Over the past ten days, experts from all the involved countries quietly excavated the remains of 22 soldiers who fought during World War I in Ypres, Belgium, according to Het Nieuwsblad. Dozens of personal and military objects were also unearthed during the operation.
The bodies of the 22 soldiers were handed over to the police and will be entrusted to the War Heritage Institute (WHI), Het Nieuwsblad reported. Once the soldiers are identified in their country of origin, they will receive a final resting place at a military cemetery in Flanders.
The remains were found on a field next to the Palingbeek golf club in Ieper, a site located directly on the front line of the First World War. In 2022, a Flemish archaeological research team conducted a preliminary investigation on the field and discovered the remains of fallen Allied and German soldiers, including heavily mutilated remains mainly of Germans.
"We found the heavily mutilated remains of mainly Germans back," said Bert Heyvaert from Archeologie Monument Vandekerkckhove. "It seems that in the chaos of the fighting there was little or no time to bury them," he added, according to Het Nieuwsblad.
In addition to the remains, the archaeologists uncovered traces of bunkers, trenches, personal items, military objects, and railway lines. Based on the initial finds, the archaeologists suspect that the majority of the victims are Germans, although French and Commonwealth soldiers were probably also among them.
Between 1914 and 1917, both the Allies and the Germans hid in trenches in this area, just a few hundred meters from each other. The field's location directly at the front line explains the presence of the remains and artifacts.
To further investigate the site, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) was contacted. The CWGC decided to start a joint excavation with Flemish Minister of Immovable Heritage Ben Weyts, the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge, and the French Direction de la mémoire, de culture et des archives.
"Since the Second World War, it is almost unprecedented that such an international group jointly carries out excavations and thereby keeps the memory of the war victims alive," said Ben Weyts, Flemish Minister of Immovable Heritage. "Flanders played a crucial role as a coordinating and guiding force in this unique international cooperation," he added.
"In our neighboring countries, such a joint operation is almost impossible. We can be proud that this has succeeded," Weyts commented.
Mayor Katrien Desomer (Team Ieper) reflected on the significance of the findings. "These excavations contribute to the historical awareness and commemoration of the fallen, and remind us of the many thousands of unknown soldiers of the First World War who were never identified or are still missing," she said. "They not only provide insight into the past but also give relatives the opportunity to commemorate their loved ones and visit their final resting place," Desomer added.
"The landscape in Ieper and the Westhoek is now more than ever the last witness of the First World War," the mayor stated.
Rich Hills, Director of Commemorations at the CWGC, expressed his gratitude for the collaborative effort. "The CWGC is very grateful to its international and local partners, and in particular to the heritage authorities in Flanders, for their invaluable assistance throughout the process of this recovery project," he said. "This project sets an example for possible future excavations in the region," Hills added.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.