Canadian Soldier From World War I Identified as Saskatchewan Farmer

A man walks past the Canadian National Vimy Memorial following a ceremony at Vimy Ridge, France, on Nov. 10, 2018. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld

Human remains found in France have been identified as a Canadian soldier from World War I.

The remains were discovered in 2012 in Vendin-le-Vieil, a village in northern France, and are said to be those of Lieutenant Francis Henry Hemsley from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

Canada’s National Defence Department and the Canadian Armed Forces made the announcement in a March 14 news release. They say Hemsley’s identity was confirmed with historical, genealogical, anthropological, archaeological, and DNA analysis.

“We remember and honour the courage of those who have served our nation in wartime, and the sacrifice of the families they left behind,” said Minister of National Defence Bill Blair. “The passage of time does not diminish the price they paid. To the family of Lieutenant Hemsley, know that Canada honours him and is grateful for his service.”

The human remains were found by a bomb disposal unit that was clearing a construction site, the news release said. A few artifacts were also found near the remains, including fragments of a gas mask and helmet and “a badly damaged pair of boots.” The unit also found several buttons “clearly marked with 16th Battalion, Canadian Scottish Regiment.”

Lt. Hemsley is commemorated on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, which was erected to honour the memory of Canadian soldiers killed in France during WWI who have no known gravesite.

The memorial is located in Givenchy-en-Gohelle, northern France, about 175 kilometres north of Paris, at the site of Canada’s victory during the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917.

From Solider to Farmer

Lt. Hemsley was born in Ealing, Middlesex, England, in 1880, according to the news release. He was a trooper with the 35th Squadron, 11th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry, from 1900 to 1901 during the South African War.

He married Adina Cresswell Hebden in 1906 and immigrated to Canada in 1911. His wife and their two children joined him in 1912 and the couple later had a third child.

Lt. Hemsley farmed near Prince Albert being enlisting. He was also a member of the 52nd Prince Albert Volunteers Militia Regiment and was commissioned as a lieutenant in December 1915.

He joined the 183rd Battalion (Manitoba Beavers) in Winnipeg in February 1916, at age 35. He was sent to Liverpool, England, in October that year. He trained with the 108th Battalion and 14th (Manitoba) Reserve Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) and qualified as a Lewis gun instructor. He became a member of the CEF’s 16th Battalion (The Canadian Scottish) in April 1917 and joined the unit in the field in France in May, the news release said.

As part of the 16th Battalion, Lt. Hemsley fought in the Battle of Hill 70, which began on Aug. 15, 1917. He was reportedly killed on Aug. 16. He was 37 years old.

“Lieutenant Hemsley was one of many brave Canadians who left their home and family behind to serve during the First World War,” Veterans Affairs Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor said in the news release. “We remember his service and sacrifices during the Battle of Hill 70, and continue to remember all the brave Canadians who served beside him and who sacrificed so much to serve our country. Lest we forget.”

The 16th Battalion lost 62 soldiers in the Battle of Hill 70 and another 195 were hurt, the news release said. Lt. Hemsley was buried, but the location of his grave was later lost.

The Canadian Armed Forces has notified Lt. Hemsley’s family of his identification. His burial is planned for July in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Loos British Cemetery, located in Loos-en-Gohelle, France.

Members of the Canadian Scottish Regiment from Victoria, B.C., and representatives of the Government of Canada will attend along with Lt. Hemsley’s family.