THE MISSING.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 October 1920, Page 5

THE MISSING.

LOCATING GRAVES. WORK OP THE AUSTRALIANS. By T»l«£r*ph.«-Preiß AMn-w-Cojiyrlfiit. Received Oct. 13, fi.s p.m. Paris, Oct. 12. General Sir William Birdwood has concluded a tour of the West Front.. He visited all the Australian battlefields, and inspected the work of the Australian graves section, numbering three officers and seventy-three men, who have been engaged discovering isolated Australian graves, exhuming bodies, and reverently burying them in Australian cemeteries.

General Birdwood traversed the entire Passchendaele battlefield, and saw a number of bodies actually found, identified, and removed. One man's identity was established only by the name scratched on the plate of his artificial teeth. During the past few months over WOO out of 16,000 missing Australians have been identified. Many more Will be found, but it will never be possible to locate all the dead, because a large number were killed during memorable attacks in which the troops previously removed their identification discs and regimental colors.

General Birdwood interviewed the Bishop of Amiens regarding arrangements for unveiling an Australian memorial tablet in Amiens Cathedral in November, when many French generals will attend. General Birdwood expressed complete satisfaction with the work of the Australians tending the graves of their own dead. Owing to its magnitude the task is not expected to be completed within two years. The cemeteries now appear unkempt, but they Will soon be in perfect order. Already many former residents are returning to the devastated towns, especially Peronne and Corbie. They everywhere show the utmost respect for the Australian graves, and do not even disturb Australian signposts giving new names to streets. Already two thousand people have returned to Villers Brettonneux, where rebuilding is proceeding slowly. When General Birdwood passed through the inhabitants were not aware that Melbourne had adopted the town. General Birdwood left to-day, motoring to Marseilles.—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assn. Received Oct. 14, 12,10 a.m. Paris, Oct. 13. The announcement that Melbourne has adopted the town of Villers-Bree-tonneux has delighted the French public. The newspapers recall the deeds of the Australian divisions in saving Amiens, and their victories in August and September, 1018.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.