Missing and Found

A youth perspective on WW1 archaeology

During the first term of the 2024-2025 school year, eighteen students from the College of Ypres will take part in a special seminar on the missing of the Great War. They will be accompanied by experts in archaeology, history, ethics, psychology and the media at significant sites: places where missing persons have been found or are believed to be resting, the research centre of the In Flanders Fields Museum, cemeteries and the visitor centre of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in Beaurains.

The students are actively contributing to a documentary about their journey and findings, which will premiere at CC Het Perron on Wednesday 7 May. Follow their progress on this page.

The educational project Missing and Found is an initiative of the In Flanders Fields Museum and College Ypres in cooperation with the Flemish Peace Institute, with financial support from Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed.

De leerlingen van het seminarie 'Vermist en Gevonden' luisteren naar archeoloog Birger Stichelbaut.
Leerlingen stappen op een veldweg richting het Kraterbos.

5 September: a rolling start

The first session immediately took the students out of their comfort zone. They got on their bikes and headed for the eastern entry point to the Ypres Salient. After an introduction at the Hooge crater cemetery, they explored the nearby crater wood under the guidance of archaeologist Birger Stichelbaut and educator Wouter Sinaeve, with a Danse la Pluie camera crew following their every move.

Watch the reel

Leerlingen luisteren geboeid naar archeoloog Simon Verdegem.

12 September: below ground

Archaeologist Simon Verdegem (BAAC Flanders) took the students underground. In the research centre of the museum, he gave a fascinating talk about his work as an archaeologist during the First World War. How do you find missing persons? What are the next steps after finding human remains? How does his work affect him? And when the missing person is identified, how does it affect the relatives?

Watch the reel

We see a group of students around a table filled with archaeological finds. Jan Decorte, archaeologist at CO7, explains.

19 September: objects from the past

At the DEPOTYZE depot, Jan Decorte, an archaeologist from CO7, gave a fascinating talk about his work. He showed the students dozens of objects found from missing people, such as a boot, a piece of paper and the eyes of a teddy bear. How are these artefacts preserved, recorded and selected? A fascinating insight into archaeological research and heritage management.

Watch the reel

A group of students are sitting around a table listening to Pol Lefevre, who is standing at the head of the table. Behind him is a screen with the first slide of his presentation.

26 September: The very beginning

Thanks to the work of amateur archaeologists, the Diggers, the impact of the fighting on the north side of Ypres has become clear. Pol Lefevre, one of the Diggers, talked about their work at Hoeve Klein Zwaanhof (Entry Point North) and Yorkshire Trench & Dugout. These volunteers managed to recover more than 200 bodies of fallen soldiers and made thousands of archaeological finds.

Watch the reel

The pupils sit in groups of three at the long table in the Research Centre of the In Flanders Fields Museum. They are working on a task using historical sources.

3 October: historical sources

After an introduction by researcher Annick Vandenbilcke, the students work in groups of three on a specific case study. Each group investigates the fate of a soldier: what happened to him on the battlefield and where exactly did he die? They use various sources such as regimental histories, the List of Names, trench maps, diaries and letters. In the next session, each group presents its findings.

Watch the reel

10 October: presenting results

During this session, the groups present their case studies to one another. They support their findings with excerpts from regimental histories, maps, and personal documents such as diaries and letters. These presentations give students the opportunity to inspire each other and come to new insights together.

October 16: a burial service of Frederick Thomas Adams

Students were able to attend the funeral of Frederick Thomas Adams on a voluntary basis. Adams, a British soldier, had been missing since 19 November 1917 following an attack at Passchendaele. In 2018, human remains belonging to a soldier of the Rifle Brigade were found during roadworks, and DNA testing confirmed they were Adams. The ceremony at the Passchendaele New British Cemetery left a deep impression on the students.