Captain William Arthur Peel Durie was born in Toronto on August 8, 1881, the son of Lieutenant-Colonel William Smith Durie (1813-1885), founder of the Queen's Own Rifles and Anna Peel Durie (1856-1933). He was killed in action on December 29, 1917 in the frontline trenches near Lens and was first buried in the Corkscrew British Cemetery near Lens, France. In August 1925, when all the graves in Corkscrew Cemetery were exhumed and being moved to Loos British Cemetery Captain Durie's body was "repatriated" to the St. James' Cemetery in Toronto.
William was one of very few soldiers that was repatriated, despite government efforts to keep him in France. William became the subject of a book written by Veronica Cusack titled 'The Invisible Soldier'.
William's mother, Anna, tried twice earlier to have her son returned to Canada, without success. In 1925 while the soldier's bodies were being moved from the Corkscrew Cemetery (because the landowner refused to give up land rights) and reburied in Loos British Cemetery, his mother was there. She hired some local help, they dug up his freshly buried body one night, removed his body from the coffin, placing him in another coffin. The original coffin was replaced, and the fresh dirt thrown back on top.
William was one of very few soldiers that was repatriated, despite government efforts to keep him in France. William became the subject of a book written by Veronica Cusack titled 'The Invisible Soldier'.
William's mother, Anna, tried twice earlier to have her son returned to Canada, without success. In 1925 while the soldier's bodies were being moved from the Corkscrew Cemetery (because the landowner refused to give up land rights) and reburied in Loos British Cemetery, his mother was there. She hired some local help, they dug up his freshly buried body one night, removed his body from the coffin, placing him in another coffin. The original coffin was replaced, and the fresh dirt thrown back on top.
Captain William Arthur Peel Durie was born in Toronto on August 8, 1881, the son of Lieutenant-Colonel William Smith Durie (1813-1885), founder of the Queen's Own Rifles and Anna Peel Durie (1856-1933). He was killed in action on December 29, 1917 in the frontline trenches near Lens and was first buried in the Corkscrew British Cemetery near Lens, France. In August 1925, when all the graves in Corkscrew Cemetery were exhumed and being moved to Loos British Cemetery Captain Durie's body was "repatriated" to the St. James' Cemetery in Toronto.
William was one of very few soldiers that was repatriated, despite government efforts to keep him in France. William became the subject of a book written by Veronica Cusack titled 'The Invisible Soldier'.
William's mother, Anna, tried twice earlier to have her son returned to Canada, without success. In 1925 while the soldier's bodies were being moved from the Corkscrew Cemetery (because the landowner refused to give up land rights) and reburied in Loos British Cemetery, his mother was there. She hired some local help, they dug up his freshly buried body one night, removed his body from the coffin, placing him in another coffin. The original coffin was replaced, and the fresh dirt thrown back on top.
William was one of very few soldiers that was repatriated, despite government efforts to keep him in France. William became the subject of a book written by Veronica Cusack titled 'The Invisible Soldier'.
William's mother, Anna, tried twice earlier to have her son returned to Canada, without success. In 1925 while the soldier's bodies were being moved from the Corkscrew Cemetery (because the landowner refused to give up land rights) and reburied in Loos British Cemetery, his mother was there. She hired some local help, they dug up his freshly buried body one night, removed his body from the coffin, placing him in another coffin. The original coffin was replaced, and the fresh dirt thrown back on top.
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