Join Ryan Mullens and Matthew Cudmore as they speak with Nicola Nash from the Ministry of Defence about her work in the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Center (The War Detectives). They discuss the challenges of identifying military casualties from various conflicts, the emotional connections formed with families, and the importance of storytelling in remembering those who served. Nicola shares her experiences in Korea, the processes involved in identifying unknown soldiers, and the significance of building relationships with families to provide closure and honor the memories of their loved ones.

takeaways

• Nicola Nash works with the Ministry of Defence to identify historic military casualties.
• There are over half a million British military casualties from the First and Second World Wars.
• The records available for each conflict vary significantly, affecting identification efforts.
• DNA testing is important but not the only method for identifying soldiers.
• Building relationships with families is a crucial part of the identification process.
• Personal stories of soldiers help humanize the statistics of war casualties.
• Recent work in Korea has led to the identification of unknown graves.
• The emotional impact of connecting families with their lost relatives is profound.
• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission plays a vital role in the identification process.
• Nicola's background in archaeology aids her work in military history and casualty identification.