Lambis Englezos determined to identify all Australian Diggers found at Fromelles

A former Melbourne teacher who made the miraculous discovery of the whereabouts of 250 soldiers killed in France during WWI says his mission is far from over.

Lambis Englezos at the Cobbers Statue at the Shine of Remembrance in Melbourne which commemorates soldiers who fought at the Battle of Fromelles on July 19, 1916 during the Great War. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The ex-Melbourne teacher who made the emotional discovery of 250 missing Australian Diggers killed behind enemy lines in the Great War insists there’s “more work to be done” in finding the thousands of others killed in action.

In 2008 a “painstaking” six year investigation led by Lambis Englezos, of Albert Park, led to the discovery of 250 Australian soldiers killed at the Battle of Fromelles in France — Australia’s first involvement on the Western Front — on July 19, 1916.

The battle is significant as the Australian soldiers broke through German lines — where the 250 Diggers found were killed.

The bodies were located in five pits at a site called Pheasant Wood, not far from the battlefield, where the Germans had buried them.

Lambis Englezos says he wants to find as many missing soldiers buried in Europe after the First World War as possible Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Of the 250 found, 180 have been identified, with Mr Englezos determined to finish off the job.

“It’s been a journey,” he said.

“You want to maximise every possible chance to identify a soldier.

“Had we left them like that it would have sent a really bad message.

“When the official announcement was made that we had found them that relief quickly became hope that these soldiers would be recovered and given their dignity.”

About 5533 Australians were killed in the battle and 1335 were recorded as missing.

Mr Englezos said he had identified other key sites like in Bullecourt in France and Alçıtepe (formerly Krithia) in Turkey where there was a “strong possibility” missing Australian soldiers were buried.

His project to find Australia’s missing soldiers from WWI started in 2002 after an eagle-eye observation in Robin Corfield’s book Don’t Forget Me, Cobber.

A profile on Jack Bowden, of the 59th Batallion, referenced that his file said he “may have been buried at Pheasant Wood”.

“It was the only reference to Pheasant Wood anywhere,” Mr Englezos said.

“Corfield planted that flag in his book and I picked it up and with help we now have a wonderful result.”

Lambis Englezos was among the team that found the 250 Australian soldiers buried at Pheasant Wood in 2008 Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Mr Englezos then got his hands on aerial shots of the area two weeks before and two weeks after the battle, with the “after shots” indicating significant earthworks had been done.

“Two weeks before the battle there was nothing there and two weeks after eight pits had been dug and five had been backfilled,” he said.

He was then sent the “smoking gun” Munich archives document that contained a report from Oberst Juluis Ritter von Bruan — a commanding officer of the Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment 21 — which said all “enemy” soldiers were to be buried at Pheasant Wood.

The letter was dated two days after the battle — July 21, 1916.

With this, an initially reluctant Australian Commonwealth Government sprung into action and called on Dr Tony Pollard — from Glasgow University’s Archaeological Research Division — to conduct a “non-invasive” investigation, only allowed to dig a “shovel’s length” into the ground.

Despite these limitations Dr Pollard’s team found 700 war related items, including a heart-shaped medallion with “ANZAC” written on it and another with “Shire of Alberton AIF”.

The team was also given approval by the woman who owned the land in France where the men were buried to continue, with the 250 bodies eventually found in 2008.

Lambis Englezos (left) next to the street named after him in Fromelles, France. He led the discovery of 250 missing Australian soldiers buried at Pheasant Wood after the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916. The discovery was made in 2008 after a six year investigation Picture: Supplied

Earlier this week Mr Englezos attended Fromelles in France where local mayor Jean-Gabriel Masson unveiled a new street in the town named in his honour.

“Why the Lambis Englezos alley? Since 2002, I can testify as the honourable mayor (during this time), you have campaigned to bring out of the shadows the Australian soldiers who disappeared after the Battle of Fromelles,” Mr Masson said.

Local school students in Fromelles have also adopted a headstone each at the newly built cemetery where the 250 soldiers are buried, researching and learning about their soldier.

Originally published as Lambis Englezos determined to identify all Australian Diggers found at Fromelles