Canadian soldier of the Second World War identified

The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces have identified the grave of a Canadian soldier of the Second World War as that of Trooper Henry George Johnston. Trooper Johnston was buried as an unknown soldier in 1945 in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Mook War Cemetery in the Netherlands.

Trooper Henry George Johnston was born on May 2, 1915, in Chauvin, Alberta. He enlisted at No. 13 District Depot as a General Reinforcement in October 1943 in Calgary. After training in Ontario, he embarked for the United Kingdom on June 25, 1944, arriving on July 3, 1944. He was taken on strength by the 1 Armoured

Personnel Carrier Regiment, Canadian Armoured Corps, Canadian Active Service Force, on November 12, 1944. Trooper Johnston was declared killed in action on January 17, 1945, during an attack in which his Regiment was carrying members of the Devonshire Regiment, a regiment of the British Army, as part of Operation BLACKCOCK. 

The Canadian Armed Forces have notified surviving next of kin of Trooper Johnston’s identification and have provided the family with ongoing support. A headstone rededication ceremony will take place at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Mook War Cemetery in Limburg, Netherlands, at the earliest opportunity. 

The Canadian Armed Forces’ Casualty Identification Program fosters a sense of continuity and identity within the Canadian Armed Forces, and provides an opportunity for the family, the unit of the fallen soldier, and all Canadians to reflect upon the experiences of the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. 

Explore some of the WW1 Canadian memorials across the world.