Names of soldiers found in cave under the WW1 battlefields of France

5093111969_38f723af5b_zIn a cave located 100 feet under the earth, spelunkers and historians have made a fascinating discovery: Buried in the depths of Naours, France, two hours outside of Paris, there is a series of inscriptions of almost 2000 WWI servicemen, who left their names for posterity.

According to experts, this historic find represents the highest concentration of onomastic graffiti along the Western Front.

Located adjacent to the infamous Somme battlefields where over a million soldiers perished, the names carved into the cave walls stand as a chilling testament to the tremendous sacrifices made during the First World War. Although researchers have not completed cataloging all of the names, at last count, experts report having identified the names of 731 Australian, 55 American, and 339 British servicemen. International efforts to determine the fates of the brave name-bearers who found temporary respite in the cave are underway.

Click here to read the story published by the Sydney Morning Herald.