Funeral for unknown soldier
On July 16th. 2022, the Australian Army laid to rest an unknown Australian First World War soldier with a military funeral at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission‘s Tyne Cot Cemetery in Zonnebeke, Belgium.
Believed to have fought in the Battle of Menin Road in 1917, the unknown soldier’s remains were discovered in 2017 by archaeologists near Zonnebeke and were identified as Australian.
The unknown soldier was honoured with a military funeral and burial, and a dedicated Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate on Thursday.
Supporting the funeral were Australian Army soldiers recently awarded the Jonathan Church Good Soldiering Award for their embodiment of Army values; the group is representing Army for a
series of ceremonial activities at war cemeteries in France and Belgium throughout July.
“Lest We Forget”
Note: The Jonathan Church Good Soldiering Award is awarded annually to junior soldiers who personify compassionate and ethical soldiering. The award is named in honour of Trooper Jonathan Church and his actions in Rwanda in 1995.
