The Ministry of Defence's 'War Detectives' team (more formally the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre Commemorations team) undertake ceremonies for the re-burial or re-dedication of servicemen who were killed in the Great War. The ceremonies planned for July 2024 are as follows:
Tuesday 2 July
10am – A rededication service for L/Cpl Arthur Dowding of 1/Monmouthshire Regiment who died on 3 October 1918. This service will take place at Bellicourt British Cemetery, France.
3pm – A rededication service for 2/Lt Noel Osborne-Jones, 2/Lt Herbert Taggart and Pte Lionel Grove of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, who all died on 8 May 1916. This service will take place at Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery, France
Above: Bellicourt British Cemetery
Wednesday 3 July
10.30am – A rededication service for Capt. Clifford Nichols of 5/Royal Welsh Fusiliers (attached to the 164 Coy Machine Gun Corps) who died on 31 July 1917. This service will take place at Bedford House Cemetery, Belgium.
3pm – A rededication service for Pte George Montague Price of 5/South Wales Borderers who died on 2 October 1917. This service will take place at Chester Farm Cemetery, Belgium.
Tuesday 9 July
10.30am – A rededication service for CQMS John Doherty MM of 1/Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, who was killed in action on 22 March 1918. This service will be take place at Savy British Cemetery, France.
Wednesday 10 July
10.15am – A rededication service for Serjeant Laurence Connell MM of 1/Royal Dublin Fusiliers, who was killed in action on 5 October 1918. This service will take place at Dadizeele New British Cemetery, Belgium.
11.15am – A rededication service for Second Lieutenant Joseph Bryson MC att. 9/Royal Irish Fusiliers, who was killed in action on 6 October 1918, and Second Lieutenant William Cunningham att. 1/Royal Irish Fusiliers, who was killed in action on 1 October 1918. This service will take place at Dadizeele New British Cemetery, Belgium.
3pm – A rededication service for Private William McCann of 1/Royal Dublin Fusiliers, who was killed in action on 21 October 1918. This service will take place at Stasegem Communal Cemetery, Belgium.
Above: The Pension Record Card of William McCann, showing his 'alias' of Patrick. A list of soldiers who used an alias can be found here Project Alias - the results and a searchable database
Thursday 11 July
10.30am – A rededication service for Corporal Edward Doyle, Private Bertie George Reynolds MM, Lance Corporal James Edward Freer and Lance Corporal George Washington of 1/Royal Dublin Fusiliers, who were killed in action on 28 and 29 September 1918. This service will take place at Hooge Crater Cemetery, Belgium.
2.30pm – A rededication service for Captain Valentine Knox Gilliland of 2/Royal Irish Rifles, who was killed in action on 7/8 May 1918. This service will take place at Divisional Collecting Post Cemetery and Extension, Belgium.
These events are open to the public to attend, so anyone in the area would be able to go to any of these ceremonies.
Above: The JCCC's 'War Detectives' team.