As part of its strategy of war by attrition, Germany selected the fortress of Verdun as the site it believed France would defend to the last man. And we found a gas mask near his skull, a French-issued M2 gas mask. 21July 1916) Major engagement of World War I between Germany and France. On his left side he carried a wallet that contained two French coins. But they’re not proof of his nationality. See object record At 4am on 21 February 1916 the battle began, with a massive artillery bombardment and a steady advance by troops of the German Fifth Army under Crown Prince Wilhelm. “The boots are those that were on his feet when he died, and they are French army boots. German Maxim MG 08 IWM (Q 69971) French troops manning a captured German Maxim MG 08 machine gun (mounted on a sledge) at Fort Douaumont, Verdun. “A tag is the only item that would have allowed us to formally identify him,” said Fremont, acknowledging the sadness and frustration of not being able to make an identification. A DNA test is useless without a known relative to compare against. What’s missing is the soldier’s ID tag.įor months, Fremont has searched for clues as to the identity of the soldier, whose remains were found in March by workmen resurfacing a road. Laid out on a white sheet are the combatant’s near-complete skeleton, many of the bones blackened, and his leather boots, the laces tied tight. French forensic pathologist Bruno Fremont and forensic assistant Manu Robas work on the identification of the remains of an unknow soldier, killed during World War One, found during road construction work near the battlefield of Douaumont, during an interview with Reuters at Verdun hospital, eastern France, November 5, 2018.
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