OTTAWA - Defence Department officials have identified the remains of a First World War soldier found in France in 2008.
The department issued a statement identifying the remains as those of Pte. Alexander Johnston of Hamilton.
Johnston was killed during the Battle of the Canal du Nord in Raillencourt Saint-Olle on Sept. 29, 1918 -- less than two months before the armistice.
His remains were discovered in July 2008 along with two collar badges of the 78th Battalion (Winnipeg Grenadiers).
The Directorate of History and Heritage was notified of the discovery in February 2009, and the remains were identified through mitochondrial DNA testing.
Authorities have notified members of Johnston's family, who are to attend a burial service with full military honours at Le Cantimpre Canadian Cemetery in Sailly, France, in October.
Johnston was born in Coatbridge, Scotland, on Aug. 20, 1885, and moved to Hamilton in his late twenties. He joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force on Jan. 5, 1918.
