Missing and Found

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

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

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

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

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.

Watch the reel

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.

17 October: Ethical discussion

"With bone material, but certainly with DNA, you can find out a lot about the physical characteristics, conditions and pathogens of a deceased person. Isn't that privacy?" These and other ethical questions are discussed with the students under the guidance of Professor Maarten Larmuseau, a geneticist and genealogist. Saint George's Memorial Church provides an atmospheric setting for this discussion.

24 October: CWGC Visitor Centre at Beaurains

The CWGC Visitor Centre at Beaurains opened its doors for the seminar. A comprehensive and concrete introduction to the full work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

7 November: Journalism class

To make a documentary, you have to ask questions. On 9 January, the students conducted in-depth interviews with everyone involved. In preparation, they received practical training from VRT journalist Tijs Mauroo, who taught them the tricks of the journalistic profession.

14 November: preparing questions

Conducting an interview requires a good approach. The group works together to come up with strong questions, then pairs work on the interview.

21 November: schedule and contact

Now that it is clear who will be interviewed, it is time to make concrete arrangements.

Each student contacts the person he or she will be interviewing.

28 November: Final preparations

During the last seminar before the big interview day, all the agreements made are compared and the concrete planning is worked out.