Guidance

MOD War Detectives (the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre Commemorations team): our future services, current appeals and past cases

Find out about future services and what current appeals are ongoing.

From:
Ministry of Defence and Veterans UK
Published
26 September 2019
Last updated
713 April 2026 — See all updates

Upcoming Services:

We usually post details of our services here and to our Facebook page (MOD War Detectives) around 1 month before they are due to happen.

Tuesday 21 April

  • 1pm – A burial service for an unknown soldier of an unknown regiment at Warlencourt British Cemetery, France.

Wednesday 22 April  

  • 10.45am – A burial service for Private Reginald Joseph Blake of 11th Battalion The Essex Regiment, who was killed in action on 21 April 1917. This service will take place at Loos British Cemetery Extension, France.

  • 1.30pm – A burial service for an unknown soldier of an unknown regiment at Loos British Cemetery Extension, France.

Thursday 23 April

  • 10.30am – A rededication service for Lieutenant George Kenneth Steinberg MC of The Machine Gun Corps, who was killed action 22 March 1918. This service will take place at Croisilles British Cemetery, France.

28 April 2026

  • 10.30am – A rededication service for Lance Corporal William Voice MM of 8th Battalion The Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment who was killed in action on1 August 1917. This service will take place at CWGC Bedford House Cemetery, Belgium.

  • 3pm – A rededication service for Lance Corporal Lionel ‘Solly’ Sandell of 10th Battalion The Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment who was killed in action on 29 September 1918. This service will take place at CWGC Zantvoorde British Cemetery, Belgium.

29 April 2026

  • 10.30am – A rededication service for Captain Gordon Cuthbert of 1/8th Battalion The Middlesex Regiment, who was killed in action on 25 April 1915.  This service will take place at CWGC Tyne Cot Cemetery, Belgium.

  • 2.30pm – A rededication service for Lieutenant Leslie Harvey of 1/8th Battalion The Middlesex Regiment, who was killed in action on 25 April 1915. This service will take place at CWGC Sanctuary Wood Cemetery, Belgium.

12 May 2026

  • 11am - A rededication service for Corporal Gilbert Nay Hamilton of 7th Bn Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders who was killed in action on 21 July 1943. This service will take place at Catania War Cemetery, Sicily, Italy.

19 May 2026

  • 1.30pm – A burial service will be held for Squadron Leader George Morley Fidler, 607 Sqn, RAF, who died on 19 May 1940. This service will be held at London Cemetery and Extension, Longueval, France.

20 May 2026

  • 11am – A rededication service will be held for Lieutenant Thomas Michael O’Neill, 43 Sqn, RAF and Royal Dublin Fusiliers. This service will be held at Le Grand Beaumart Cemetery, France.

Appeals for family

There are no appeals outstanding at this time.

Our past cases

Details of some of the MOD War Detectives’ past cases can be found below:

  • *Grave of officer missing since 1940 identified in France

    Related information

    • Updates to this page

    Published 26 September 2019
    Last updated 713 April 2026 + show all updates

    1. Details of services taking place in May 2026 have been added

    2. Change to time of afternoon service on Wednesday 22 April

    3. Details of services which have already happened have been removed, and links to press releases have been added.

    4. Details added of services in April 2026

    5. The time of the service at Warhem on 25 March was changed.

    6. Added details of services taking place in March 2026

    7. Notice added about 2026 services Links added for press releases about services in late-2025

    8. New services added, past services removed

    9. Details of new services added

    10. Details of past services removed

    11. Addition of service dates for October 2025

    12. Added details of services in September

    13. Link to Press Release about a previous service added

    14. Details of services which have happened removed, and links to press releases added.

    15. Added latest news stories.

    16. Edited for clarity around the soldiers to be buried on 16 July

    17. Added details of services in July

    18. Links to press releases for past services added

    19. Details of June services added Link to press release for a previous service added

    20. Link to previous services press release added

    21. Change to time of service on 29 April - was 2.30pm, now 3pm

    22. Addition of details of forthcoming services

    23. Details of past services removed Links to press releases for past services added

    24. Links to Press Releases relating to past services added.

    25. Addition of dates for services in March & April 2025

    26. Link added to past service

    27. Past services have been removed and details of upcoming services added. Links to press releases for past services have been added.

    28. Edited to remove details of services which have already happened

    29. Added: details of October services.

    30. Details of services in Netherlands added

    31. Details of past services removed, and links to the news stories for those services added.

    32. Information about a burial service on 26 September added. This service is expected to attract a high level of interest and therefore Commonwealth War Graves Commission is running a free ballot to allocate tickets.

    33. Details of June services removed, and links added to the news stories for those services.

    34. Details of past service removed Time of service on 20 June changed Details of July services added Link to news story for recent service added

    35. More detail has been added about the soldiers being buried on 20 June

    36. Details of the May services were removed as they have now passed. Details added of forthcoming services in June. Links to more past cases added.

