In Memoriam

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From the Department of Defence in Great Britain - I thought this was interesting.

The last of 250 World War One soldiers killed in the Battle of Fromelles was laid to rest in a ceremony yesterday at the first Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery built in Europe for 50 years.


The new cemetery, built near the site of the battle in northern France, was dedicated in the ceremony by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

The soldiers were recently discovered in mass graves, and yesterday's ceremony, on the 94th anniversary of the battle, marks the end of a two-year project to give them a fitting final place of rest.

The ceremony began when the coffin of the last soldier was borne out of Pheasant Wood, location of the original graves, on a WWI Mark X General Service Wagon pulled by horses from the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery.

The procession journeyed through the village of Fromelles, and was joined by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and Her Excellency The Governor-General of Australia, Quentin Bryce, along with Chief of the General Staff, General Sir David Richards, Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie, Australian Chief of Army, and soldiers from the British and Australian Armies.

The service was attended by hundreds of members of British and Australian families whose relatives were killed in the battle.

Many took part in the service, reading extracts from letters and diaries from those they lost.

The coffin was borne by soldiers from the British and Australian armies, and a joint firing party fired three shots, followed by a one minute silence.

Wreaths were then laid by HRH The Prince of Wales, Her Excellency Quentin Bryce, and Monsieur Hubert Falco, the French Minister of State for Defence and Veterans, and the cemetery was dedicated by His Royal Highness.

The Battle of Fromelles began on 19 July 1916, 19 days after the opening of the Somme campaign, and was the first major battle on the Western Front involving Australian troops.

The 5th Australian Division suffered losses of 5,533 either killed, wounded, taken prisoner or missing; and the 61st British Division suffered 1,547 similar losses.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission's records suggest that between 19 and 20 July 1916 the Australian dead at Fromelles amounted to 1,780, the British 503.

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Canada

OTTAWA — One Canadian soldier was killed after an improvised explosive device detonated during a foot patrol in the Panjwa’i District, about 15 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City, at approximately 9:00 a.m. Kandahar time on 20 July 2010.

Killed in action was Sapper Brian Collier, 24, of Brandtford, Ontario, from 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, based in Edmonton, Alberta. Sapper Collier was serving with 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group.

We are all thinking of the family and friends of our Canadian fallen comrade during this sad time. We will not forget Sapper Collier’s sacrifice as we continue to bring security and hope to the people of Kandahar Province.

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19 July 2010

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cpl. Paul J. Miller, 22, of Traverse City, Mich., died July 19 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

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19 July 2010

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Staff Sgt. Brian F. Piercy, 27, of Clovis, Calif., died July 19 in Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

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20 July 2010

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cpl. Julio Vargas, 23, of Sylmar, Calif., died July 20 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

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18 July 2010

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cpl. Joe L. Wrightsman, 23, of Jonesboro, La., died July 18 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

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21 July 2010

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

1st Lt. Michael L. Runyan, 24, of Newark, Ohio, died July 21 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his convoy vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Muqdadiyah, Iraq. He was assigned to the 52nd Infantry, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.