211 14 15 16 17 18 The GreatWar battle areas, as Lens was the scene of heaving fighting in August 1917. During the project, a set of remains and some artifacts, including a trench whistle and a Military Medal ribbon, were found. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission were contacted, and their staff determined the remains were that of a Canadian soldier based on the artifacts found. Staff from Canada’s Casualty Identification Program were notified initiating a remarkable and lengthy process. The Casualty Identification Program works to identify newly found skeletal remains as well as pre-existing unknown graves of Canadian service members from the Great War, Second World War, and Korea. When skeletal remains are discovered, the Program attempts to identify the Canadian service member and provide them with a proper military burial. As well, when historical research suggests a Canadian occupant of an unidentified war grave, the Program attempts to confirm the identification and, if successful, requests a new headstone from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission with the service member’s name. The remains found near Lens prompted this identification process attempt which includes the expertise from a variety of disciplines including historical research, anthropological analysis, forensic odontology (dental), and genealogy. The remains were in very good condition which determined the height and approximate age at death but what really helped with the identification process was the artifacts found with the remains. A cap badge from the Canadian 1st Division’s 7th Battalion along with the Military Medal ribbon worn on a soldier’s tunic narrowed down the possibilities greatly. King George V looking at Canadian graves near Vimy in July 1917, Box number: 83, 7435, 00017A Archives / Collections and Fond 3521964
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