Six Scottish soldiers buried in France 108 years after their deaths
MOD War Detectives used DNA evidence to identify two of the fallen, four remain unknown though one was identified as having served with the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders whilst the other three likely served with the Gordon Highlanders.
The headstones for Private Brock, Private Todd and their four comrades (Crown Copyright)
Relatives gathered in France today to witness the burial with full military honours of two Scottish soldiers of World War 1 and four of their unknown comrades.
Soldiers from 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland bore the soldiers to the graveside (Crown Copyright)
Private (Pte) George Fleming Brock and Pte Percy Todd, both 11th Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, were laid to rest alongside four unknown soldiers 108 years after they were killed in action during the German Spring Offensive in 1918.
Pte Brock of Dunipace, West Falkirk, was serving an architectural apprenticeship with the Stirling firm of Messrs Bruce & Livingston when he enlisted in June 1916. Only a month after joining the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders in France, he was seriously wounded by gunshot and spent several months recuperating in hospital.
He rejoined the battalion in January 1918. Two months later the Germans launched a huge offensive on the Western Front. On 28 March 1918, Pte Brock’s battalion were holding positions in the area of Tilloy-les-Mofflaines, when they were overwhelmed by intense bombardment. It was on this day that Private Brock lost his life, aged just 19.
Pte Todd of Radford, Nottinghamshire, was a draper’s manager at Bryan’s Drapery in Isleworth, London, when he enlisted in November 1915. He was living with his wife, Alice, who he had met eight years earlier at work. Pte Todd was also seriously wounded shortly after joining the battalion, on the first day of the Battle of Arras in 1917. After a long recovery, he rejoined his battalion in February 1918, but lost his life less than two months later during the German Spring Offensive, on 5 April 1918.
In 2023, during an archaeological survey on a site in Tilloy-les-Mofflaines the six men were recovered. Found with them were a variety of artefacts, including regimental insignia from the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, and from the Gordon Highlanders. After extensive historical research and DNA testing, two of these casualties were identified as Private Brock and Private Todd. The two men were buried alongside four others who could not be identified.
The military party, families of the Pte Brock and Pte Todd, and local standard bearers at the graveside (Crown Copyright)
The service was organised by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the ‘MOD War Detectives’ who work to identify the recovered remains of British military casualties.
Nicola Nash, MOD War Detective said:
Private Brock and Private Todd have both been buried today 108 years after they were killed. With half a million British servicemen still missing from World War 1, every identity we make is a huge achievement. It has been a real privilege to give closure to their families and lay these heroes to rest with honour.
David Royle, Recoveries and Ceremonies Manager at CWGC, said:
For 108 years, these six men lay where they fell on the battlefield. It is a privilege and a source of great pride for the CWGC to have recovered them and worked alongside the JCCC in the effort to restore their identities. While four of these soldiers sadly remain unidentified, they are not forgotten. We will care for their graves, and for those of Private Todd and Private Brock, in perpetuity, ensuring that future generations have opportunity to honour and remember their sacrifice.