His uncle, Sergeant Harold Richardson, has been named as one of 191 Australian soldiers whose bodies are expected to be exhumed from unmarked World War I graves at Pheasant Wood in May.

Also named is Private Robert Gladstone Fenwick, of Helensburgh.

They are believed to be among those killed by the Germans after the Battle of Fromelles on July 19, 1916.

Their names were included on the list of soldiers released by the Department of Defence this week.

Many of the Diggers were identified by their dog tags collected by the Germans and passed on to the Red Cross.

The site of the mass grave was confirmed by a research team last year.

Australian Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, Warren Snowdon, said in August the soldiers would be reburied in individual graves, with full military honours.

The Department of Defence is sending letters to the soldiers' families, notifying them of the development and the fact they may be called upon to provide DNA to help identify the bodies.

Waiting for the call-up is Mr Richardson. His sister Nancy Mellor, of Melbourne, has already received her letter of notification.

Mrs Mellor said she was excited about the prospect of her uncle finally being found.

"I lived in Bulli for many years ... On travelling through France (in 2007), I pondered on where my uncle had been buried and it will be great if his remains can be found," she said.

Mr Richardson, who has put himself forward to provide the DNA sample, had mixed emotions about the exhumation.

"There is an argument for leaving the graves undisturbed after all these years," he said.

The Mercury has yet to locate the relatives of Pte Fenwick, a Helensburgh coalminer who was shipped overseas in December 1915, and was reported missing in action on July 21 the following year.