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From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The remains of six British soldiers, including Pvt. Thomas Whitaker, were identified and honored with new headstones at a memorial service in Belgium.
  • A postcard found with Whitaker's remains was crucial in identifying him and reuniting distant branches of his family.
  • The soldiers, all from the 2/4 Battalion Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment, died on the Western Front during World War I.

A century after their deaths on the Western Front, six British soldiers have been laid to rest with new headstones in Belgium, their identities confirmed through archival research and DNA analysis.

At peace in foreign hills, he finally drifts away to sleep, his mind on Bradford mills.

— Joe WhitakerReading a poem honoring his great-great-uncle, Pvt. Thomas Whitaker, at the memorial service.

The memorial service at Tyne Cot Cemetery honored soldiers including Pvt. Thomas Whitaker, whose remains were discovered with five comrades during an excavation. A postcard found with Whitaker's effects proved instrumental in establishing his identity, linking his family to previously estranged relatives.

The thought that (Thomas) might have been thinking of home, comforted by this postcard that he kept on him from Bradford, we were all quite taken aback by that.

— Joe WhitakerReflecting on the significance of the postcard found with his relative's remains.

Joe Whitaker, a descendant, read a poem honoring his great-great-uncle, reflecting on the soldier's connection to home. "The thought that (Thomas) might have been thinking of home, comforted by this postcard that he kept on him from Bradford, we were all quite taken aback by that," Joe Whitaker said.

And then actually when we looked at the missing list and went, ‘Oh we have got one from Bradford! Great, there’s a strong chance that he is going to be one of them.’

— Alexia ClarkA commemorations case worker at the UK Ministry of Defense’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre, describing the breakthrough in identification.

UK Ministry of Defense's Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre researchers, dubbed "war detectives," used the postcard and other artifacts like a Lewis Gun and uniforms to narrow down the missing soldiers. DNA analysis confirmed the identities of Whitaker and five others: Privates Horace Frederick Cook, Frederick Martin, Charles Richard Russels, Courtney Darvill Hart, and Joseph Turnley, all of the 2/4 Battalion Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment.

Just a privileged to be laying a relative of ours to rest, to watch, to be present and then to be passed the flag... it was the greatest treasure actually.

— Paul TurnleyOn receiving a folded British flag in honor of his relative, Pvt. Joseph Turnley.
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Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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