Van Luven, Lorne: Service no. 409245

Source: July 1916 KIA.

Family Search: When Private Lorne VanLuven was born on 26 March 1897, in Haliburton, Ontario, Canada, his father, Harmon VanLuven, was 45 and his mother, Margaret Ann Mairs, was 35. He lived in Victoria, Ontario, Canada in 1901 and Ontario, Ontario, Canada in 1911. He registered for military service in 1915. In 1915, at the age of 18, his occupation is listed as farmer. He died on 1 July 1916, in Ieper, West Flanders, Belgium, at the age of 19, and was buried in Zillebeke, Ieper, West Flanders, Belgium.

Letter from Comrades to Parents

Mrs. Harmon Vanleuven received the following letter this week from comrades of her son who was killed on July 1st.

Somewhere in Belgium
Thursday, July 6th, 1916.

Dear Mrs. VanLeuven,

It is with deepest sympathy that I write you these few lines to tell you that that in the loss of your son, we, the boys of the section to which he was attached, all express our heartfelt sympathy in your hour of sorrow. Lorne was one of my section and I was with him at the time of the sad end. He died doing his duty to his King and country, and his loss to us is one that cannot well be filled as he was like by all. Only being with the 18th Battalion about a month he had a host of friends. The end came instantaneously and I personally saw that everything was carried out as he would have requested. I have written this on behalf of the boys in the section and hope you will accept our sympathy.

Yours sincerely,

Corporal Garside, No. 53676
2nd Canadian Contingent

Source: Uxbridge Journal, Thursday July 27, 1916, p.1.

Information about this soldier at this link.