A suspected World War One burial ground for Australian soldiers near Fromelles in France will be excavated in April to determine if there are remains at the site.
Defence personnel minister Warren Snowdon said the limited excavation would be carried out by the Glasgow University Archaeological Division to establish what condition the remains may be in, if any exist.
"Should the presence of remains be confirmed, any decision to proceed with a recovery operation will be subject to agreement from French and British authorities," Mr Snowdon said.
Up to 400 Australian and British soldiers who fought in the battle of Fromelles during July 1916 are believed to have been buried at the site because they were not recovered by battlefield clearance teams at the conclusion of World War One.
The work is being planned under the leadership of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission with the approval of French authorities and the local landowner.
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