Grave of Canadian Soldier Captain William Webster Wilson Identified in France

The Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have identified the grave of Captain William Webster Wilson, a Canadian soldier who served in the First World War. The grave, previously unmarked, is located at Adanac Military Cemetery in Miraumont, France, and the identification was confirmed through historical and archival research, according to an official announcement issued on June 2.

Wilson's identification provides updated records for a soldier who was reported missing more than a century ago. This story is significant to local communities as Captain Wilson lived and worked in Lindsay, Ontario, and was known to have served in various military and civilian roles before his death.

Captain Wilson was born on November 29, 1890, in Edinburgh, Scotland, to Hugh Cunningham and Mary Ann Lyell (née Webster) Wilson. He began his career with the Royal Bank of Scotland at age 15 and, after his mother’s death in 1911, immigrated to Canada to join the Bank of Montreal, first in Toronto then in Lindsay. The family, although residing separately in Canada and Australia, remained in contact during these years.

Before the First World War, Wilson volunteered in militia units in both Scotland and Canada. While in Lindsay, he was a Captain with the 45th Victoria Regiment. He joined thousands who enlisted at Valcartier, Quebec, after war was declared, officially enlisting on September 23, 1914, as an Honorary Captain and Paymaster with the 1st Canadian Divisional Signal Company. He trained in Quebec and England and arrived in France in April 1915, serving with Canadian military headquarters units by 1916.

In late 1916, heavy losses during the Somme Offensive led to Wilson’s reassignment to the 16th Canadian Infantry Battalion, following his completion of a machine gun course. On October 8, 1916, the 16th Battalion took part in the Battle of the Ancre Heights, attempting to capture Regina Trench. Captain Wilson was reported missing on October 9, 1916. As stated by DND, his brother learned in June 1919, via a second-hand account, that he had been killed by a shell at the age of 25.

According to DND, identification efforts began in 2016, when researchers submitted information to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) about an unidentified captain from the 16th Battalion buried at Adanac Military Cemetery. The Directorate of History and Heritage (DHH) at DND concluded the grave belonged to Captain Wilson. The identification was confirmed by the Casualty Identification Review Board in December 2024.

DND states that Captain Wilson’s family has been notified of the identification and that a headstone rededication ceremony is planned at Adanac Military Cemetery. Captain Wilson is commemorated on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France and on the Lindsay Cenotaph in Ontario.

The Casualty Identification Review Board includes members from DHH, Veterans Affairs Canada, the Canadian Museum of History, the Canadian Forces Forensic Odontology Response Team, and the CWGC.