Canadian soldier of the First World War identified

News release

Portrait of Corporal William Benjamin Cunningham
Portrait of Corporal William Benjamin Cunningham

Oct. 2, 2024 – Ottawa – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have confirmed that the grave of a previously unknown soldier is that of Corporal William Benjamin Cunningham, a Canadian soldier of the First World War. Corporal Cunningham was buried as an unknown soldier in Tyne Cot Cemetery in Ypres, Belgium, in 1920. The identity was confirmed through historical research conducted using numerous archival sources including war diaries, service records, casualty registers, and grave exhumation and concentration reports.

William Cunningham was born near Hayfield, Manitoba, on December 30, 1895, the second son of Hugh James Cunningham and Syllindia Isabel Cunningham (née Harper). He worked as a clerk in Brandon, Manitoba, and served in the 99th Manitoba Rangers militia unit before enlisting with the 181st Overseas Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). In April 1917, Lance Corporal Cunningham arrived in England to train with the 18th Reserve Battalion, CEF. In August 1917, Lance Corporal Cunningham was taken on strength by the 44th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF, and joined his unit in France. In September, Cunningham was promoted to the rank of Corporal.

That fall, during the Third Battle of Ypres, also referred to as the Battle of Passchendaele, the Canadian Corps’ main objective was to capture the village of Passchendaele, Belgium. In an assault that began on the morning of October 26, 1917, the 10th Infantry Brigade of the 4th Canadian Division (of which the 44th Battalion was a part), attacked along the eastern ridge on which ran the Zonnebeke-Passchendaele Road. The 44th Battalion fought through intense machine gun fire, gas and shellfire to successfully take and hold a destroyed forest, Decline Copse. In just three days of fighting, 45 men of the 44th Battalion were killed. Of those, 29 were declared missing with no known grave. According to his files, Corporal Cunningham was killed in action on October 27, 1917, during intense shelling while fighting at a forward outpost past the Canadians’ front lines. For unknown reasons, his remains were not identified. He was 21 years old.

The CAF has notified the family of Corporal Cunningham of his identification and is providing them with ongoing support. A headstone rededication ceremony will take place at the earliest opportunity at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Tyne Cot Cemetery.

Quotes

“More than a century ago, a young man from Manitoba courageously sought to serve his country in wartime. As we honour Corporal Cunningham for his dedication, we assure his family that Canada will forever be grateful for his service.”

The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence

“Although Corporal Cunningham’s final resting place is among his comrades far from home, it is our duty here at home to honour the contributions he and his fellow service members made. We will remember his courage and the ultimate sacrifice he made. Lest we forget.”

The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence

Quick facts

  • Corporal Cunningham is commemorated on Panel 28 of the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, which honours the soldiers killed in the Ypres Salient in Belgium during the First World War who have no known grave. He is also commemorated on his family headstone, located in the Brandon Municipal Cemetery in Brandon, Manitoba. The epitaph reads “he that giveth his life shall find it.”

  • In 1920, a grave was concentrated (relocated) to Tyne Cot Cemetery in Ypres, Belgium, managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), and registered as “A Corporal of the Great War – 44th Battalion, Canadian Infantry – Known unto God.”  One hundred years later, in April 2020, the Directorate of History and Heritage (DHH) received a research report from the CWGC, submitted to them by independent researchers, detailing the potential identification of the grave. Extensive research undertaken by CWGC and DHH confirmed that this grave could only be that of Corporal Cunningham.

  • In November 2023, the Casualty Identification Review Board confirmed the identification of Corporal Cunningham of the 44th Canadian Infantry Battalion (The Royal Winnipeg Rifles), Canadian Expeditionary Force. The Casualty Identification Review Board is made up of members from the Directorate of History and Heritage, the Canadian Forces Forensic Odontology Response Team, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and the Canadian Museum of History.

  • Since it was founded in 2007, the Canadian Armed Forces’ Casualty Identification Program has identified the remains of 36 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.

  • The Commonwealth War Graves Commission commemorates the 1.7 million Commonwealth servicemen and women who died during the two world wars. Using an extensive archive, the Commission works with its partners to recover, investigate, and identify those with no known grave, in order to give them the dignity of burial and the commemoration they deserve.

Associated links

Contacts

Media Relations
Department of National Defence
Phone: 613-904-3333
Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca

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