(JJ Hurley)
The Canadian Defence Forces are urgently trying to trace the relatives of a Canadian Soldier killed on the Western Front in 1917 and is believed to have had relatives in the Kinsale/Cork Area.
Despite the Great War having ended over 106 years ago, the killing fields of the Western Front continues to give up the remains of soldiers lost in No Man’s land.
The latest remains to be discovered are believed to be those of James Patrick Buckley, who was one of 1588 men, who lost their lives between 15th and 20th August 1917 in a bid to capture the strategic hill 70, near to the coal-mining city of Lens, France.
‘In advance of construction projects near the village of Vendin-le-Vieil (near the city of Lens), multiple sets of remains belonging to members of the Canadian Corps have been recovered. At present, the Casualty Identification Program has successfully identified ten sets of remains. We are working towards identifying the others,’ said a spokesperson for the Canadian Defence Forces.
‘When remains are uncovered, our identification process involves both forensic anthropology and historical research, which allows us to significantly narrow the list of possible candidates. Once we have created a shortlist of potential candidates, another part of this identification process involves finding (often distant) relatives for DNA comparisons. Private Joseph Patrick Buckley is on the shortlist of candidates for a set of remains.’
According to their records, he may have emigrated to Canada in 1910. A Patrick J Buckley arrived in Canada on May 9th 1910 and appears in the 1911 Census of Canada as a lodger in Calgary, Alberta. This Patrick Buckley was employed as a labourer.
Private Buckley described his occupation as a “labourer” when he enlisted on 16 May 1916, and gave his address as “General Delivery, Olds, Alta” when he enlisted from Olds, Alberta. Olds is a small town in central Alberta, on the Prairies between Calgary and Edmonton. The Mountain View Museum and Archives in Olds has been unable to find any trace of him, but their assessment and tax rolls are incomplete.
As for his Irish links, Buckley stated that he was born in Cork around March 1887 and listed his next-of-kin as his widowed mother, Mary (or May) Buckley.
Her address at the time was 7 Long Quay, Kinsale, County Cork.
In his service file, his mother is also described that same year as recently residing at number 13 Anglesea Street in Cork.
By December 1916, her address is care of Mrs Casey, Fisher Street, Kinsale, Co. Cork, Ireland. It is believed Mrs Casey is Nora Ann Casey (formerly Regan), per the 1911 Census. Following her husband’s death in 1917, Mary Buckley moved to the Home for the Aged, Montenotte, Cork where she died in 1935, as uncovered by local genealogist. Carol Farley.
Carol, who has been working with the Chairman of Kinsale Cultural and Heritage Society JJ Hurley, believes that Buckley’s parents were Thomas Buckley and Mary O’ Neill (North Mall) married on the November 29th 1879, but after that it becomes a challenge.
Certainly, Buckley’s arrival in Kinsale suggests those people to whom she stayed with were her relatives.
To identify the remains 100%, a DNA profile is required, hence the urgency to try and locate a relative.
Anyone with information can contact JJ Hurley at jjhurley123@gmail.com
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