When a young frenchman unearthed a few war-era items in his back yard garden in 2006, it began a detective story which would evolve into one of discovery for Garth Simms and his sister Laurie Parobec, both of Yorkton.
It was in 2006, when a young man named Fabien Demeusere found some cartridges in their backyard garden in a small town called Hallu, France, explained Parobec.
鈥淗is curiosity led him to dig and he discovered human remains,鈥� she said, adding 鈥渆xperts were called in and eight bodies were discovered.鈥�
Thanks to items found with the bodies they were identified as Canadian soldiers from the First World War, in particular members of the 78th Battalion (Winnipeg Grenadiers).
鈥淭hey were all killed in the Battle of Amiens,鈥� offered Parobec.
By using historical war records, genealogical research and DNA testing, they were able to identify five of the eight soldiers.
鈥淚t is believed that they were in a trench when hit by the enemy artillery,鈥� said Parobec.
Simms said it was the efforts to identify the long dead soldiers which brought the story to them.
鈥淚nterestingly, dog tags in WWI were made of cardboard and would not have survived 90-years in the damp soil,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut one soldier had a metal ID tag specially made. It was found in the dig in Fabien鈥檚 backyard but was not on a body. The name inscribed was Pte. William Simms. This dog tag, combined with medical records confirmed a previous head wound earlier in the war plus a DNA match to his niece Rhoda Barry, confirmed one of the Hallu eight was Grandpa Arthur Simm鈥檚 Uncle Bill.鈥�
The work to identify the remains (see sidebar this page), would be covered in a documentary film.
The CBC documentary 鈥楩orgotten No More鈥� aired 11-06-2014, explaining the discovery and identification.
鈥淚t led my sister to investigate who he was and how he fit in our family tree,鈥� said Simms.
This is where the story turns into one of a family discovering its roots.
鈥淕randpa Arthur鈥檚 grandparents, Matthew and Catherine emigrated to Canada in 1881, with four children,鈥� explained Simms. 鈥淭hey homesteaded northwest of Russell, Manitoba and there arrived nine more children (nine sons and four daughters). When the Great War started in 1914, four sons volunteered 鈥� Alex, Sam, William and George. Alex was killed and is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres, Belgium.鈥�
In addition two grandsons (sons of Thomas), Matthew and their grandfather Arthur, enlisted.
The journey of discovery would take the family to France earlier this spring.
鈥淟aurie鈥檚 investigation revealed that the Hallu eight would be given a military funeral in France in May,鈥� said Simms.
The two closest relatives to the soldiers were invited to attend as representatives of the families. In William Simms鈥� case that was nephew Roger McLaughlin (son of Agnes) and formally of Yorkton, and niece Shelley Herbert (daughter of George) were planning to attend.
鈥淟aurie was convinced we should go and together we persuaded our Dad to go on an adventure of a lifetime,鈥� said Simms.
On May 13, a military burial service was held at Caix British Cemetary in France where the eight soldiers were finally laid to rest.
Veterans Affairs Canada arranged the trip to the burial service for the family members. Seven members of the Simms family went to France. George Simms (formerly of Foxwarren), his son Garth Simms and daughter Laurie Parobec from Yorkton, Shelley Herbert and her son Peter from Russell/Winnipeg, and Roger and Stella McLaughlin of Medicine Hat.
The Princess Patricia Light Infantry from Shilo participated in the burial service. The caskets were draped with Canadian flags. The flags were removed, folded and presented to each family.
While the focus of the trip was the burial of the so-called 鈥楬allu Eight鈥� and in particular William Simms, the family went looking to learn more.
鈥淲e went over with questions about family that needed answers,鈥� said Simms. 鈥淲e came home with a new appreciation for the hardships of other Canadian families, the utter devastation of much of Europe, the terror experienced by both soldiers and civilians.
鈥淎n entire generation was lost in France and Germany and twenty-five years later it would happen again.鈥�
While in France the family took time to visit Vimy, the site of one of the most famous battles of the war, included touring the trenches, tunnels and Memorial.
鈥淲e found William Simm鈥檚 name on the Memorial,鈥� said Garth Simms.
Parobec said the day after the burial service, the family hired a private tour guide to take them to search of where Arthur Simms was taken prisoner during the war. Arthur was George鈥檚 father and Garth & Laurie鈥檚 grandfather.
鈥淭he tour guide was able to obtain the war diary for the 78th Battalion 4th Division for the month of October 1916,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he diary entry on Oct. 27, gave the land location where Arthur was taken prisoner while on night patrol at Regina Trench near Courcellette, France.
鈥淚t was an emotional moment to stand in that spot and visualize what it might have been like for him on that night so long ago.鈥�
And the discovery continued.
鈥淔rom there we drove to Ypres, Belgium where Arthur first entered the front line,鈥� said Parobec. 鈥淚t was also where William Simms鈥檚 brother Alexander was killed in action. We found Alex鈥檚 name listed among the others on the Menin Gate Memorial. We attended the Last Post ceremony there, which has taken place every night at 8:00 pm since 1927.
鈥淎 visit to the Flanders Field museum finished off our trip.鈥�
Simms said it is difficult to imagine the war, given the French countryside today, but standing on the battle lines you are able to gain some sense of it.
鈥淭oday it is such a peaceful country, especially the farm country, but it鈥檚 hard not to visualize young men charging up a hill to their death,鈥� he said.
And those dead lie in cemeteries dotted across large areas of France.
鈥淭he cemeteries are immaculate and offer stark reminders of loss,鈥� said Simms. 鈥淪o many that read simply 鈥淎 soldier of the Great War鈥�, 鈥淜nown only unto God鈥�.
鈥淚n an email home I explained their ages and my son Kelly replied the under 25鈥檚 of today can鈥檛 imagine how lucky they are not to have to see what these young men lived through.鈥�
Simms said the trip taught him the importance of remembering.
鈥淎s a young boy, I remember participating in Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Cenotaph in Foxwarren,鈥� he offered. 鈥淚 proudly laid a spruce bow with a poppy on the monument in honour of family who fought for our country (Grandpa Simms and Grandpa Breakey from WWI and Uncle Gordon Breakey from WWII),鈥� he said. 鈥淪chool and family taught me the importance of the role each had played in keeping us 鈥榝ree鈥�.
鈥淯nfortunately, from the time I reached high school until last year, I let life get in the way and had not attended Nov. 11, events.鈥�
Now he understands the reasons to pause to remember because it means honouring family too.
鈥淲hen I was young, Grandpa made a speech at one of his birthday parties,鈥� said Simms. 鈥淗is words stuck with me. He suggested that each of us needs to respect their 鈥榥ame鈥�, to always protect its honour, to hold it up proudly, respect the law and the word of God, for one day when you are alone, in darkness and without hope, it will be your 鈥榞ood name鈥� that will be your salvation. It will bring you help, hope and friendship.
鈥淲hat we saw in France and Belgium made us exceedingly proud to be a 鈥楽imms鈥�, and most certainly these men proudly held it high.鈥�
