Eleven Australian service members killed during World War I and long commemorated as unknown soldiers have been formally identified through DNA analysis, archaeological investigations, and historical research, according to Europesays.
The Unrecovered War Casualties team, the Office of Australian War Graves, and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission coordinated the identification effort alongside French authorities and independent researchers. Relatives of the fallen personnel also contributed to the search.
The newly named personnel served across various infantry, machine gun, and medical units of the Australian Imperial Force:
- Private Roy Hawkins, 3rd Battalion AIF, of Armidale, New South Wales (Europesays)
- Sergeant Charles Henry Nicholls, 46th Battalion AIF, of Ballarat, Victoria (Europesays)
- Lieutenant Howard Victor Morey, 58th Battalion AIF, of Lilydale, Victoria (Europesays)
- Lieutenant John Maher Lyons MC, MM, MSM, 17th Battalion AIF, of Randwick, New South Wales (Europesays)
- Lieutenant Andrew Anderson, 7th Australian Machine Gun Company AIF, of Bundaberg, Queensland (Europesays)
- Second Lieutenant James Albert McMichael, 37th Battalion AIF, of Melbourne, Victoria (Europesays)
- Private Thomas Easton, 30th Battalion AIF, of Adamstown, New South Wales (Europesays)
- Corporal Harry Maitland Whiteoak, 2nd Australian Field Ambulance AIF, of Preston, Victoria (Europesays)
- Private George Laban Lupson, 2nd Australian Field Ambulance AIF, of Fremantle, Western Australia (Europesays)
- Private James Campbell, 2nd Australian Field Ambulance AIF, of Queenstown, Tasmania (Europesays)
- Lance Corporal Alexander Joseph Jack, 2nd Australian Field Ambulance AIF, of Brunswick, Victoria (Europesays)
Among those named in the findings is Lieutenant Andrew Anderson, who passed away at the age of 23 on September 20, 1917, during the Battle of Menin Road near Ypres, having previously lived through major World War I engagements at Gallipoli and the Western Front, such as Bullecourt, Mouquet Farm, and Pozieres. Fellow soldiers originally buried him near Westhoek under a wooden cross.
In March 1919, an unknown soldier’s remains were recovered from almost the same location for reinterment at Hooge Crater Cemetery. The original burial registration record contained the note Anderson on shirt
, though his identity was not established at the time.
An independent researcher connected that archive record to Lieutenant Anderson in 2020 and passed the findings to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Unrecovered War Casualties team. One hundred and nine years after his death, his headstone at Hooge Crater Cemetery can be replaced to commemorate him by name.
The naming of these individuals was unveiled by federal authorities for Remembrance Day, commemorating the 108th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that brought the hostilities to a close. Defence Minister Richard Marles noted that Lieutenant Anderson was his great-uncle.
Like so many Australian families, we’ve carried the story of a relative who served their country and never came home,
Minister Richard Marles
Mr Marles added that the identification was deeply personal
for his family.
His story is a reminder of the sacrifice made by a generation of Australians whose service continues to shape our nation. We are proud to remember that sacrifice this Remembrance Day.
Minister Richard Marles
Veterans’ Affairs Minister Matt Keogh stated that the identification of these soldiers killed in action across France and Belgium would provide long-awaited answers for families who have experienced generations of uncertainty.
The identification of these soldiers who were killed in action across France and Belgium will provide long-awaited answers for families who have experienced generations of uncertainty,
Minister Matt Keogh
Mr Keogh said, Our commitment to this ongoing work is the ultimate expression of the timeless adage — Lest we forget.