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Remembered Today:

Remains of a 17 year old Newfoundland Soldier Identified + Burial Details


MelPack

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This young lad is to be buried on 30 June 2022 at the New Irish Cemetery.

JCCC details:

30 June 2022

11am at New Irish Farm cemetery, Ypres. A joint Burial Service with the Canadian Army for;

Pte John Lambert of the Newfoundland Regiment

Two unknown British soldiers of unknown regiments

An unknown soldier of the Royal Fusiliers

An unknown soldier of the Royal Enniskilling Fusiliers

An unknown soldier of the Hampshire Regiment

An unknown German soldier

 

It was probably not picked up on because of lack of media interest in the UK but the remains of Pte John Lambert of the Newfoundland Regiment killed in action around Langemarck on 16 August 1917 have been successfully identified.

The full story here:

Using a descendant's DNA, remains of a Newfoundland Regiment soldier were identified after more than a century

Pte. John Lambert of St. John's was 17 when he was killed in Belgium during the First World War

David Maher | Posted: Dec. 1, 2020, 11:10 a.m. | Updated: Dec. 1, 2020, 3:57 p.m. | 5 Min Read
 

Private John Lambert — Government of Canada/Lambert Family

Private John Lambert — Government of Canada/Lambert Family

The remains of a Royal Newfoundland Regiment soldier have been identified more than a century after he was killed during the First World War.

Pte. John Lambert of St. John's was just 17 when he died of wounds suffered during the Battle of Langemarck in Belgium, just about a year after he enlisted.

He was buried near the site of the battle, but his gravesite wasn't discovered until April of 2016, when four sets of human remains were discovered during an archaeological dig near Ypres, Belgium. Military identifiers discovered with the remains indicated three of the soldiers were British and that one, by the “NFLD” shoulder badge, was a soldier of the Newfoundland Regiment.



The Newfoundland Regiment shoulder tile that was the first clue in the search that led to the identification of Pvt. John Lambert. — Government of Canada/DHH The Newfoundland Regiment shoulder tile that was the first clue in the search that led to the identification of Pvt. John Lambert. — Government of Canada/DHH


Belgian authorities contacted the Canadian Armed Forces’ Casualty Identification Program upon the discovery of the soldier. The Casualty Identification Program reached out to the Royal Newfoundland Regiment for assistance in finding the soldier’s descendants, and the Regiment then turned to The Rooms Provincial Archives.

DNA samples from the soldier’s descendants made it possible to confirm the soldier’s identity as that of Lambert. This is the first time a Newfoundland Regiment soldier has been identified using this process.

Provincial archivist Greg Walsh provided vital work in the effort to Lambert’s direct descendants to obtain that DNA. 

Military records confirmed there were 16 Newfoundland Regiment soldiers who had fought in the vicinity at that time but had no known grave. Using the list, Walsh began a year-long search and proceeded to find living descendants for 13 of the 16. 

He examined archival sources and collections, including vital statistics registers, census records, newspaper records, phone books, ancestry.ca, family search.org, attestation papers and nominal rolls, phone books, Canada 411, Facebook, Google, yearbooks, group photos of the regiment, birth/death/marriage records, and obituaries.

 

Walsh’s task was complicated by the fact the age on Lambert’s official documentation was incorrect. He was actually two years younger than indicated when he enlisted.



Pvt. John Lambert (left) poses with another unidentified soldier. — Government of Canada/Coady Family Pvt. John Lambert (left) poses with another unidentified soldier. — Government of Canada/Coady Family


Lambert was born in St. John’s on July 10, 1900 and enlisted in the Newfoundland Regiment on Aug. 16, 1916. He lied about his age in order to enlist, claiming to be 18 years and three months old, when he was just 16.

Two weeks later, he was aboard the S.S. Sicilian, headed for Ayr, Scotland to join the second battalion of the Newfoundland Regiment. Lambert helped other soldiers train for battle for almost a year before it was his time to face combat.

On June 7, 1917, he joined the first battalion of the Newfoundland Regiment in Rouen, France, before a British offensive began northeast of Ypres on July 31, 1917.



John Lambert's enlistment papers indicating he was 18 at the time of enlistment. In reality, he was just 16. — N..L. Government Archives/The Rooms John Lambert's enlistment papers indicating he was 18 at the time of enlistment. In reality, he was just 16. — N..L. Government Archives/The Rooms


Lambert waited with the Newfoundland Regiment for over a month for their turn in the fray. The 88th Brigade, which included the Regiment, made up the right flank of an attack on German trenches.

The attack was twice delayed due to heavy rain that soaked the ground and churned up unforgiving mud on the battlefield. Finally, on Aug. 13, the British forces made the charge over the trenches.

