Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence Bruce Billson today confirmed he would support further examination of a suspected WWI mass burial site in France that could contain the remains of Australian and British soldiers. An expert panel of historians reconvened yesterday to examine evidence of the likelihood of the mass grave at a site known as Pheasant Wood near Fromelles, in northern France. It has long been speculated that the Germans buried the remains of more than 160 Australians killed in the 1916 Battle of Fromelles and possible several hundred British Soldiers at the location. The panel examined evidence gathered by a team led by eminent battlefield archaelogist Dr Tony Pollard of the Centre for Archaeology at the University of Glasgow. Dr Pollard's team carried out an extensive, non-invasive survey of the Pheasant Wood site in May.

Mr Billson said Dr Pollard's team revealed subsurface anomalies in the soil that coincide with war time aerial photos and confirm the presence of a series of pits. Other evidence, including water pooling discovered in the pits, led Dr Pollard to conclude that "it was beyond doubt" that the site was used as a burial ground. The survey concluded that the soil had not been disturbed since a 1918 counter-attack and advance by the British army, casting doubt on the likelihood that the remains were recovered in post-war battlefield clearance operations. The pattern and distribution of bullets, shrapnel and other debris of battle suggests the soil was undisturbed after the end of the war. The expert panel has recommended that a formal approach now be made to the French Government seeking its approval to further examine the site.

"As it is possible that there could also be many British war dead in the pits, the Australian Army will be working extremely closely with the British in order to formulate the next step," Mr Billson said. Even with full French cooperation, any further significant work on site would most likely have to wait until the next northern summer when the soil has dried out. The water table is very close to the surface which makes the risk of cave-ins very high." Mr Billson stressed that even if there were human remains in the pits, the likelihood of identifying individuals was very remote.

"The high water table, the acidity of the soil, the German practice of using heavy doses of lime when burying the dead and the high probability of co-mingling of the remains would make individual identification, even using the latest techniques, extremely difficult," he said. Mr Billson said the expert panel recommended that historical documents in the Bavarian State Archives be examined by a highly-skilled, German-speaking researcher in a bid to locate any existing German burial records. "It is important to note, that at this stage, no decision has been taken to conduct a full archaeological dig at Pheasant Wood. I expect this will be considered following further work and consultation with the British and the French," he said.