As the Hunter community pauses this Remembrance Day to honour those who served, families are being urged to help identify local soldiers who never returned home from the First World War.
The Fromelles Association of Australia is appealing to Hunter families to provide DNA samples to help identify about 70 Australian soldiers still missing from the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916.
More than 5,500 Australians were killed, wounded or taken prisoner during the battle — including scores of men from Newcastle, Wallsend, Cooks Hill, Jesmond, Teralba, Stockton and across the region. Their names are etched on local honour rolls, but their final resting places remain unknown.
In 2008, a mass grave was discovered at Pheasant Wood in Fromelles, France, containing the remains of 250 Australian soldiers. Since then, 180 have been identified through DNA, but the “Final 70” remain unnamed.
Fromelles Association spokesperson Tony Ryan said restoring their identities would finally connect families with their lost relatives.
“Every name we restore is a family reconnected and a promise finally kept,” Mr Ryan said.
“We know who these men are — we just need living relatives to help match them through DNA.”
The association is working with the Australian Army’s Unrecovered War Casualties Unit in Canberra to trace families, offering free genealogical support.
Hunter men still unaccounted for include Alfred “Alfie” John Smith of Cooks Hill, John Hay Wishart of Wallsend, Edward Leslie Downie of Maryville, John “Jack” Bainbridge of Newcastle, and Thomas Easton of Jesmond.
Families who believe they may be related to one of the missing soldiers are encouraged to contact the Fromelles Association of Australia.
