Australians among Fromelles remains

Canberra, June 9 (AAP) - Conclusive proof has been unearthed that the remains of Australian soldiers are among those found at a mass grave site in France. Minister for Defence Science and Personnel Warren Snowdon on Monday revealed an Australian Rising Sun collar badge had been discovered during the excavation of the World War I burial site in Fromelles. "Our archaeology team in Fromelles has unearthed a Rising Sun badge in Pit 4, which proves that the remains of Australian soldiers are buried at this important site," Mr Snowdon said in a statement. "This is a momentous discovery and makes this field at Pheasant Wood on the other side of the world of national significance for all Australians." It is believed 170 Australian soldiers could be buried in five of eight pits dug by German troops after the notorious Battle of Fromelles in July 1916, when nearly 2,000 Australians died in 24 hours. Human remains uncovered so far were of a skeletal nature and were in good condition, but there was very little surviving fabric, Mr Snowdon said. The dig has been underway for two weeks and is due to wrap up on Friday. "Any future excavation of the site or testing of the human remains will require agreement from the British and French governments as well as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission," Mr Snowdon said. "We continue to liaise closely with each of these authorities and thank them for their ongoing support. Once we receive the reports and assessments from the Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division who are conducting the excavation, we will be better placed to discuss the next step in this process."