Three Manitoban First World War soldiers, who died in the 1917 Battle of Hill 70, were laid to rest in France on Thursday.
Private William Del Donegan, Private Henry Edmonds Priddle and Sgt. Archibald Wilson, who were enlisted in Winnipeg, were buried with military honours at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Loos British Cemetery.
On May 22, the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) publicly announced that the three soldiers’ remains had been found near the village of Vendin-le-Vieil, France.
A fourth Canadian First World War soldier, Private John (Jack) Henry Thomas, was also laid to rest Thursday at the Loos British Cemetery. Thomas was a member of New Brunswick’s 26th Canadian Infantry Battalion. He died in 1917 and his remains were located Lens, France.
“A century ago and half a world away, these soldiers gave so much for our country and we must remember their service and honour their sacrifices,” said veterans affairs minister and associate minister of national defence Seamus O’Regan.
“To the families of Sergeant Wilson, Private Donegan, Private Priddle, and Private Thomas, Canada stands with you as your loved ones receive the dignified burial they are truly deserving of.”
