How three UWO profs helped identify an unknown soldier 0
Almost a century after his death, a fallen Canadian soldier from the First World War has been identified - in part thanks to professors from the University of Western Ontario.
Andrew Nelson and Christine White, of Western's anthropology department, and Fred Longstaffe of the earth sciences department, were part of a team that identified the mystery soldier as Pte. Thomas Lawless of Calgary. His remains were found in France near Vimy Ridge in 2003.
Years of research - involving genetic testing, isotope analysis, forensic reconstruction and military history - led to the identification of Lawless in January.
Nelson became involved with the National Defence-led project in 2007. His role, he said, began in France with basic osteological work - the study of the structure and function of bones - to determine the soldier's identity.
"In the computer we combined scans of the separate bones and recreated a digital model of the skull, and from that we created what's called a 3D print of the skull," he said. "It's a physical model based on the computer model."
Nelson said Newfoundland artist Christian Corbet then created a forensic reconstruction of the soldier's face, which allowed Nelson to rule out some potential candidates short-listed by National Defence.
Eventually, Nelson narrowed the list to two names, including Lawless, a member of the 49th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, who was 28 when he died.
"I was actually banking on the other guy," Nelson said.
The final breakthrough came from White and Longstaffe's research on isotopes - the variants of basic elements.
"Oxygen isotopes tell you about geographic origin," Nelson explained. "They vary depending on temperature and humidity and other environmental factors . . . the isotopic signature in the water you drink gets incorporated into your teeth and bones."
The mystery soldier must have grown up in Ireland, according to his isotopic profile, meaning he had to be Dublin-born Lawless.
"He fit the Dublin profile perfectly," said Nelson. "That was a crucial piece of the puzzle."
Now, members of Lawless's family have a chance to lay him to rest.
"We are thankful that Pte. Lawless will finally be laid to rest with the honour and dignity that he deserves," Laurie Hawn, parliamentary secretary to the Defence Minister, said in a statement. "Pte. Lawless gave his life in the name of our country and his contribution to Canada in the First World War will not soon be forgotten."
Lawless will be buried at La Chaudière Military Cemetery in Vimy, France, on March 15 with his family in attendance.
"You're able to give them some closure," said Nelson.
The bodies of Lawless and another Canadian soldier had been found in Axiom, France, near Vimy Ridge. In 2007, the other soldier was identified as Pte. Herbert Peterson of Berry Creek, Alta.