DEFENCE BUSINESS SERVICES ( DBS )
Sacrifice and Courage
From R to L : Nicola Nash ( JCCC ), Jeanette Page ( JCCC ), Ralph Stephenson ( Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum ) and James Aston ( JCCC ). The ‘ Sacrifice and Courage ’ display with a temporary cabinet for the artefacts , which was replaced with the joint-funded cabinet after the lockdown .
From Dr . Ralph Stephenson TD , Trustee Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum ( SOGM )
Nicola Nash , Commemorations Team JCCC
There are currently over half a million British soldiers , sailors and airmen with no known grave from the First , Second and Korean wars . It is the job of the Commemorations Team , part of the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre ( JCCC ), to try and identify these men when their remains are found . The British Armed Forces served far and wide during these conflicts and remains are uncovered almost every week somewhere around the world .
People are often surprised that such a team exists , based here at Imjin Barracks . A big part of our role involves contacting the families of these fallen men for things like DNA samples and it can be difficult sometimes convincing them we are not a scam ! This is why it is so important for us to have collaborations with organisations like the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum , to help raise our profile and increase the awareness in the work we do .
We are also currently working to obtain DNA from all the next-of-kin of the missing men from the Korean War , and the fact the Glosters played such a big part in that conflict means having a close relationship with the Museum is even more important . When searching for relatives , they have been able to help us and therefore , bring us one step closer to making potential identifications .
When the museum offered us the opportunity to have a display , we jumped at the chance and it has been a fantastic experience making it happen . The display highlights the work that we do in identifying remains that have been found , including descriptions of the steps we go through to make it happen and a case study where we managed to identify two soldiers discovered in a back garden in France . The artefacts displayed have all come from cases we have worked on , and in some instances have helped us identify the men .
I also volunteer to help the museum with some of its research enquiries , which I thoroughly enjoy and feel it is important to give back to an organisation that has helped us so much . It also promotes community involvement , which the whole commemorations team regularly engage in , with a variety of talks given to a multitude of charities and organisations .
The new cabinet with First World War artefacts found with remains discovered in Northern France and Belgium
Some years ago , I visited the Medals Office and in passing , the JCCC . I was shown an emotive collection of perhaps , a cap badge , a few buttons , the remains of a watch and a toothbrush ; this was all that represented a life that had been given for his country some 100 years ago by an unnamed soldier , long forgotten by a family as no news of his death or whereabouts had ever been known . I was impressed by the effort that the JCCC gives to identifying a body and eventually , if all goes well , burying this warrior under a named headstone .
I felt that the museum could offer space , next to our medal displays , under the title of ‘ Sacrifice and Courage ’ to give the JCCC a place to show the important work they do as visitors can ’ t get inside the wire and visit them , making the JCCC ‘ Honorary Soldiers of Gloucestershire ’.
My approach was met with terrific enthusiasm . The Defence Business Services have generously funded a wall unit which sits above a drawer unit which has been jointly funded by the Honourable Company of Gloucestershire , the Gloucestershire and Herefordshire Provincial Grand Lodge of the Mark Masons and the Summerfield Trust . When the team from the JCCC are able to visit France again they will return with more artefacts from recent excavations to expand our display .
I have to say my involvement with the JCCC through Nicola has been a very positive cooperation . I believe the display will be a credit to the DBS and equally gives publicity to the SOGM .
14 SUMMER 2021 the imjin @ MODDBS