October 28, 2026.  Whenever Pieter visits the grave of a soldier he has researched, he always hopes to have a photo that puts a face to a name.  Sometimes, that’s not possible, as was the case when we visited Chester Farm Military Cemetery in 2017, located 5 km (3 miles) south of Ypres in Belgium, where WWI soldier James Lymon CAMERON is buried. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2017/10/23/a-visit-to-chester-farm-military-cemetery/ and https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/02/27/the-search-for-a-photo-of-james-lymon-cameron-moves-to-youtube/)

One of the undertakings for our On The War Memorial Trail research project began when Pieter first started researching the 48 names on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion in Prince Edward Island in 2015.  His goal?  To put a face and story to each name.  Over the years we’ve told the story of each one on this blog and in the County Line Courier newspaper, plus shared our visits made to their graves or memorials.

The Cenotaph Wall of Remembrance in the Borden-Carleton Legion displays photos of the men listed on the Cenotaph, with empty frames for those photos still waiting to be found. 

…A photo of James Lymon Cameron found in a Vancouver newspaper…

We’d almost given up on finding a family member for James Lymon Cameron when a photo was found in the Saturday, August 5, 1916 edition of The Province, a newspaper from Vancouver, British Columbia, along with a notification of his death.

Then, in a remarkable serendipitous moment, the following day we were in contact with Robert John Gilbert, a great-nephew whose grandmother was the soldier’s sister, Ethel Laura (Louise) Gilbert!  Robert, who served with the Royal Canadian Engineers for 34 years until his retirement, had the same photo.

Born December 30, 1892 in Victoria-By-The-Sea, Prince Edward Island, John Lymon was the son of Edward Holland Cameron, a carpenter, and Susan Estelle (nee Harrington) of Hampton, Prince Edward Island.

…James Lymon left Canada for overseas service…

The family moved around due to Edward’s work as a shipwright, and when James Lymon, known as ‘Jim’ or by the nickname ‘Otto’, enlisted on March 18, 1915, he was living in Vancouver and working as a marine oilman for Puget Sound Machinery Depot in Seattle, Washington.  Robert explained that his great-uncle “…specialized in building heavy large engines for large ships….” and worked there from “…1910 to 1915…”

James Lymon went overseas with the second draft of the 47th Canadian Infantry Battalion, arriving in the United Kingdom on October 10, 1915. On February 3, 1916 he was sent to France with the 7th Canadian Infantry Battalion.

Sadly, while serving with the 7th Canadian Infantry Battalion, he was killed by enemy shell fire on July 24, 1916, aged 24, at ‘The Bluff’ at Ypres Salient during the Battle of The Bluff near St. Eloi.  The Bluff is a mound near St Eloi, south-east of Ypres, which was created from a spoil heap during the digging of the Ypres–Comines Canal before the war.

…A tribute to James Lymon by the editor of The Maple Leaf…

A tribute to James Lymon was made by the editor of The Maple Leaf, a monthly magazine established by former Summerside, Prince Edward Island residents (Mr McInnis and Mr Harrington) who had relocated to Oakland, California. The magazine ran from 1907 to 1941, focusing on the news, genealogies, and lives of the ‘Sons and Daughters of the Maritime Provinces’.

Robert shared a 1916 article, ‘Another Island Boy Killed In Action’ which provided a brief obituary. “…The editor of The Maple Leaf knew ‘Jim’ personally and well, knew him as a brave and fearless young man, with a pure heart and mind, and when we heard of his death in defence of his country’s flag, after seven long months of privation and suffering in the trenches, we were not surprised…”

…The photo of James Lymon is now on the Cenotaph Wall of Remembrance…

The 11 year photo search has been successfully concluded!  The photo of James Lymon Cameron is now on the Legion’s Cenotaph Wall of Remembrance.

…5 photos still being sought for the Cenotaph Wall of Remembrance…

Pieter hopes that more of the empty frames will one day be filled. “…Unfortunately, photos for 4 from WWI and 1 from WWII have yet to be found….” he said.  Can YOU help with this photo wish list?

Names still without faces from WWI

• Leigh Hunt CAMERON, born in Albany
• Bazil CORMIER, born in Tignish
• Charles LOWTHER, born in North Carleton
• Arthur Clinton ROBINSON, born in Tryon

 Names still without faces from WWII

• Ernest Ramey GALLANT, born in Borden

Thank you to Robert Gilbert for sharing information about his great-uncle, to Judie Klassen for extensive research into finding family and a photo, and to Shawn Rainville for newspaper research.

If you can help with the photo search request for the 5 soldiers mentioned above whose photos are still being sought, or have a story to tell, Pieter encourages you to email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

…Want to follow our research?…

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following the blog, you are welcome to do so.  Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/.

4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

You are also invited to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw.

Never miss a posting!  Subscribe below to have each new story from the war memorial trail delivered to your inbox.