Canadian WWI soldier identified and buried in northern France

A Canadian First World War soldier, Pte. Albert Henry Detmold, has been identified and laid to rest in northern France more than a century after his death. Detmold was killed on Aug. 15, 1917, during the Battle of Hill 70. His remains were found in 2020 at a construction site for a new hospital in Lens, where crews uncovered dozens of WWI remains on land that was once a battlefield. Researchers used artifacts found with the body, historical records and DNA testing to confirm his identity. Items recovered included uniform buttons, a pickaxe and a cap badge linked to the 107th Battalion. A burial ceremony was held last Thursday in LoosenGohelle, with family members and military officials in attendance. Detmold’s greatniece, Liana Walters, said the identification and funeral brought unexpected emotion after learning only recently that he had been her relative. Canada’s Casualty Identification Program continues to investigate other unidentified remains from the site and has identified dozens of Canadian war dead since it was created in 2007.