Guidance

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.

• From: Ministry of Defence and Veterans UK
• Published: 26 September 2019
• Last updated: 22 April 2024 — See all updates

Our future services, current appeals and past cases

The following cases are planned to take place in May 2024:

14 May

• 15:30 – A rededication service for L/Cpl Edward Smith of the 1st Bn Northumberland Fusiliers who died on 7 December 1916. This service will be held at Courcelles-au-Bois Communal Cemetery Extension, France

15 May

• 10:30 – A burial service for Pte David Valentine Gemmell of the 1st Bn Black Watch, and an unknown Scottish soldier. The service will be held at Woburn Abbey Cemetery, France.

22 May

• 11:00 – A burial service for 2/Lt James Greenhalgh of 1st Bn Cheshire Regiment and two unknown soldiers. The service will be held at Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, France.

23 May

• 10:30 - A burial service for Pte Harry James Birtch of 16th Bn Cheshire Regiment and four unknown soldiers. The service will be held at Poelcapelle British Cemetery, Belgium.

Funeral Service, Crown Copyright, all rights reserved

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:

• Graves of five soldiers of the York and Lancaster Regiment identified on the Western Front

• Graves of two World War One soldiers identified in France

• Graves of lost World War One soldiers identified in Belgium

• Grave of Yorkshire Soldier identified in Belgium

• Grave of Derbyshire-born Royal Marine identified in the Netherlands

• Graves of two Glasgow soldiers rediscovered in Belgium

• Three Great War soldiers buried with full military honours in Belgium

• Graves of Two Scottish Soldiers Rededicated in France

• Remains of Coldstream Guards missing since 1944 found in France

• Grave of Wolverhampton soldier killed in Normandy during World War Two identified

• Graves of three comrades killed in Normandy following D-Day identified

• Three Great War soldiers buried in Belgium

• Three Great War soldiers buried in France

• Soldier killed on the Somme buried more than 100 years after his death

• Ceremony for World War 2 airman identified 83 years after fatal flight

• Remains of World War 1 airman finally identified

• World War 1 stretcher bearer buried in Belgium

• Graves of two soldiers of the Great War rededicated in France

• Soldiers who fell in France a generation apart honoured in graveside ceremonies

• Graves of two officers missing since 1918 rededicated in France

• Grave of a Worcestershire Soldier Identified in Belgium

• Graves of two soldiers killed in northern France rededicated

• Sheffield soldier of the Great War laid to rest 105 years after his death

• Graves of six Great War soldiers rededicated

• British airman laid to rest 78 years after fatal flight

• WW2 airman buried in the Netherlands

• WW2 burial in the Netherlands

• Unknown Grenadier Guard finally laid to rest

• Graves of two Royal Naval Division officers rededicated in France

• Seven soldiers of the Great War finally laid to rest

• WW1 Royal Air Force officer’s grave rededicated.

• Two Great War RAF officers’ graves rededicated.

• Graves of two Great War casualties finally rededicated.

• Unknown WW1 soldier identified as relative of poet Wordsworth.

• WW2 officer’s grave rededicated in France.

• Rededication services held in Belgium for Capt Hugh Travers, DSO, and Sjt Frederick Cardy.

• Rededication services in France for Lieutenant (Lt) Frederic Hornby Lever Rushton MC and Private (Pte) John Martin Roberts.

• Burial of Pte William Johnston and an unknown East Yorkshire Regiment soldier

• Blessing service in Italy for Flying Officer Arnold Hallas

• Unknown WW2 British Soldier buried in Italy.

• 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

• Find out who we are
• Find out what we do
• See our contact details

Published 26 September 2019
Last updated 22 April 2024 + show all updates

1. 22 April 2024

   Details of April Services removed. Details of May services added. Links to past services updated.

2. 22 March 2024

   Details of March 2024 services removed, and April 2024 services added

3. 6 February 2024

   Details of March 2024 services have been added.

4. 13 November 2023

   Note added that no further services are planned in 2023

5. 7 November 2023

   Update to the services of 8th and 9th November.

6. 2 November 2023

   Addition of link to latest commemorative service

7. 30 October 2023

   Links added to news stories about services in Belgium on 25 & 26 October 2023

8. 16 October 2023

   Added details of services in November 2023

9. 9 October 2023

   Details of service on 31 October 2023 added.

10. 6 October 2023

    Updated page with details of past services

11. 5 October 2023

    Links added for details of past services

12. 3 October 2023

    Details of the September services were removed and details of forthcoming services in October were added.

13. 18 September 2023

    Details of an additional blessing service added

14. 24 August 2023

    Added details of services in late September.

15. 21 August 2023

    Added details of services planned for mid-September

16. 2 August 2023

    Details of early September 2023 services included

17. 29 June 2023

    Update for September services.

18. 23 June 2023

    Added a link to the service held on 21 June 2023 in France

19. 21 June 2023

    Derails of service for 20 June 2023 included.

20. 2 June 2023

    Included an update to provide details of the services for June 2023

21. 26 May 2023

    Links to the three May services included.

22. 20 April 2023

    Details of this week's services have been moved from "Forthcoming Services" to "Past Cases" with links to news releases

23. 17 April 2023

    Details of 3 more burial/rededication ceremonies added.

