Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were joined in France this week by 12 veterans from the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women, as the Prince dedicated the first new Commonwealth War Graves cemetery for 50 years.

Two thousand people gathered at Fromelles, near Lille, for the reburial of 250 British and Australian soldiers on the 94th anniversary of the battle in which they were killed.

A Jewish reburial service was held for Lieutenant Berrol Lazar Mendelsohn and 11 other Australian Jews found in mass graves two years ago. As the Last Post sounded, Ajex national standard bearer Leslie Sutton joined French, British and Australian counterparts, dipping their flags in homage.

After the main ceremony, the Ajex representatives and relatives of Lt Mendelsohn and the other Australian Jews who lack known graves, held a short Jewish service, led by Ajex executive director Jacques Weisser. British Army Chaplain Rabbi Arnold Saunders recited Kaddish and El Moleh Rachamim.

The Ajex group, led by national chairman Dr Arnold Phelops, ended the ceremony by singing Adon Olam to the tune of Waltzing Matilda.