Len Kosiec (left) and Rick Yerburgh (right) with the military headstones placed to identify all the Canadian war veterans buried in the Fernie Heritage Cemetery.

Headstones have now been placed to identify all the Canadian war veterans buried in the Fernie Heritage Cemetery.

The Fernie Heritage Restoration Society has spent the last year trying to identify all the veterans buried in the Legion section of the old cemetery.

Sixteen graves have now been marked with new headstones, provided by the Department of Veteran Affairs Last Post fund. The fund pays for, and engraves, headstones of Canadian veterans who served overseas.

In mid-October the headstones were laid to replace the existing substandard stones.

However, Len Kosiec from the Fernie Heritage Restoration Society said there are still some veterans who do not have headstones.

“There are five British veterans buried here but the Department’s Last Post fund does not fund non-Canadian veterans,” he said.

“Likewise, there are also some Canadian veterans who did not qualify because they did not serve overseas.”

Kosiec hopes to raise the money to provide the headstones, which are about $350 each. He also hopes to continue to research the veterans who have not yet been identified, other than by name.

The veterans who have new headstones are:

Jack Bracken, a Private in the Canadian Ambulance Corps.

Roland H. Currier, a Trooper in the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

John William White, a Private in the Canadian Scottish Regiment.

Raymond Ducharme, a Private in the 16th Battalion.

Angus Currie, a Private in the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

Herbert E. Kniert, a Private in the PEI Highlanders.

Samuel McDonald, a Gunner in the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

George William Oakley, a Private in the Canadian Scottish Regiment.

William Edward Duthie, a Private in the Canadian Scottish Regiment.

Owen Nash, a Private in the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

Olaf Akeson, a Private in the 29th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

Andrew Hairn Gilchrist, a Private in the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

James Wilson Tulley, a Sapper in the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

Wasil Starinovich, a Sapper in the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

Thomas Malsbury from the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

William Cockburn, a Sergeant in the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

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