Military identifies remains of Newfoundland soldier killed in Belgium in 1917
Posted December 1, 2020 1:31 pm.
Last Updated December 1, 2020 1:38 pm.
OTTAWA — The Canadian military says it has identified the remains of a young soldier from Newfoundland who died on a First World War battlefield in Belgium in 1917.
The remains of Pte. John Lambert of St. John’s, a 17-year-old member of the Newfoundland Regiment, were discovered during an archeological dig in April 2016, near the town of Langemark.
Historical and scientific research led to a positive identification and notification of Lambert’s surviving relatives.
The military says Lambert lied about his age and was only 16 when he enlisted in the Newfoundland Regiment on Aug. 14, 1916.
He trained in Scotland and was serving with the 1st Battalion of the Newfoundland Regiment when he was killed in action on Aug. 16, 1917 during the Battle of Langemarck.
The Canadian Armed Forces confirmed today that Lambert will be buried at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s New Irish Farm Cemetery in West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 1, 2020.
The Canadian Press
