The Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of National Defence have confirmed that human remains recovered in Loos-en-Gohelle, France, belong to Pvt. Albert Henry Detmold, a Manitoba soldier who went missing in action during the First World War. Identification was made through historical, genealogical, anthropological, archaeological, and DNA analysis.Born July 9, 1884, in Hamburg, Germany, Detmold moved to Canada in 1902, settling near Roblin, Manitoba. In February 1916, he enlisted in Winnipeg with the 107th Overseas Battalion, also known as the 107th (Timber Wolf) Battalion. He served as a pioneer, performing combat engineering under dangerous battlefield conditions. His brothers also served: Fred with the Australian Imperial Force and Godfrey William with Britain’s Royal Flying Corps. Both survived the war.Detmold was killed on August 15, 1917, during the first day of the Battle of Hill 70 while extending communication trenches under heavy shellfire. .His body remained missing, leaving behind a fiancée in London, England.Remains were discovered during construction in Loos-en-Gohelle in August 2020. The Casualty Identification Review Board, with the assistance of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, confirmed the identity in December 2025. The CAF has notified Detmold’s family and will arrange his burial in France with family present.“Those who made the ultimate sacrifice are never forgotten,” said Defence Minister David J. McGuinty. Veterans Affairs Minister Jill McKnight added, “May those who gave their lives at Hill 70 and during the First World War inspire us to build a future worthy of their memory.”Detmold’s name is inscribed on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial and commemorated at Roblin, Manitoba, Alleyn’s School in London, England, and in the British Jewry Roll of Honour.The Casualty Identification Review Board includes members from Veterans Affairs Canada, the Canadian Museum of History, the Canadian Forces Forensic Odontology Response Team, and the CWGC, which commemorates 1.7 million Commonwealth servicemen and women who died in the two world wars.
