Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Graves registration form – Lance Corporal Ernest Gagnon is an interesting case, as his remains were not recovered in Belgium until 1940. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission COG-BR document notes that he was reburied in the Cement House Cemetery on 8 March 1940. His remains were identified by his disc and regimental buttons. The remains were recovered at 28.I.17.b.5.7, which is just south of the Ypres-Menin Road, east of Hooge, in the vicinity of the Leinster Farm.

Circumstances of death registers – Lance Corporal Ernest Gagnon was reported killed in action in the vicinity of Maple Copse on 6 June 1916. His remains were not recovered at that time and he had no known burial location. Initially Lance Corporal Gagnon's name would have been on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, until his body was recovered more than 23 years later.

Circumstances of death registers – Lance Corporal Ernest Gagnon's name was initially on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial until his remains were recovered in March 1940. He was then buried in the Cement House Cemetery.

Circumstances of death registers – The family was notified of the registration of Lance Corporal Ernest Gagnon's registration on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial on 5 June 1924. It would be 16 years later that his remains were recovered, in the area where he fell in June 1916. It is unknown if Mrs. Gagnon (his mother, as he was not married) was still alive in March of 1940 and thus aware that her son's remains had been recovered.

Wartime diary – War Diary (page 1) of the 28th Battalion for the action where Lance Corporal Gagnon was killed on 6 June 1916. The battalion was under heavy machine gun fire, prior to the enemy exploding mines under the Canadian trenches. There were 267 Canadians killed in Belgium on that date, 199 of which are still named on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial. The 28th Battalion alone lost 159 men that day and of those only 11 of the bodies were ever recovered, one of which was Lance Corporal Gagnon, recovered more than 23 years later.

Wartime diary – War Diary (page 2) of the 28th Battalion for the action where Lance Corporal Gagnon was killed on 6 June 1916. The diary reports that as many of 50 percent of the battalion was lost that day from machine gun fire, artillery, trench mortars and the explosion of large mines under the Canadian trenches.

Entrance

Cross of Sacrifice

Grave Marker

Photo of ERNEST WILLIAM GAGNON – In memory of the men from the 28th Battalion CEF who went to war and did not return. Submitted for the project, Operation: Picture Me