Australian historian Mat McLachlan and a group of Australian travellers have unearthed a series of WWI relics while touring the battlefields of Ypres, Flanders Fields and northern France.
The discoveries come amid ongoing efforts to identify the remains of Australian soldiers found across the region, with new stories continuing to emerge more than a century after the conflict.
Among the artefacts uncovered were unexploded shells, shrapnel, an Australian pocketknife and a German helmet — all found while the group walked through fields of blooming poppies on ground where Australian soldiers fought and fell over 110 years ago.
“Finding these relics from the past brings you face to face with the reality of what happened here,” said historian Mat McLachlan. “These discoveries remind us that the Western Front continues to yield its secrets, and that history is literally beneath our feet.”
WWI soldiers’ remains continue to be found
Soldier remains from WWI continue to be discovered across the Western Front. “In April 2025, 22 soldiers were exhumed near Ypres alongside a golf club, at a site on the former WWI front lines – bunkers, trenches and personal artefacts were also found. In the same month, the remains of four Australian soldiers were found near Bullecourt in northern France,” said Mat McLachlan. “Initial identification relies on matching their location to known battlefield sites, and personal artifacts – identity discs, helmets, badges – also provide clues about nationality.”
However, identification can be complex since “British and Australian soldiers often fought shoulder-to-shoulder on the Western Front, so when multiple remains are discovered together in trench systems, like the 22 soldiers exhumed near Ypres, there’s a possibility Australians are among them,” McLachlan said. “Further investigation and DNA testing comes into play to seek to identify the names to the fallen and notify their families.” This process has proven successful in cases like Private Hunter and Sergeant Calder, two Australian soldiers whose remains were discovered during a 2006 pipeline excavation at Polygon Wood and identified through DNA analysis in 2007, allowing their stories to be featured in Mat McLachlan’s documentary ‘Lost in Flanders.’
Stepping through Anzac history on the Western Front
The medieval Cloth Hall in Ypres’ main square, destroyed during WWI then rebuilt, serves as a testament to the region’s resilient spirit. Mat McLachlan and his group explored the historic ramparts, visiting Kazematten Brewery where British soldiers once printed ‘The Wipers Times’ satirical newspaper and sampling ‘Wipers Times’ brews.
At the recently restored Menin Gate, Mat McLachlan noted: “Walking through this archway that stands on the place where WWI soldiers marched toward the frontline, seeing 54,000 missing soldiers’ names etched in stone is deeply moving. The nightly Last Post service at 8pm gives me goosebumps every time.” At Talbot House, travellers experienced the ‘everyman’s club’ established by Australian-born Tubby Clayton that gave soldiers respite from the trenches. “You can almost hear the echoes of laughter and camaraderie from over a century ago,” Mat McLachlan said.
Walking the battlefields, finding relics, exploring WWI trenches and German pillboxes, and seeing still-cratered landscapes at sites like Hill 60, provide tangible connections to the past.
New ways to engage with this history
Mat McLachlan is passionate about sharing the stories of the Anzacs, presenting freely accessible YouTube documentaries – Mat McLachlan’s History, and podcasts – Living History and BattleWalks, as well as authoring battlefield guidebooks and battlefield history narrative books, and offering battlefield tours. For 2027, Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours is offering new History Cruises in Europe in partnership with AmaWaterways exploring the past and present of Holland, Belgium and France encompassing Waterloo, WWI and WW2. Key itineraries include Anzac Day 2027 Holland and Belgium; D-Day 2027 Anniversary; and Mat McLachlan’s Signature Cruise – Waterloo; WWI and Band of Brothers (WW2).
Land tours also continue to be a popular way for Australians to explore this history, with Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours’ 4-day Western Front Explorer offering weekly departures round-trip from Paris from April to November. A 10-day Anzac Day on the Western Front tour allows travellers to explore all key Australian battlefield sites, behind the lines sites and experience the moving Anzac Day Dawn Service at Villers-Bretonneux, while a 4-day Anzac Day in Ypres tour provides a great overview of Australian battlefield sites and an intimate Anzac Day Dawn Service at Polygon Wood in Belgium. Visit www.battlefields.com.au
Visit Flanders invites visitors to explore the culture, history and cuisine of Ypres, the Ypres Salient and Flanders Fields – sharing information about what to see and do. Flanders is the Flemish (Dutch)-speaking northern portion of Belgium, bordering the northernmost part of France. During WWI, Australian battalions served on the frontlines throughout Flanders and this region was the site of one of the bloodiest battles in our nation’s history – the Battle of Passchendaele. Today, Flanders is a rich, vibrant place to visit inviting guests to explore battlefield history, the region’s medieval beginnings, culture, nature, culinary experiences and more. www.visitflanders.com