Newfoundland Regiment soldiers were able to keep up with the artillery barrage covering their attack and were able to advance over 1,100 meters to the German trenches. The Regiment overran the German trenches, completing all of their objectives in what would later be known as the Battle of Langemarck.

There were 103 casualties suffered by the Regiment that day, with 27 men, including Lambert, losing their lives.

On Sept. 29, 1917, a letter was sent to Lambert's family, informing them of their son’s fate.



A letter from Newfoundland Colonial Secretary Richard Squires to  Richard Lambert, Pvt. John Lambert's Father. — Government of Canada/Lambert Family A letter from Newfoundland Colonial Secretary Richard Squires to Richard Lambert, Pvt. John Lambert's Father. — Government of Canada/Lambert Family


Lambert's name was etched into the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, to commemorate soldiers lost with no known grave.

Meanwhile, in the fields of Belgium, Lambert’s remains went undisturbed for almost 100 years until the archaeological dig.

It is believed Lambert and the other soldiers found with him were buried near the site of a field hospital and for unknown reasons, their remains were not found and recovered following the war.

“With casualty numbers as overwhelming as those of the First World War were, it can be easy to forget that behind every statistic was a Canadian or Newfoundlander who would never return home. Events like this remind us of that fact," reads a statement from Lawerence MacAuley, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defense.

"Today, we honour Private Lambert, and all those men of the Newfoundland Regiment who gave their lives in service. Lest we forget.”



Medals awarded to Pvt. John Lambert. — Government of Canada/Lambert Family Medals awarded to Pvt. John Lambert. — Government of Canada/Lambert Family


 

Lambert’s remains will be buried at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s New Irish Farm Cemetery in West-Wlaanderen, Belgium. Soldiers of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, which carries on the tradition of the Newfoundland Regiment, will be on hand for the burial, to be held at the earliest opportunity. Members of Lambert’s family, representatives from the Government of Canada, the United Kingdom, and Belgium, the British, Belgian, and Canadian Armed Forces will make the trip to commemorate Lambert’s sacrifice at a later date.

https://www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/news/using-a-descendants-dna-remains-of-a-newfoundland-regiment-soldier-were-identified-after-more-than-a-century-526181/

 
Edited by MelPack
Adding Burial Details
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A very moving story Mel, thanks for sharing this.

All the best, John

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Kudos to "Provincial archivist Greg Walsh" for tracking down relatives of the poor lad!

John/"Uncle Jack" 's (now 90-yr old) niece's DNA sample proved the breakthrough.

"The Canadian Armed Forces confirmed Tuesday that Lambert will be buried, likely next summer, at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s New Irish Farm Cemetery in West-Vlaanderen, Belgium."

https://globalnews.ca/news/7495230/military-identifies-remains-of-newfoundland-soldier-killed-in-belgium-in-1917/

 

 

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  • MelPack changed the title to Remains of a 17 year old Newfoundland Soldier Identified
  • MelPack changed the title to Remains of a 17 year old Newfoundland Soldier Identified + Burial Details

Added burial details by editing the opening post.

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  • 1 month later...

Report of the Burial:

How a Canadian team solved a century-old mystery to lay WW I soldier to rest'It melts my heart … he deserved this,' says niece of Newfoundland soldier Pte. John Lambert

 
Ashley Burke · CBC News · Posted: Jul 01, 2022 4:14 PM ET | Last Updated: July 1
 
BURKE_WWI_SOLDIER_MPX_.jpg?crop=1.777xh:

Canadian WWI soldier finally laid to rest in Belgium

19 days ago
Duration 2:10

The remains of Pte. John Lambert, who died during the First World War, were finally laid to rest in Belgium with his family in attendance for the ceremony.

A young soldier from Newfoundland killed during the First World War has finally been laid to rest by the Canadian military after a century-long mystery into his death. 

Archeologists unearthed the remains of Pte. John Lambert in a Belgian farmer's wheat field in 2016, almost 100 years after he died.

But it wasn't until years later that Lambert, who fought with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, was identified in an investigation that became one of the most complicated cases that a Canadian team with the Department of National Defence has ever solved. 

Lambert, 17, was also the youngest soldier that forensic anthropologist Sarah Lockyer has identified to date.

"He looks like a child in his photograph," said Lockyer, the casualty identification co-ordinator for the team. "When I opened up that file … that was incredibly striking to me."

private-john-lambert.JPG
Pte. John Lambert of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment lied about his age and enlisted at 16 to fight in the First World War. His family is grateful that a Canadian team helped identify his remains almost 100 years after he died. (Submitted by family )

Generations of questions

The family had shared a black and white photo with Lockyer that showed Lambert in his oversized uniform.

