Stag Special
The Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have confirmed the grave of an unknown soldier in Bois-Carré British Cemetery, in Thélus, France, is Sgt Arthur Melvin, a Canadian soldier of the First World War.
Sgt Arthur Davidson Melvin was born on June 3, 1887, in Udny, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, to Helen “Nellie” Melvin (née Wallace) and James Melvin. He lived with his parents and nine siblings in Whiteashes, Aberdeenshire, until he immigrated to Canada sometime after 1901.
He worked as a pipefitter until he enlisted with the 56th Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) on May 18, 1915, in Calgary. In March 1916, he sailed for England, and after training, transferred to the CEF’s 31st Infantry Battalion, and was sent to France. He was promoted to the rank of corporal and then sergeant.
In the spring of 1917, in the Battle of Arras, which included the assault on Vimy Ridge, the 31st Infantry Battalion fought as part of the 6th Brigade of the 2nd Division. Sgt Melvin was first reported missing, and later presumed dead on April 9, 1917, in the effort to clear and hold the village of Thélus. He was 29.
The CAF has notified the family of Sgt Melvin’s identification and is providing them with ongoing support. A headstone rededication ceremony will take place at the earliest opportunity in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Bois-Carré British Cemetery in Thélus, France.
“While many years have passed since the Battle of Arras, time does not change the magnitude of Sergeant Melvin’s sacrifice in service to Canada. Today, we reflect on the debt we owe all our fallen, from the First World War and other conflicts. To Sgt Melvin’s family: you have my sympathy and thanks. Lest we forget,” said Defence Minister Anita Anand.
Added Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay, “As Canadians, we have a duty to honour all those who bravely have served our country and those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The identification of Sgt Melvin’s grave provides his family with closure and Canadians an opportunity to reflect on his incredible courage. He will always be remembered.”
Quick Facts
• Sgt Melvin is commemorated on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, erected in memory of Canadian soldiers killed in France during the First World War who have no known grave.
• In June 2019, the Directorate of History and Heritage (DHH) received a report from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) which raised the possibility that Grave 1, Row C, Plot 2, in the Bois-Carré British Cemetery in Thélus, France, was that of Sgt Arthur Davidson Melvin. Extensive research undertaken by CWGC and DHH confirmed the identification. Research was conducted using numerous archival sources, including war diaries, service records, casualty registers and grave exhumation and concentration reports.
• With the assistance of the Canadian Forces Forensic Odontology Response Team and the Canadian Museum of History, the Casualty Identification Review Board was able to confirm the identity of the remains as those of Sgt Melvin in October 2021.
• The Canadian Armed Forces Casualty Identification Program, within DHH, identifies unknown Canadian service members when their remains are recovered. The program also identifies service members previously buried as unknown soldiers when there is sufficient evidence to confirm the identification.
• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission commemorates the 1.7-million Commonwealth servicemen and women who died during the two world wars. Using an extensive archive, the Commission works with their partners to recover, investigate, and identify those with no known grave to give them the dignity of burial and the commemoration they deserve.
• In June 2019, a research report was received suggesting that an unknown grave at Bois-Carre British Cemetery, in Thélus, France, could be identified. The CAF have confirmed that the grave in question is Sgt Melvin.
• Sgt Melvin’s father died in 1890 so his mother was listed as his next-of-kin. Prior to enlisting, he worked as a pipefitter.
• On May 18, 1915, Sgt Melvin enlisted with the 56th Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) in Calgary, Alberta. On March 20, 1916, he sailed for England onboard the SS Baltic arriving on April 11. On June 28 after training in England, he was transferred to the 31st Infantry Battalion, CEF and sent to France. On Sept. 22, he was promoted to the rank of corporal, then sergeant on Oct. 1, 1916.
