Remains of First World War Canadian soldier identified as Lieutenant Francis Henry Hemsley

The remains of Lieutenant Francis Henry Hemsley, a Canadian soldier of the First World War have been identified and his burial is planned later this year at CWGC Loos British Cemetery.

His remains were discovered in August 2012 by a bomb disposal unit clearing ordnance from a construction site in Vendin-le-Vieil, France. Alongside the remains were artifacts including fragments of a gas mask, a helmet and a badly damaged pair of boots. Several buttons clearly marked with “16th Battalion, Canadian Scottish Regiment” were also found.

Through detailed, painstaking research, DNA analysis and the assistance of the Canadian Museum of History, the Canadian Casualty Identification Review Board was able to confirm the identity of the remains as those of Lieutenant Hemsley in February 2024.

Lieutenant Francis Henry Hemsley

Francis (Frank) Hemsley was born in Ealing, Middlesex, England, in 1880, one of seven children of Alexander and Ellen Hemsley (née Streeten). He served as a Trooper with the 35th Squadron, 11th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry, from 1900 to 1901 during the South African War. In 1906 he married Adina Cresswell Hebden and they had two children before he immigrated to Canada in 1911.

His family joined him a year later and a third child was later born to them. They farmed near Prince Albert, Saskatchewan before he enlisted. He was also a member of the 52nd Prince Albert Volunteers militia regiment, receiving his militia commission as a lieutenant in December 1915.

In February 1916, in Winnipeg, he joined the 183rd Battalion (Manitoba Beavers) as a lieutenant, at the age of 35. Lieutenant Hemsley sailed for Liverpool, England, in October and after training with the 108th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), and the 14th (Manitoba) Reserve Battalion, CEF, during which he qualified as a Lewis gun instructor, he became a member of the 16th Battalion (The Canadian Scottish), CEF, in April 1917 and joined the unit in the field in France in May.

The 16th Battalion fought in the Battle of Hill 70, which began on August 15, 1917. In the period August 15-17, the Battalion suffered 257 casualties, including 62 who were killed. Lieutenant Hemsley was reported killed in action on August 16, 1917, at the age of 37.

He was buried, but the location of his grave was later lost and his name was commemorated on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial for Canadian soldiers killed in France during the First World War with no known grave.

The Canadian Armed Forces have notified the family of Lieutenant Hemsley of his identification and is providing them with ongoing support. His burial is planned for July 2024, in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Loos British Cemetery in Loos-en-Gohelle, France.

He will be laid to rest by members of The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary’s) from Victoria, British Colombia and with his family and representatives of the Government of Canada in attendance.