More than a century after his death in the First World War, the grave of Captain William Webster Wilson has been identified in Adanac Military Cemetery in Miraumont, France, the Department of National Defence (DND) and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) announced.
The long-lost identity was confirmed through historical and archival research by the CAF’s Casualty Identification Program, which aims to restore names to unidentified soldiers and ensure their sacrifices are remembered. Captain Wilson’s remains were buried under an anonymous headstone for decades following his death during the 1916 Battle of the Somme.
Wilson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on November 29, 1890, and immigrated to Canada in 1911 after the death of his mother. He joined the Bank of Montreal, working in Toronto and later Lindsay, Ont., where he also served as a Captain with the local militia. He enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in September 1914 and served as a paymaster and officer with the 1st Canadian Divisional Signal Company.
By the fall of 1916, Wilson was attached to the 16th Canadian Infantry Battalion and took part in the Canadian Corps’ assault on Regina Trench during the Battle of the Ancre Heights. He was reported missing on October 9, 1916, and was later presumed killed by shellfire at age 25.
In 2016, researchers submitted evidence to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission suggesting the grave of an unidentified captain of the 16th Battalion in Adanac Cemetery could be identified. DND’s Directorate of History and Heritage later confirmed it belonged to Captain Wilson. His family was notified in late 2024.
“Captain Wilson gave his life to protect our great country and his identification is a reminder of the sacrifices that he and all Canadians who served have made—as well as their families,” said National Defence Minister David J. McGuinty.
Captain Wilson is commemorated on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial and the Lindsay Cenotaph. A rededication ceremony will be held at his grave in France at the earliest opportunity.
