Dutch 18th Century mass grave: Skeletons in Vianen were British soldiers

Eighty-two skeletons found in a mass grave in the Dutch city of Vianen were mainly British soldiers who died of illness in an 18th Century field hospital, archaeologists say.

The remains were found outside the city's old wall in November 2020 and then researched by forensic anthropologist April Pijpelink.

All but four were men and many originated in southern England.

"These British men probably came to the Netherlands to fight," she said.

Instead they ended up in a field hospital with poor hygiene, she explained to local TV. "So many of the boys had meningitis, it's really weird to find that out."

Samples were taken from six of the skeletons and isotope analysis of their bones concluded that one came from southern England, possibly Cornwall, another from southern Cornwall and a third from an urban English environment. Two more may have been from the Netherlands but of possible English descent while the other was from Germany.

The men would have been treated at a field hospital at Batestein Castle in Vianen and it is thought they had come to fight in the First Coalition war of 1792-97, between post-revolutionary France and several other European powers including Britain, Russia, Prussia, Spain, the Netherlands and Austria.

From late 1794-95, British soldiers were treated a short distance from the mass grave, and the researchers believe that the poor and cramped conditions of army life led to reduced resistance to bacterial infection.

The average age of the adult victims was about 26 although some of those who died were just teenagers.

"History is full of stories about the elite: people with power, money and status" archaeologist Hans Veenstra told RTV Utrecht. "How often do you get to hear about the ordinary man? These guys are still anonymous but they do fill a gap in a forgotten piece of history."