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TRH pay tribute to WWI soldiers finally being laid to rest in France

18th July 2010

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall today paid tribute to the last of the 250 British and Australian soldiers who were laid to rest with full military honours in Fromelles, France after their bodies were found in mass graves in 2008.

The Prince of Wales walked behind the coffin of an unidentified soldier which was carried through the village on a First World War military wagon pulled by horses from the Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery.

The unnamed soldier was just one out of more than 1,500 Britons and 5,000 Australians whose bodies were dumped in one of four mass graves by German soldiers.

His Royal Highness joined the Governor-General of Australia, Her Excellency Quentin Bryce, in the walking procession to the Commonwealth cemetery specially created to give the 250 men their last resting place.

The Duchess of Cornwall was also present in the audience, while The Prince made a speech to honour the fallen soldiers.

“In laying this last hero to rest, we honour them all,” His Royal Highness said to the ceremony attended by hundreds of family members of those servicemen who died in the Battle of Fromelles.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” The Prince added, “I am profoundly humbled by the outstanding bravery of these men who fought so valiantly in the indescribable mud and carnage, many thousands of miles from their families and from their homes.

“Today we honour and commemorate these young soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we might live in peace and so that our children and grandchildren might learn the lessons from both devastating world conflicts.”

The cemetery is the first Great War cemetery to be built for 50 years.

Fromelles was silent during the service, its streets packed with locals and visitors who stood to pay tributes to the fallen soldiers.

Read The Prince of Wales's speech at Fromelles.