Engraved spoon helps identify First World War casualty, laid to rest more than 100 years after death
Two British soldiers killed on 26th September 1915 (during the Battle of Loos) were laid to rest with full military honours on Thursday, a century after their deaths. The service was organised by the UK Defence Ministry's Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (MOD JCCC), also known as the 'MOD War Detectives', and was held at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) Loos British Cemetery, Loos-en-Gohelle in northern France. One set of remains was recovered in January 2018 during a World War 1 ordnance search near Lens. Also found was a pocket watch and a spoon with the number 13228 stamped on the back. MOD JCCC and the CWGC confirmed it to be the regimental number of Private (Pte) William Johnston (aged 39) of 7th battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers, having cross referenced it with war records that also confirmed he was the only casualty with this number who did not have a known burial place. The MOD JCCC traced a great-great-niece who provided a DNA sample to compar