name to an unknown soldier, for his family to know he can at last be buried with full military honours."
update
I thought you may be interested in an update on the LF Officer recently discovered in a WW1 Battlefield.
The Officer found was 400 yards from Tyn Cot Cemetery which could only be the 3/5th Bn LF, we have narrowed it down to 3 0fficers:- 2nd Lt Tweedy, Townsend and Halsall. We believe its 2nd Lt Tweedy because some of the items found on him were from USA. His mother was from the USA and married an Englishman.
Commonwealth War Graves are researching that possibility, they tell us it will take months.
In any case there will be a Regimental Funeral even if the body remains unknown, he was certainly a Lancashire Fusilier.
None of the 3 Officer mentioned above have a known
graves all were listed missing later killed in action on the 9th October 1917 at Poelcapple.
DNA tests are being carried out at the moment

Below are Photos of items found with the remains

	A	B	C
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Foot Inspection-
3/5th Bn Turton 1914