Register to help the Casualty Identification Program this Remembrance Day

Novembre 1st, 2024 - Defence Stories

As Remembrance Day approaches, who will you remember? Remembrance Day marks an opportunity to reflect on the service and sacrifice of Canadian service members, including those who have lost their lives on active service.

More than 27,000 Canadian war dead from the world wars and the Korean Conflict have no known grave. For some of these families, more than a century has passed since their loved one was lost – but the impact of that loss can transcend generations.

The Casualty Identification Program, under the Directorate of History and Heritage, works to identify the remains of Canadian war dead so that they may be buried with their name, by their regiment, and in the presence of family. When remains are uncovered, the identification process involves extensive historical research, forensic anthropology, and the potential use of DNA.

As part of the identification process, the Casualty Identification Program has created an online registration form for family members of Canadian war dead with no known grave to register their connection to their missing relative.

As of publication, there are 263 submissions to the register connected to the First World War alone. Among the subjects of these submissions, the oldest missing soldier is 44. The youngest is 15.

Forms have been submitted by grandchildren and by distant cousins. Some submitters have grown up with detailed stories about their missing relative, while others learned of their connections through genealogy research. Several share a name with their lost loved one. Every person who joins the registry has made a commitment to remember.

If you have a family member missing from these conflicts, joining the register is an opportunity to assist the work of the Casualty Identification Program. Relevant family information, including genealogy, may prove crucial to an investigation. 

To join the register, only your contact information and information about your missing family member are required. All personal information will be protected, used, and disclosed in accordance with the Privacy Act. You can join the register here: Register to find your missing military family member.

Since it was founded in 2007, the Casualty Identification Program has identified the remains of 35 Canadians. In 2019, the Program officially took on the additional responsibility of identifying the graves of Canadian service members buried as unknowns, and has since identified 12. There are currently 40 active investigations involving remains and 38 involving graves.

For more information on the Casualty Identification Program, please visit the Casualty Identification Program webpage: Casualty Identification Program.