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Thanks to the efforts of Brett Clifton the names and service records of the servicemen from the cenotaph live on. The research of WW1 veterans has been filed and are located in the Galt Museum. More detailed information of the veteran, along with some pictures are held at the Galt Museum. The abridged information with a searchable database is online at the University of Lethbridge digital library.  

  

 They Never Came Home - The Lethbridge Cenotaph Project by Brett Clifton

They Never Came Home - The Lethbridge Cenotaph Project is a collection of biographies relating to the 262 soldiers from World War I who are remembered on the cenotaph in Lethbridge, Alberta. Compiled by Brett Clifton using materials from the National Archives and local history sources, the biographies document their personal lives, military service, and circumstances of death. Grave photos and personal photos are included whenever possible. This collection was also highlighted in OCLC's CONTENTdm Collection of Collections feature in January, 2009.

World War I and Lethbridge, Alberta

More than 60,000 young Canadians perished during World War I. They were fathers, husbands, sons and brothers, who simply never came home. It is said that Lethbridge endured the highest per capita loss of men of any community in Canada. It is impossible to tell how different Lethbridge may have been without the sacrifice of these fallen heroes.

The citizens of Lethbridge have always mourned and honoured these men. A beautiful cenotaph, unveiled on June 7, 1931 was situated in the Galt Gardens and served as the focal point for many Remembrance Day ceremonies. As the years passed, weather and time took its toll, and the cenotaph fell into disrepair. Community groups subsequently refurbished the cenotaph and moved it to its current place of honour near City Hall.

Significance of the Cenotaph

The cenotaph records the names of the 262 soldiers from the Lethbridge area who died during World War I. For the most part, these men were buried in Commonwealth Cemeteries in France, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. When remains were never recovered or identified, those soldiers were memorialized on the walls of the Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium or the Vimy Ridge Memorial in Arras, France. People often wonder why these soldiers were buried so far from home. Like many nations, Canada once observed a tradition of burying their soldiers near where they fell. It was believed that they should rest with their comrades, with whom they had lived, fought and died. It is only during the last few decades that Canadian soldiers who lose their lives are repatriated whenever possible.

Universality of Treatment

When a soldier fell, every attempt was made to identify them, and treat them as equals in death. Regardless of rank, or station in life, all were to be remembered equally, which is what I have tried to accomplish in the content of this collection. In military tradition, this is known as universality of treatment. Every soldier has a page, and every page has three paragraphs, which tells their personal story, military story, and the circumstances of their death. Every effort has been made to locate a photograph of their final resting place.

While this collection focuses on the names from the Lethbridge cenotaph, there are others from this area lost during the Great War who have not been officially memorialized. Though it is impossible to identify everyone, every effort was made to correctly identify and research the names included on the cenotaph. Fragile records, spelling errors, and the passage of time make it difficult to find everyone with absolute certainty.