More than a century after the First World War, two missing Australian Army members have been formally identified, Second Lieutenant Duncan McKenzie of the 38th Battalion and Private Roy Martin of the 30th Battalion.
Second Lieutenant Duncan McKenzie, from Kerang in Victoria, was killed in action on 12 October 1917 during the Third Battle of Ypres, while his battalion was engaged in operations to capture German positions near Passchendaele in Belgium.
Private Roy Martin, from Cobar in New South Wales, was among the 1,900 Australians killed during the Battle of Fromelles on 19-20 July 1916. His body was recovered by German forces and was among the 250 Commonwealth soldiers exhumed from an unmarked mass grave at Pheasant Wood in 2009. Private Martin was subsequently reburied as an Unknown Australian Soldier at the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery in 2010.
Chief of the Australian Army, Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, said the identification of the soldiers, highlights the nation's enduring commitment to honouring its war dead.
"It is a privilege to announce on Anzac Day that we now know the final resting place of Second Lieutenant McKenzie and Private Martin," Lieutenant General Stuart said.
"The formal identification of these two men, more than a century after their deaths, reflects our ongoing responsibility to those who served and sacrificed for our nation."
"Time does not diminish our obligation to remember their service and to honour them with the dignity of a named grave."
"Formally identifying Second Lieutenant McKenzie and Private Martin provides long‑awaited reassurance and clarity for families who have lived for generations without knowing where their loved ones lay."
The identifications were conducted in partnership with the soldiers' families, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Commemorations team, and historical research organisations Fallen Diggers Inc. and the Fromelles Association of Australia.
Members of the public with relatives who died while serving with the Australian Army and have no known grave are encouraged to register with Unrecovered War Casualties - Army.
