The Power of DNA
Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2019 10:08 am
I watched a fascinating program on TV last evening. Apparently there are still many thousands of soldiers from the first world war whose remains have never been found. Each year the remains of approximately 60 lost soldiers are found around Western Europe.
The Ministry of Defence has a department staffed by a small group of women whose task is to identify these remains as they are found. They are called 'The War Detectives'. By the use of military records, census records and now DNA, they have much success in connecting the deceased with living relatives. There is then a military funeral of the remains in one of the many war graves around Europe plus a named headstone where before there was just a headstone marked 'An unknown soldier'.
It was a very poignant program that showed clearly how, after more than 100 years, it is possible with DNA to bring appropriate closure on the life of some long lost relative.
Excellent.
The Ministry of Defence has a department staffed by a small group of women whose task is to identify these remains as they are found. They are called 'The War Detectives'. By the use of military records, census records and now DNA, they have much success in connecting the deceased with living relatives. There is then a military funeral of the remains in one of the many war graves around Europe plus a named headstone where before there was just a headstone marked 'An unknown soldier'.
It was a very poignant program that showed clearly how, after more than 100 years, it is possible with DNA to bring appropriate closure on the life of some long lost relative.
Excellent.