The last 13 fallen unburied of a war between the United States and the United Kingdom

@DefAviation ES 4·28·2023 · 21:51 0

During wars death takes many lives. Sometimes it can take many years to bury the bodies of all the fallen.

Honors to fallen enemies: when war is not at odds with chivalry
Why aren't the armies of the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand called 'Royal'?

Between 1775 and 1783, the thirteen colonies that founded the United States fought their War of Independence against the United Kingdom, which ended in an American victory. During that war thousands of soldiers died, not only American and British, but also French, Spanish and Dutch (among those who supported the Americans) and also Germans (who were fighting next to the British).

Today, many fallen from that war rest in cemeteries. However, despite two and a half centuries having passed, corpses from that war still continue to appear. Since 2020, archaeologists who were excavating at the site where the Battle of Camden took place on August 1780, in South Carolina (which ended in a British victory), they have found the remains of twelve soldiers of the Continental Army (as the one that was later transformed into the current United States Army was known at the time) ) and a British Army soldier. Their identities are unknown, as soldiers did not wear dog tags at the time.

Today the US and the UK are faithful allies, so the transfer of his remains took place on April 22, escorted by US and UK soldiers, with a joint funeral ceremony at the Bethesda Presbyterian Church. You can see here some images of the ceremony.

Members of the US Army and the South Carolina National Guard covering the coffins of their fallen compatriots with their National Flag, the "Old Glory", at the site of the Battle of Camden.

The transfer of the remains of the fallen Americans, in the same place where they fell in combat.

The coffins of the Continental Army soldiers, draped in the flag of the country for which they fought and died.

British soldiers with their compatriot's coffin. The British soldier found in Camden belonged to the 71st Regiment of Foot, a unit of Scottish soldiers formed in 1777 to fight in the American War of Independence, which it was dissolved in 1881.

British soldiers carrying the coffin of their compatriot. Several members of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland traveled to Camden for this ceremony.

A South Carolina National Guard AH-64 Apache helicopter flying over the site of the battle, as a memorial to the fallen.

Brig. Gen. Joseph Reale, 29th Infantry Division, receives the Flag from one of the fallen American soldiers. Reale, who represented the Maryland Army National Guard at the ceremony, served in the 175th Infantry Regiment, a unit present at the Battle of Camden in 1780 and to which many of the Americans honored at the ceremony belonged.

A British officer receiving the "Union Jack" that covered the coffin of his compatriot during the funeral ceremony in Camden.

Members of the funeral procession that carried the remains of the fallen to the Bethesda Presbyterian Church. Some members of the South Carolina National Guard wore period uniforms.

Reenactors in Continental Army uniforms during the funeral procession that accompanied the coffins of the thirteen soldiers who fell in the Battle of Camden.

Rest in peace.

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Source of the photos: U.S. Army National Guard / British Army Staff USA / Dan Snow.