MANITOULIN—One of three Canadian First World War soldiers whose identify has been identified near the village of Vendin-le-Vieil, France has a strong family connection to Manitoulin Island. Private Henry Edmonds Priddle has family on Manitoulin, including Gore Bay.
Private Henry Edmonds Priddle, “is my great uncle, being my grandfather’s (William Priddle) brother,” Molly Anne McLaughlin of Gore Bay told the Recorder last week. She pointed out, “most of the Priddles are in southern Ontario and Henry was from Norwich, Ontario. He was in Manitoba when he signed up for the Forces, but had been in Norwich most of his life.”
Mrs. McLaughlin told the Recorder, “a few days before Christmas I had got a call from the Department of Defence on this. I knew Uncle Henry had been in World War I but I didn’t know he hadn’t been found.” She acknowledged, “it was sort of a weird feeling. As I said, I thought he had died in the war, but I never knew his remains had never been found.”
“I understand his remains were actually found in 2011,” said Ms. McLaughlin, “but it had taken this long to identify the remains. I understand a building in France was being demolished and the remains of three Canadian soldiers were found, including my great uncle.”
Dr. Sarah Lockyer, a forensic anthropologist and co-ordinator of the Department of Defence Casualty Identification Program, told the Recorder that in September 2010 and August 2011, human remains with associated First World War artifacts were discovered during a munitions clearing process near rue Leon Droux, Vendin-le-Vieil, France. The Canadian Agency of Commonwealth War Graves Commission was notified, and with the support of French regional authorities, took possession of the remains and artifacts, transporting them to a CWGC facility in Beaurains, France for safekeeping. The remains were later identified as Private William Del Donegan, Sergeant Archibald Wilson and Private Henry Edmonds Priddle. “Private Priddle’s remains were found in 2011. All three soldiers remains were found in the same area,” she said.
The process of identifying remains has no time limit and can be complicated by numerous factors, including how long the body has been buried, and where; what type of soil it was buried in; how much water runs through the soil; and how much vegetation has grown over the site, said Ms. Lockyer. She pointed out, however, that first, local police have to rule out the possibility that the remains are the result of a domestic homicide rather than a war death. Only then are they transferred to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission facility in France, where Ms. Lockyer began an anthropological analysis.
The Toronto Star, in its May 22, 2018 edition, quoted Catherine Manicom of Guelph as saying that Mr. Priddle was her great-great uncle, and that she didn’t know him but is very honoured and its very emotional to discover family members through this process. She had provided DNA sample two years ago to help identify her great-great uncle.
Henry Edmonds Priddle was a Winnipeg broom maker and husband who enlisted on April 1, 1916, at age 31. His nickname was “Doc” and he was married in 1910 and he and his wife had a baby that died at nine days old.
Ms. Manicom is accompanying her mother, Margaret Murray, to the memorial being held for all three soldiers. DND and the CAF have notified members of the three families, and Veterans Affairs Canada is providing them with ongoing support as final arrangements are made. The three soldiers will be buried by their regiment, in the presence of family and Government of Canada representatives, at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Loos British Cemetery outside Loos-en-Gohelle, France, on August 23.
“Margaret Murray is a distant first cousin of mine, is 84 and lives in Ingersoll,” Ms. McLaughlin told the Recorder. “She and her daughter Catherine will be attending the service.” She pointed out Henry Priddle’s name was on the Vimy Ridge monument.
“My father, Frank Priddle who was also in the Canadian Forces in World War One, would be Henry’s nephew,” said Ms. McLaughlin. “My dad was a major. Dad joined the forces when he was 20, Henry enlisted at the age of 31.”
Private Henry Edmonds Priddle was born on May 17, 1884, in Norwich, Ontario. In 1910 he married Florence Hazen, and the couple settled in Winnipeg. Private Priddle worked as a broom-maker before enlisting in the CEF on April 1, 1916, at age 31. He joined the 16th Battalion CEF in France on May 9, 1917, and died on August 16, at the age of 33 during the Battle of Hill 70.
Private William Del Donegan was born on March 27, 1897, in Ottawa. In his youth, the family moved to Winnipeg. Private Donegan was a railway clerk in that city before he enlisted in the CEF on February 21, 1916, at age 18. He joined the 16th Battalion CEF in France on April 21, 1917, and died on August 16, 1917, at the age of 20, during the Battle of Hill 70.
Sergeant Archibald Wilson was born on February 12, 1892, in Campsie, Scotland. One of 11 children, he came to Canada with three brothers and two sisters in June 1910. Planning to eventually farm in Manitoba, he worked as a barber before enlisting in the CEF on December 18, 1914, at age 22. He joined the 16th Battalion on December 22, 1915, and participated in several battles throughout 1916 and the first part of 1917. On June 4, 1917, he was promoted to Sergeant, and he died on August 16, 1917, at the age of 25, during the Battle of Hill 70. Two of his brothers, John and Gavin, also enlisted, and were killed in Belgium and France, respectively.
The Battle of Hill 70 took place August 15-25, 1917. It was the first major action fought by the Canadian Corps under a Canadian Commander in the First World War. Approximately 2,100 Canadians gave their lives in the battle, over 1,300 of whom have no known grave. The strategic high point of Hill 70 remained in Allied hands until the end of the world.
Margaret Murray of Ingersoll, Ontario, a relative of Mr. Priddle and the Priddle family on Manitoulin, will be attending the service for the three men. Henry Priddle, “was my great uncle. No, I didn’t really know anything about him,” she told the Recorder. “I know he played the clarinet and I used to play the clarinet as well.”
“I know he was born and raised in Norwich, Ontario and moved to Winnipeg,” said Ms. Murray. “He was my mother’s (Jean Reeves) uncle. I’m kind of excited about travelling to France with my daughter to the service. I don’t know what day we will actually be leaving but it will be for four days and all the expenses are being paid for, as they are for the family of the other soldiers.”
“I’ve been to Manitoulin several times over the years,” said Ms. Murray. “My parents and I camped up on the Island, and we found it to be a very nice spot to visit.”
“As Canada marks this year the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, we pay tribute to Private Donegan, Private Priddle and Sergeant Wilson,” said Harjit S. Sajjin, Defence Minister in a release May 22. “They are among the nearly 61,000 brave Canadians who gave their lives during the First World War, so that all of us might live in peace and security. While there is no way to sufficiently thank them for their sacrifice, we forever hold them in our memories.”
