MOD War Detectives (the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre Commemorations team): our future services, current appeals and past cases
Find out about future services and what current appeals are ongoing.
Upcoming Services:
Tuesday 6 October
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11am - A rededication service for Private Sidney Allen of the 7th Battalion Hampshire Regiment who was killed in action on 15 February 1945. This service will take place at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany.
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2pm – A rededication service for Lance Corporal Ronald Smirthwaite of the Hallamshire Battalion, The York & Lancaster Regiment who was killed in action on 22 February 1945. This service will take place at Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Netherlands.
Wednesday 7 October
- 11am – A rededication service for members of the crew of Lancaster PD374: Flying Officer Leslie Markland Hough RAAF, Pilot Officer John Henry Tales RAFVR, Sergeant Henry Charles Burnside RAFVR and Sergeant John Lawson RAFVR who were killed in action on 8 December 1944. This service will take place at Venray War Cemetery, Netherlands.
Tuesday 13 October
- 2pm – A burial service for Lance Corporal Claude Stanley Dell of 5th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, who was killed in action on 25 April 1915. This service will take place at Poelcapelle British Cemetery, Belgium.
Wednesday 14 October
- 2pm – A burial service for an unknown soldier of the West Yorkshire Regiment. This service will take place at Serre Road No. 2 Cemetery, France.
Tuesday 20 October 2026
- 1pm – A burial service for Private George McIntosh of 8th Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment, who was killed in action on 19 April 1917, and an unknown soldier of The Bedfordshire Regiment. This service will take place at Loos British Cemetery Extension, France.
Wednesday 21 October 2026
- 11am – A burial service for Private Percy Tolliday of 11th Battalion The Middlesex Regiment, who was killed in action on 4 October 1916, and 2 unknown soldiers. This service will take place at Warlencourt British Cemetery, France.
We usually post details of our services here and to our Facebook page (MOD War Detectives) around one month in advance.
Appeals for family
There are no appeals outstanding at this time.
Our past cases
Details of some of the MOD War Detectives’ past cases can be found below:
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Grave of Guilford soldier missing since 1918 identified - GOV.UK
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Grave of Angus soldier missing since 1918 identified in Belgium - GOV.UK
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World War One soldier laid to rest on the eve of the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme
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Graves of missing World War One soldiers identified in Belgium
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Three soldiers killed during the First World War laid to rest
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Unknown Lanarkshire soldier of World War Two named following new research
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Graves of two unknown World War One Officers named 111 years after their deaths
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Graves of two missing Lance Corporals from World War One identified in Belgium
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Grave of Great War soldier from Hampstead identified - GOV.UK
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Graves of two Midlands soldiers of World War One identified in France
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One of the first ‘unknown’ British soldiers of World War 1 identified in Belgium
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Graves of three previously unknown World War 1 soldiers identified in Belgium
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Graves of lost World War 1 Marines identified in France and Belgium
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Graves of missing Bedfordshire Officers identified in Belgium
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First World War soldier from Haslingden buried in France - GOV.UK
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Four First World War soldiers from Grimsby buried in France - GOV.UK
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British and German soldiers of the Great War laid to rest together near Ypres - GOV.UK
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Three members of RAF Lancaster Crew buried in the Netherlands - GOV.UK
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Scottish soldiers buried in France on the 110th anniversary of their deaths - GOV.UK
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Eight British soldiers of the Great War laid to rest in France - GOV.UK
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Two World War One Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders commemorated in France - GOV.UK
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Grave of missing World War One soldier identified in France - GOV.UK
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Soldier of the Highland Light Infantry Rededicated in France
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Grave of missing World War One Captain identified in Belgium
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Windsor soldier of World War One buried with full military honours
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‘Unknown’ soldier’s grave identified 107 years after his death
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Grave of Missing Windsor Soldier of World War One Identified in Belgium
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Grave of lost Scottish soldier of World War One identified in France
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Grave of missing World War Two soldier identified in Italy 80 years after his death
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Grave of missing soldier identified in Belgium nearly 110 years after his death
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Graves of two World War 1 officers of The Royal Irish Fusiliers identified
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Grave of Donegal soldier identified in France more than 100 years after his death
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Graves of six soldiers of Welsh regiments identified on Western Front
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Officer of the Cheshire Regiment killed in World War One laid to rest in France
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Graves of five soldiers of the York and Lancaster Regiment identified on the Western Front
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Grave of Derbyshire-born Royal Marine identified in the Netherlands
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Three Great War soldiers buried with full military honours in Belgium
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Remains of Coldstream Guards missing since 1944 found in France
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Grave of Wolverhampton soldier killed in Normandy during World War Two identified
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Graves of three comrades killed in Normandy following D-Day identified
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Soldier killed on the Somme buried more than 100 years after his death
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Ceremony for World War 2 airman identified 83 years after fatal flight
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Graves of two soldiers of the Great War rededicated in France
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Soldiers who fell in France a generation apart honoured in graveside ceremonies
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Graves of two officers missing since 1918 rededicated in France
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Graves of two soldiers killed in northern France rededicated
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Sheffield soldier of the Great War laid to rest 105 years after his death
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Graves of two Royal Naval Division officers rededicated in France
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Unknown WW1 soldier identified as relative of poet Wordsworth.
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Rededication services held in Belgium for Capt Hugh Travers, DSO, and Sjt Frederick Cardy.
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Burial of Pte William Johnston and an unknown East Yorkshire Regiment soldier
- Graves of Rifleman (Rfn) Albert George Sleet, Lieutenant (Lt) Wilfrid Ashton Piercy and Serjeant (Sjt) James Gration DCM rededicated in France.
- Graves of 2Lt Sam Hughes and CSM David Jones DCM rededicated in northern France
- Final resting place of Yorkshire Regiment soldier identified more than a century after his death
- Nine soldiers of the Great War buried a century after their deaths
- WW1 soldier identified by his medal ribbons laid to rest in the presence of his family
- Two unknown soldiers of the Great War finally buried
- Royal Flying Corps Observer’s grave finally identifed
- British soldiers killed during WW2 are honoured as they are laid to rest
- Services held for 2 Welsh brothers in arms killed during the Great War
- Grave of Royal Welsh Fusilier identified a century after his death in the Great War
- Family of World War 1 soldiers attend their relatives’ funeral a century after they gave their lives.
Related information
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