After more than a century of anonymity, a Canadian soldier who fell during the Battle of Vimy Ridge has finally been given back his name.
The Department of National Defence announced yesterday that the remains discovered in 2022 near the French village of Thélus belong to Private Thomas McConnell, a 29-year-old farmer from Perth, Ontario who served with the 21st Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force.
“Every identification brings closure to a family and helps our nation honor the sacrifices made by those who served,” said Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence, in a statement released by her office. “Private McConnell’s story reminds us of the very personal cost of war.”
McConnell’s identification emerged through a painstaking process combining historical research, genealogical tracing, and modern DNA analysis. His remains were discovered during construction work on a rural property approximately two kilometers from the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.
According to military historians with Veterans Affairs Canada, McConnell enlisted in Kingston in September 1915, leaving behind his young wife and infant daughter. Letters preserved by his family reveal he wrote home frequently, often describing the mud and cold that plagued soldiers on the Western Front.
“It’s remarkable how these identifications bridge time,” said Dr. Sarah Lockyer, the forensic anthropologist who leads the Canadian Armed Forces’ Casualty Identification Program. “The archaeological evidence at the site suggested the soldier died during the initial assault on April 9, 1917, which aligns with what we know of Private McConnell’s service record.”
Personal effects recovered with McConnell included a badly corroded identification disc, fragments of a 21st Battalion insignia, and several uniform buttons that helped narrow down potential identities. The final confirmation came through DNA matching with McConnell’s great-grandnephew, Robert McConnell of Barrie, Ontario.
The McConnell family expressed both surprise and gratitude at the news. “Growing up, we knew our great-great-uncle Thomas had died at Vimy, but we always assumed he was among the unnamed buried at the Vimy Memorial,” said Robert McConnell. “To have him identified after all this time feels like bringing him home.”
Vimy Ridge holds profound significance in Canadian history. The battle marked the first time all four divisions of the Canadian Corps fought together, capturing the heavily fortified ridge when previous Allied attempts had failed. The victory came at a steep cost – 3,598 Canadians killed and over 7,000 wounded during the four-day battle.
Jeremy Diamond, Executive Director of the Vimy Foundation, emphasized the personal dimension of this identification. “When visitors see the 11,285 names inscribed on the Vimy Memorial, it can be hard to connect with individual stories. Identifications like Private McConnell’s remind us these weren’t just names – they were sons, husbands, brothers with hopes and dreams cut short.”
Commonwealth War Graves Commission records indicate that more than 27,000 Canadian soldiers who died in the First World War have no known grave, with their names commemorated on memorials in France and Belgium.
“The soil around Vimy still occasionally yields these discoveries,” noted Dr. Tim Cook, historian at the Canadian War Museum. “Each identification represents remarkable detective work across disciplines – archaeology, genealogy, military history, and forensic science.”
A formal burial with military honors for Private McConnell is planned for September at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Givenchy Road Canadian Cemetery near Vimy. Members of the McConnell family plan to attend, along with representatives from the 21st Battalion’s perpetuating unit, The Princess of Wales’ Own Regiment.
Veterans Affairs will cover travel expenses for immediate family members attending the ceremony, in keeping with the department’s commitment to honoring Canada’s fallen.
“I’ll be bringing my grandson,” said Robert McConnell. “I want him to understand that history isn’t abstract – it’s about real people who made real sacrifices. Thomas was only a few years older than my grandson when he enlisted.”
Since 2007, the Casualty Identification Program has identified 35 Canadian soldiers from the First and Second World Wars using modern forensic techniques. Each identification removes a name from the list of missing and provides families with long-delayed closure.
“When we look at the grand scale of the world wars, it’s easy to get lost in numbers,” said Lockyer. “But every identification reminds us of our fundamental obligation to remember these individuals – not just as soldiers, but as people who deserved to come home.”
For now, Private McConnell’s temporary wooden cross bears his name, rank, and unit – the first marker to correctly identify him since he fell on French soil 108 years ago.