    37. The service for Pte Birch on 23 May 2024 has been cancelled and therefore details were removed from this page.

    38. Details of April Services removed. Details of May services added. Links to past services updated.

    39. Details of March 2024 services removed, and April 2024 services added

    40. Details of March 2024 services have been added.

    41. Note added that no further services are planned in 2023

    42. Update to the services of 8th and 9th November.

    43. Addition of link to latest commemorative service

    44. Links added to news stories about services in Belgium on 25 & 26 October 2023

    45. Added details of services in November 2023

    46. Details of service on 31 October 2023 added.

    47. Updated page with details of past services

    48. Links added for details of past services

    49. Details of the September services were removed and details of forthcoming services in October were added.

    50. Details of an additional blessing service added

    51. Added details of services in late September.

    52. Added details of services planned for mid-September

    53. Details of early September 2023 services included

    54. Update for September services.

    55. Added a link to the service held on 21 June 2023 in France

    56. Derails of service for 20 June 2023 included.

    57. Included an update to provide details of the services for June 2023

    58. Links to the three May services included.

    59. Details of this week's services have been moved from "Forthcoming Services" to "Past Cases" with links to news releases

    60. Details of 3 more burial/rededication ceremonies added.

    61. Future services removed/updated and details of March Services included in 'Our Past Services'.

    62. Updated with details of two past services from March 2023.

    63. Details of services on 18 and 19 April have been added.

    64. Details of three new rededication services added.

    65. Details of an appeal for family have been added.

    66. Included details of the services to be held on 17 November 2022.

    67. Details of rededication of a Sheffield solider being laid to rest 105 years after his death added to past services.

    68. Details of an additional service have been added. Details of "forthcoming services" have now been added to "past cases".

    69. Details of "forthcoming service" deleted and link to report added to "past cases".

    70. Details of additional services have been added. "Forthcoming services" which have now passed have been deleted and links to news items added.

    71. Details of "forthcoming services" that have happened have been removed.

    72. Details of further 4 services added.

    73. Details of forthcoming services added.

    74. Details of "Forthcoming case" changed to "Past Case"

    75. Details of two "forthcoming services" changed to "past cases" with link to news item.

    76. Details of forthcoming services added.

    77. Details of "forthcoming" services moved to "past" cases with link to news release.

    78. Details of "forthcoming" services moved to "past cases".

    79. Details of two services removed from "forthcoming" and transferred to "past cases" with associated link.

    80. Details of forthcoming services changed to past cases with links to news reports.

    81. Additional information on the service to be held at New Irish Farm cemetery on 30 June 2022.

    82. Details of rededication service moved from "forthcoming events" to "past cases".

    83. Addition of 3 more Forthcoming Services.

    84. Details of 2 rededication services have been moved from "future" to "past" events.

    85. Details of two rededication services moved from "forthcoming" to "past" services.

    86. Details of another 5 rededication services added.

    87. A "Forthcoming Service" has now become a "Past Service". Updated accordingly.

    88. Details of a "Forthcoming Service" now changed to "Past Case".

    89. Details of recent ceremony removed from "Forthcoming Services". Link added to details of news release.

    90. Details of "Forthcoming Services" for May 2022 published.

    91. Details of ceremonies that have now taken place have been removed from "Forthcoming Ceremonies" and moved to "Past Cases".

    92. Details of services that have now taken place have been removed.

    93. Details of "Forthcoming Services" now changed to "Our Past Cases".

    94. Details of 3 x April 2022 rededication services

    95. Details of 4 additional rededication services in Belgium on 22 March 2022.

    96. Adding details of an additional 5 rededication services

    97. Addition of forthcoming events

    98. Update to appeals section

    99. New appeal for WW1 casualty's family launched.

    100. Details of today's service removed and link to news release about it added.

    101. Additional information on forthcoming service.

    102. Details of completed services now deleted from Forthcoming Services section. Links to recent service reports added.

    103. Details of additional military funeral November 2021.

    104. Details of 3 more commemorative funerals published. Link inserted to "previous cases" to news item about Royal Flying Corps casualty.

    105. Removed details of ceremonial services that have now taken place.

    106. Change to COVID restrictions in France.

    107. Details of additional service uploaded.

    108. Statement regarding ceremonial burials - Autumn 2021

    109. Family appeal deleted as appeal has been successful.

    110. New appeal for family added and previous one deleted.

    111. Inserting corrected email address; DBS-MODWarDetectives@mod.gov.uk

    112. Added an appeal for family under the 'current appeals' heading.

    113. Notification of cancellation of the rest of 2020 burial and rededication ceremonies.

    114. Notification of further cancellations

    115. Deleting details of services that have had to be posponed.

    116. Changing calendar of events

    117. Details of additional ceremonies added

    118. Change to dates of when services may resume.

    119. Cancellation of all scheduled services due to COVID-19

    120. Changes to details of appeals and services.

    121. We have added details of additional services and appeals

    122. To add details of future services

    123. Deleted details of services that have now taken place,

    124. First published.

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