OTTAWA – A Saskatchewan soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice around 70 years ago to be given a final known resting. The Department of National Defence (DND) announced Saturday the remains of a Second World War soldier found in Europe have been identified as those belonging to Pte. Albert Laubenstein.
Laubenstein was born in Saskatoon in 1914. He enrolled in the 102nd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Artillery in 1940 and served in Canada before going overseas in 1941.
He transferred to the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps in 1944 and was a private with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment until his death on Jan. 26, 1945 during the Battle of Kapelsche Veer against entrenched German Forces.
The regiment suffered 50 fatal casualties during the battle, including Laubenstein, who was 30 years old.
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Laubenstein’s body was interred in a battlefield grave but, in the chaos that followed the end of the war, that grave was thought to be lost forever.
In June 2014, a metal detector hobbyist discovered a soldier’s remains on the bank of the Maas River near Sprang-Capelle, Netherlands.
The discovery was reported to the recovery and identification unit (RIU) of the Royal Netherlands Army who undertook an exhumation.
A few artifacts were also recovered, including a silver signet ring. A gold letter “G” affixed to the ring is likely an heirloom from Laubenstein’s father, who passed away in 1942.
Canadian Army dental records showed extensive dental work had been performed on Laubenstein, which allowed the RIU to identify him. Royal Canadian Dental Corps’ forensic dentists verified the identification.
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Veterans Affairs Canada is providing the family with ongoing support as final arrangements are made.
Laubenstein’s remains will be interred next to his regimental brethren at Bergen-op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery in the Netherlands on May 6. Attending the funeral will be members of his family, as well as representatives from the Government of Canada and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
“After all these years, it is with great honour that we are finally able to lay Private Laubenstein to rest with the honour and dignity he so greatly deserves,” said Jason Kenney, federal minister of national defence.
“His courage, dedication, and the ultimate sacrifice he made for his country will never be forgotten.”
Approximately 28,000 members of Canada’s Navy, Army, and Air Force who died in the first and second World Wars and the Korean War have no known grave.
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