Serving the Public
As ilrated in the graph below, the number of enquiries from the public was around 29,000 in the last year. Although not significantly higher than the previous year, the Commission is finding that an increasing number of these enquiries are of a sophisticated type that challenges the Commission's own records and often require a thorough examination and analysis of documents before reply. As a result of such investigations, the Commission now commemorates 16 men not previously recorded. In 13 cases no grave can be found, so the names have been added to existing memorials to the missing. In three cases, however, graves have been located.
30
30
29
29
(Thousands)
28
27
26
25
24
23-
22
21
222
TRACES PER YEAR
19
85/86
86/87
87/88
88/89
89/90
90/91
20
20
Other lines of investigation concern servicemen who are included in the Commission's records as having no known grave but whose names can sometimes be assigned to hitherto unidentified graves by combining information from the Graves Registrations Unit's exhumation and reburial reports, official regimental histories, private documents and witnesses' memories. The Commission has to operate a stringent standard of proof when examining such evidence, but in the past year it has been possible to put a name to eight previously unidentified burials in this way.
The Commission's records have also to be amended when the remains of servicemen are discovered. Even if they are not identifiable, the statistics have to be altered. There is a widespread misconception about the Commission's role in the discovery of remains. It is assumed by many that the Commission is responsible for the whole process of identification and arrangements for burial. In fact, when any human remains are discovered, in whatever manner, it is firstly a matter for the police. Then, if there is evidence that they are the remains of a serviceman of a particular nationality, the appropriate embassy in that country is informed and it is responsible for identification of the remains and contact with the family.
23