US museum under fire over display of skull of Australian soldier

Submitted by Paul Daley on Fri, 29/09/2017 - 4:32pm

Australian authorities ask museum in Philadelphia to remove images of skull from website as Anzac’s identity believed to be confirmed

Australian authorities have intervened swiftly to have removed from public view the skull of an Australian Anzac soldier killed in action on the western front in 1917, whose head was removed after death and made into an American museum “specimen”.

After the Guardian reported the skull was on display, the Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia confirmed it was in negotiations with the Australian army about what should now be done with the remains.

The Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia is, as the article suggested, already in communication with the appropriate officials within the Australian Army regarding the cited specimen. This is being treated with the highest regard to protocol and precedent for such specimens. The museum will release a further statement when appropriate.”

When the Germans buried the men in the Pheasant Wood pits, they removed all their identity discs and property, bagged it individually and eventually sent it to the Red Cross from where it made its way home to the families. Generally, in the man’s service file there would be some mention of the property being sent from Germany and although this doesn’t appear in John’s, the fact that the identity disc was returned is intriguing. I’m hoping that perhaps John Hurdis is one of the men for whom there is no recorded indication they were buried at Pheasant Wood, some of whom have already been identified and others who are still waiting. If that’s the case, then any viable DNA contained in Thomas Hurdis’ skull at the Mutter Museum may in fact assist in identifying John Hurdis ... and that would be a fascinating and unique opportunity.