Lance Sergeant John Oscar Lindell
Between 2006 and 2007, eight sets of skeletal remains were discovered near Hallu, France. One set of remains were identified as those of Lance Sergeant John Oscar Lindell.
- Born 27 December 1884 in Sweden
- Died 11 August 1918 at the age of 33
- Died a member of the 78th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Winnipeg Grenadiers), CEF
- Remains discovered in 2007
- Buried at Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Caix British Cemetery, Section II, Plot AA, Grave 13
John Oscar Lindell was born on 27 December 1884 in Sweden. In 1901, he and his family left Mälmo, Sweden for Manitoba. Prior to enlisting in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) Lindell was a railroad foreman and unmarried
In July 1915, he enlisted in the 78th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Winnipeg Grenadiers) in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In May 1916, he arrived in England and embarked for France in August of that same year.
In March 1917, he was transferred back to England after being wounded in the field but returned to France in November.
In June 1918, he was promoted to Lance Sergeant and served with the 78th Battalion until his death on 11 August 1918 in Hallu, France. Thirty-five soldiers of the 78th Battalion were presumed to have been killed in action at Hallu. Following the war, Lance Sergeant Lindell’s name was engraved on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial commemorating Canadian soldiers who died during the First World War and have no known grave.
In 2006, three sets of remains were discovered on private property in Hallu, France. Five more sets of remains were discovered the following year. The eight sets of discovered remains were analysed using anthropological methods, genetic testing, and isotope analysis and compared to the profiles of the 35 candidates. The Casualty Identification Program was able to confirm one set of remains as those of Lance Sergeant John Oscar Lindell.
The interment of Lance Sergeant Lindell took place on 13 May 2015 at Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Caix British Cemetery, Caix, France. Members of Lance Sergeant Lindell’s family, as well as representatives from the Government of Canada and the Canadian Armed Forces, attended the ceremony.
For further information on Lance Sergeant Lindell, you can view his personnel file on the Library and Archives Canada website.
Information about casualty identification
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