City of Brantford issues call for missing WWII names from Brant War Memorial

BRANTFORD, ON – The City of Brantford is asking the public to put forward the names of local Second World War (1939-1945) casualties that are missing from the Brant War Memorial. The City will be working with the Canadian Military Heritage Museum to review and compile the missing names with the goal of installing an additional component next year.

The names of service personnel that are missing from the Brant War Memorial, who lost their lives in military service during the Second World War (1939-1945), and resided in Brantford, County of Brant, or Six Nations of the Grand River, can be put forward. These individuals could have served for the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, Royal Canadian Air Force Medical Branch, or the Royal Canadian Naval Medical Service. The list of names that are currently inscribed on the Brant War Memorial can be viewed on the Government of Canada’s database of Military Memorials in Canada.

“In consultation with the Great War Centenary Association, Six Nations Veterans Organization, and the Canadian Military Heritage Museum, it was decided that a community consultation would be the most effective way to identify the missing names due to the complex nature of determining who qualifies as local,” says Adrienne Briggs, Arts and Culture Coordinator, City of Brantford. “For example, if an individual was born and raised in Brantford but lived elsewhere during the war, their next of kin would have had to self-report their name during the creation of the War Memorial in order for them to be included. We are hopeful that this community consultation will help us fill any gaps and properly honour our fallen service personnel.”

Those interested in putting forward a missing name can complete the online form at www.Brantford.ca/WarMemorial. The City will also be hosting two in-person sessions at the Canadian Military Heritage Museum, 347 Greenwich Street, where the public can submit missing names and associated documentation on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. or on Saturday, November 2, 2024 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

About the Brant War Memorial

Located at 6 Dalhousie Street in Brantford, the Brant War Memorial was designed by Walter S. Allward and constructed in 1933 in memory of the local war dead who lost their lives during the First World War. The park land on which the memorial sits was formerly used as a parade ground for those who left Brantford during the First World War. The memorial was later modified to incorporate the names of local war dead from the Second World War, Korean War, and Afghanistan War. In 1952, a Memorial Gallery was added and serves as a backdrop to the Brant War Memorial. In 1992, seven bronze statues were added to represent the men and women who were involved in the wars and to commemorate local armed forces veterans.  

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Media Contact:

Chelsey Tobin | Tourism Marketing Specialist, Economic Development, Tourism & Cultural Initiatives | City of Brantford | 519-759-4150 ext. 5048 | ctobin@brantford.ca