24. 29 March 2023

    Future services removed/updated and details of March Services included in 'Our Past Services'.

25. 28 March 2023

    Updated with details of two past services from March 2023.

26. 13 March 2023

    Details of services on 18 and 19 April have been added.

27. 27 February 2023

    Details of three new rededication services added.

28. 20 January 2023

    Details of an appeal for family have been added.

29. 9 November 2022

    Included details of the services to be held on 17 November 2022.

30. 8 November 2022

    Details of rededication of a Sheffield solider being laid to rest 105 years after his death added to past services.

31. 24 October 2022

    Details of an additional service have been added. Details of "forthcoming services" have now been added to "past cases".

32. 30 September 2022

    Details of "forthcoming service" deleted and link to report added to "past cases".

33. 29 September 2022

    Details of additional services have been added. "Forthcoming services" which have now passed have been deleted and links to news items added.

34. 21 September 2022

    Details of "forthcoming services" that have happened have been removed.

35. 6 September 2022

    Details of further 4 services added.

36. 23 August 2022

    Details of forthcoming services added.

37. 20 July 2022

    Details of "Forthcoming case" changed to "Past Case"

38. 19 July 2022

    Details of two "forthcoming services" changed to "past cases" with link to news item.

39. 13 July 2022

    Details of forthcoming services added.

40. 30 June 2022

    Details of "forthcoming" services moved to "past" cases with link to news release.

41. 29 June 2022

    Details of "forthcoming" services moved to "past cases".

42. 22 June 2022

    Details of two services removed from "forthcoming" and transferred to "past cases" with associated link.

43. 21 June 2022

    Details of forthcoming services changed to past cases with links to news reports.

44. 20 June 2022

    Additional information on the service to be held at New Irish Farm cemetery on 30 June 2022.

45. 30 May 2022

    Details of rededication service moved from "forthcoming events" to "past cases".

46. 25 May 2022

    Addition of 3 more Forthcoming Services.

47. 19 May 2022

    Details of 2 rededication services have been moved from "future" to "past" events.

48. 19 May 2022

    Details of two rededication services moved from "forthcoming" to "past" services.

49. 9 May 2022

    Details of another 5 rededication services added.

50. 5 May 2022

    A "Forthcoming Service" has now become a "Past Service". Updated accordingly.

51. 29 April 2022

    Details of a "Forthcoming Service" now changed to "Past Case".

52. 28 April 2022

    Details of recent ceremony removed from "Forthcoming Services". Link added to details of news release.

53. 11 April 2022

    Details of "Forthcoming Services" for May 2022 published.

54. 7 April 2022

    Details of ceremonies that have now taken place have been removed from "Forthcoming Ceremonies" and moved to "Past Cases".

55. 28 March 2022

    Details of services that have now taken place have been removed.

56. 11 March 2022

    Details of "Forthcoming Services" now changed to "Our Past Cases".

57. 22 February 2022

    Details of 3 x April 2022 rededication services

58. 14 February 2022

    Details of 4 additional rededication services in Belgium on 22 March 2022.

59. 7 February 2022

    Adding details of an additional 5 rededication services

60. 24 January 2022

    Addition of forthcoming events

61. 14 January 2022

    Update to appeals section

62. 10 January 2022

    New appeal for WW1 casualty's family launched.

63. 18 November 2021

    Details of today's service removed and link to news release about it added.

64. 11 November 2021

    Additional information on forthcoming service.

65. 29 October 2021

    Details of completed services now deleted from Forthcoming Services section. Links to recent service reports added.

66. 19 October 2021

    Details of additional military funeral November 2021.

67. 6 October 2021

    Details of 3 more commemorative funerals published. Link inserted to "previous cases" to news item about Royal Flying Corps casualty.

68. 28 September 2021

    Removed details of ceremonial services that have now taken place.

69. 23 September 2021

    Change to COVID restrictions in France.

70. 21 September 2021

    Details of additional service uploaded.

71. 14 September 2021

    Statement regarding ceremonial burials - Autumn 2021

72. 11 May 2021

    Family appeal deleted as appeal has been successful.

73. 7 April 2021

    New appeal for family added and previous one deleted.

74. 24 February 2021

    Inserting corrected email address; DBS-MODWarDetectives@mod.gov.uk

75. 24 February 2021

    Added an appeal for family under the 'current appeals' heading.

76. 13 October 2020

    Notification of cancellation of the rest of 2020 burial and rededication ceremonies.

77. 5 October 2020

    Notification of further cancellations

78. 2 October 2020

    Deleting details of services that have had to be posponed.

79. 18 September 2020

    Changing calendar of events

80. 13 August 2020

    Details of additional ceremonies added

81. 7 May 2020

    Change to dates of when services may resume.

82. 16 March 2020

    Cancellation of all scheduled services due to COVID-19

83. 26 February 2020

    Changes to details of appeals and services.

84. 19 February 2020

    We have added details of additional services and appeals

85. 22 January 2020

    To add details of future services

86. 3 December 2019

    Deleted details of services that have now taken place,

87. 26 September 2019

    First published.