Bedfordshire soldiers laid to rest on the Western Front
Private (Pte) George McIntosh, from Ilford, Essex, buried in France on 20 October 2026 alongside an unknown soldier. Identification was made through DNA testing nearly 110 years after Pte McIntosh went missing in action during the Great War.
The Reverend Fiona Beale CF conducts the service (Crown Copyright)
Pte George McIntosh, of 8th Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment, was laid to rest in France on 20 October 2026 alongside one of his comrades, at a burial service organised by MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the ‘War Detectives’. The service took place at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) Loos British Cemetery Extension.
The coffin of Pte McIntosh is carried to the graveside as his family looks on (Crown Copyright)
JCCC Caseworker, Rosie Barron said:
It has been an honour to have met Pte McIntosh’s family today and to have seen him laid to rest alongside his comrade. His family has travelled a long way to be here, and this shows the depth of what these men still mean to their families even 110 years on. Their sacrifice and commitment to the cause of obtaining freedom and peace must never be forgotten.
Pte McIntosh and the unknown soldier were some of around 100 sets of British and Canadian remains recovered during the construction of a hospital on the outskirts of Lens. They are the final British casualties from that site to be laid to rest. DNA testing, coordinated by JCCC, confirmed the identity of Pte McIntosh. Work continues to identify the unknown Bedfordshire Regiment soldier.
Ten members of Pte McIntosh’s family attended the burial service including his great nephew, Jeff MacIntosh, who had travelled from the North Carolina, USA to be in attendance. It was Jeff who had provided the DNA sample that made identification of Pte McIntosh possible.
Jeff MacIntosh, great nephew of Pte McIntosh said:
The work that JCCC and CWGC do is simply remarkable. While we knew that we had a great uncle George MacIntosh we knew very little about the details of his life and death in WW1. The work of JCCC in connecting George to us via DNA has allowed us to explore his life, what his loss meant to his mother and family, as well as gain a better understanding of the horrors of WW1. Our family sincerely thanks JCCC for the work that you all do. His story has now been shared with our entire clan, and we are honoured to be in attendance at the ceremony.
Pte George McIntosh was born in 1883 in Ilford, Essex to Scottish parents. He grew up in Barnet. Before enlisting into the Army, he worked as a gardener and a florist. Having enlisted, Pte McIntosh was posted to 8th Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment.
The Battle of Arras started on 9 April 1917. Following the successful capture of the high ground at Vimy Ridge by Canadian forces, the Douai Plain was open to the Allies. On the morning of 18 April 1917, 8th Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment found themselves south of Loos-en-Gohelle. They moved into the frontline and spent the next two days fighting over the location where the new hospital is being built. It was during this fighting on 19 April 1917 that Pte McIntosh was killed. He was 34 years old. It is highly likely that the unknown Bedfordshire Regiment soldier was also killed during this period. As they were missing, both men would have been commemorated on the Loos Memorial.
The coffin is lowered to the grave (Crown Copyright)
The service was supported by serving soldiers from The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment and The Regimental Band and Corps of Drums of The Royal Welsh and was attended by staff of The Royal Anglian Regiment Headquarters. The service was conducted by the Reverend Fiona Beale CF, Chaplain to 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.
Reverend Fiona Beale CF said:
It is a privilege and an honour to be chosen to conduct the burial of Pte George McIntosh and this unknown soldier—known only to God—both of The Bedfordshire Regiment. The mere anticipation of standing before these World War 1 heroes’ final resting places brought an overwhelming wave of profound gratitude and solemn reverence.
The graves of both men will now be cared for by the CWGC in perpetuity.
David Royle, Recoveries and Ceremonies Manager at the CWGC, said:
> Nearly 110 years after they fell in action, and less than a mile from where they were recovered, it is a privilege to lay these two Bedfordshire Regiment soldiers to rest with the care and dignity they deserve. We are proud to have worked alongside the JCCC to restore Private George McIntosh’s name, and although the identity of the second soldier remains known only unto God, he is no longer lost or forgotten. Both men now rest among their comrades ensuring future generations can pay their respects and remember their stories in perpetuity.