THE REMAINS of a first World War Canadian soldier that were discovered during construction work in France eight years ago have been identified as those of a 28-year-old Dublin immigrant.
The identity of Pte Thomas Lawless, who emigrated from Santry in 1908, was established after extensive work by forensic specialists and researchers used isotope signatures from his teeth.
These allowed scientists to establish the remains were those of a man who had been raised in Ireland and lived in Calgary, Alberta, before he had enlisted in the 49th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces in 1915.
Genetic testing using a DNA sample from a relative in Canada confirmed the remains were those of Pte Lawless, who was born on April 11th, 1889, and emigrated from Dublin with other members of his family.
Laurie Hawn, parliamentary secretary at Canada’s national defence ministry, said Pte Lawless will now be buried with full military honours at La Chaudière Military Cemetery in Vimy, France, on March 15th, with members of the family from Canada and Ireland in attendance.
“We are thankful that Pte Lawless will finally be laid to rest with the honour and dignity that he deserves,” Ms Hawn said. “Pte Lawless gave his life in the name our country and his contribution to Canada in the first World War will not soon be forgotten.”
National defence minister Peter MacKay said nearly 28,000 Canadian soldiers went missing during the first and second World Wars and the Korean War.
“New remains are discovered every year and my department and their partners work diligently to identify these fallen to ensure that their ultimate sacrifice is honoured.”
La Chaudière, a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery, has 907 first World War servicemen buried or commemorated there, including Pte Herbert Peterson whose remains were found with Pte Lawless near the village of Avion in France in 2003.
Pte Lawless was killed on the night of June 8th/9th, 1917, just north of Vimy Ridge in France. He was one of 16 soldiers lost with no trace after a raid on German trenches. Pte Peterson was identified in February 2007 after DNA testing of bone fragments.