• In the spring of 1917, the British planned a major offensive near Arras, France to help alleviate pressure on the French military fighting further south near the Aisne as part of the Nivelle offensive. During the Battle of Arras, the Canadian Corps was tasked with taking the high ground in the area known as Vimy Ridge, regaining control of the Douai Plain in the process, and then pushing forward to Cambrai. On April 9, 1917, all four divisions of the Canadian Corps participated in the attack against the defending German 6th Army. Fighting as part of the 6th Brigade of the 2nd Canadian Division, the 31st Infantry Battalion, CEF was to launch its attack from the Red Line position, already won by the 4th and 5th Brigades, to take the next objective known as the Blue Line. Advancing from just north of the village of Thélus, the 31st Battalion fought their way through the destroyed village, facing heavy resistance. A Company captured the western part of the village by 10 a.m., allowing B Company to pass through their position and continue clearing to the center of the village. C Company, of which Sgt Melvin was a member, assisted by men of the 28th Infantry Battalion, CEF, were clearing the eastern end of the village when they came under intense fire. While D Company was able to push their way forward and reach the Blue Line, scattered fighting across the village continued throughout the day. While the 31st Battalion was able to clear and hold Thélus, the day had been costly. Fifteen members of the battalion were killed, 69 were wounded, and six were missing, including Sgt Melvin. He was later presumed Killed in Action (KIA) on April 9,1917 at the age of 29.
• After the war, Sgt Melvin’s name was engraved on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, erected in memory of the Canadian soldiers killed in France during the First World War and who have no known grave.
• In June 2019, the Directorate of History and Heritage (DHH) received a report from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission detailing the potential identification of Grave 1, Row C, Plot 2, in the Bois-Carre British Cemetery in Thélus, France. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission had received a report from an independent researcher raising the possibility this grave held the remains of Sgt Melvin.
• Extensive research undertaken by both the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the DHH also concluded this grave could only be that of Sgt Melvin. No other candidate matched the details of the partial identification. Historical research was conducted using numerous archival sources, including war diaries, service records, casualty registers, and grave exhumation and concentration reports.
• Sgt Melvin’s name as it is inscribed on the Vimy Memorial. More than 11,000 fallen Canadians having no known place of burial in France, are honoured on this Memorial. May they never be forgotten — Lest We Forget!
• Circumstances of Death Registers – Sgt Melvin #446966 paid the ultimate sacrifice in a sad way. While taking part in the attack on Thelus, he was struck full in the face with a 77 mm shell out of a German field gun.
• Canada’s most impressive tribute overseas to those Canadians who fought and gave their lives in the First World War is the majestic and inspiring Vimy Memorial, which overlooks the Douai Plain from the highest point of Vimy Ridge, about eight kilometres northeast of Arras on the N17 towards Lens. The memorial is sign posted from this road to the left, just before you enter the village of Vimy from the south. The memorial itself is someway inside the memorial park, but again it is well sign posted. At the base of the memorial, these words appear in French and in English:
“TO THE VALOUR OF THEIR COUNTRYMEN IN THE GREAT WAR AND IN MEMORY OF THEIR SIXTY THOUSAND DEAD THIS MONUMENT IS RAISED BY THE PEOPLE OF CANADA”
Inscribed on the ramparts of the Vimy Memorial are the names of more than 11,000 Canadian soldiers who were posted as ‘missing, presumed dead’ in France. A plaque at the entrance to the memorial states that the land for the battlefield park, more than 91 hectares in extent, was “the free gift in perpetuity of the French nation to the people of Canada.” Construction of the massive work began in 1925, and 11 years later, on July 26, 1936, the monument was unveiled by King Edward VIII. The park surrounding the Vimy Memorial was created by horticultural experts. Canadian trees and shrubs were planted in great masses to resemble the woods and forests of Canada. Wooded parklands surround the grassy slopes of the approaches around the Vimy Memorial. Trenches and tunnels have been restored and preserved and the visitor can picture the magnitude of the task that faced the Canadian Corps on that distant dawn when history was made. On April 3, 2003, the Government of Canada designated April 9 of each year as a national day of remembrance of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
Sgt Arthur Melvin in his uniform standing for a portrait in front of a backdrop with bright clouds, a fence gate, and a winding river. Photo from Melvin family
