The remains of a 28-year-old New Brunswick farmer who became a soldier and was killed in battle in northern France more than a century ago will be laid to rest this summer after military forensic experts managed to identify his remains.
Private John (Jack) Henry Thomas. Source: Veterans Affairs Canada.
Private John (Jack) Henry Thomas of Birch Ridge in Victoria County was a member of the 26th Canadian Infantry Battalion (New Brunswick), Canadian Expeditionary Force, during the First World War.
He was killed August 19, 1917, during the Battle of Hill 70. His body was never recovered.
Pte. Thomas was identified by the casualty identification program’s Casualty Identification Review Board through historical, genealogical, anthropological, archeological and DNA analysis.
His remains will be buried at Loos British Cemetery in Loos-en-Gohelle, France in August.
Pte. Thomas was born on January 25, 1889 in Chewale, South Wales to parents Henry Arthur Thomas and Jane Thomas. He grew up in Birch Ridge, Victoria County, New Brunswick with his brother and four sisters.
More about Pte. Thomas is in this CBC report and on the Department of National Defence’s website.