That same image has hung on walls in their family homes for generations.

But all they knew was that Lambert lied about his age to enlist at 16, then died while serving his country in 1917, according to a hand-written letter the military sent Lambert's father. 

Lambert's niece, Elizabeth Willar, never thought he'd be found. 

"It was hard to believe," she said. "Hard to get out of your head, it has been over 100 years."

This week, more than a dozen of Lambert's relatives from Newfoundland descended on the small town of Ypres, Belgium, for answers they've waited a lifetime to hear.

sarah-lockyer.JPG
Forensic anthropologist Sarah Lockyer, the casualty identification co-ordinator with the Department of National Defence, stands among tombstones at a Belgium cemetery holding several artifacts found with the remains of Lambert and three other soldiers, including regiment identifiers. (Ashley Burke/CBC News)

Tracing a soldier's final days

Under a sea of umbrellas to guard against the pouring rain on Thursday, the group trudged toward the field where Lambert's remains were found to trace his final days. 

Archeologists guided Lambert's niece, Anne Smith, to the exact spot where they uncovered his remains on a similarly rainy day six years ago. 

A Belgian company had been surveying the land to lay underground pipes when it discovered a former battlefield filled with the remains of more than 60 people, including Lambert.

"It's surreal," said Smith while standing in the field. "It's a strange feeling. It's just like it's awesome one way and a bit sad."

anne-smith.JPG
Archeologists show Anne Smith to the location in a Belgian field Thursday where her uncle's remains were found in 2016. It took the team three years to identify his remains. (Ashley Burke/CBC News)

Lockyer's team of about five people with Canada's casualty identification program work to identify soldiers by studying remains uncovered in old European battlefields by archeologists, farmers or construction workers.

The program began in 2007 and has investigated the cases of more than 35 unknown soldiers. More than 27,000 Canadian service members without a known grave are still missing from past wars. 

Through their research, the team learned that Lambert's regiment was part of a British attack known as the Battle of Langemarck. The attack targeted German positions to push the enemy toward Passchendaele Ridge.

Only slight gains were made as troops battled mud, rain and counter-attacks. Over just three hours, 27 people died as the British battalion advanced 1,000 yards. 

Lambert was one of the soldiers wounded during the attack who later died. 

Complicating efforts to identify Lambert: His remains were mixed with three other British soldiers who died in battle.

shoulder-title-nfld.JPG
A metal identifier from Lambert's uniform was unearthed with his remains in the field in 2016. It was a key piece of evidence that helped determine who he was. (Ashley Burke/CBC News )

A decayed metal clue 

The name of Lambert's regiment ended up being the key to the puzzle in 2019 to confirm his identity, said Lockyer. 

A decayed piece of metal that spelled N-F-L-D linked Lambert to the Newfoundland Regiment that later became the only colonial regiment to receive the prefix "Royal" during the First World War. 

"That was the only thing that really gave us an indication that we were dealing with somebody from Newfoundland," said Lockyer. 

Only 16 Newfoundlanders who fought in that battle were missing, which helped narrow the list. 

A DNA sample from Lambert's oldest living niece, military records and biological data — confirmed his identity and stunned Lambert's family. 

Lambert was laid to rest Thursday at the New Irish Farm Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery close to where he died, in an official Canadian military ceremony attended by members of his regiment and family.

private-john-lambert-burial.JPG
The Canadian Armed Forces laid Lambert to rest Thursday in Belgium's New Irish Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery. He was buried next to the three British soldiers he died with on the battlefield in 1917. (Ashley Burke/CBC News )

'I feel peace now'

Lambert's family members placed pins in the shape of forget-me-nots on his grave. The blue flower is a symbol worn by many in Nfld. on Canada Day in memory of soldiers from the Royal Newfoundland Regiment who died in the First World War.

Smith brought soil from the grave of Lambert's parents to sprinkle over his final resting place so he wouldn't be alone. Lambert was laid to rest with the three British soldiers who died with him.

"I feel peace now," said Smith. 

After more than a century of not knowing Lambert's ultimate fate, his family is happy that his identity has been uncovered and his remains are at rest, this time under a tombstone etched with his name.

"It's beautiful," said Lambert's niece, Phyllis Smith. "It melts my heart. It really does. It makes me happy, he deserved this."

phyllis-and.JPG
Lambert's nieces Elizabeth Willar, left, and Phyllis Smith, right, travelled from St. John's to Ypres, Belgium, for the special military burial. (Ashley Burke/CBC News )

 

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