Teenage Soldier's WWII Grave Identified 80 Years After Normandy Battle
Remains of Private Vincent Coia, who went missing during the Battle of Normandy, positively identified by war detectives.
The grave of Private Vincent Coia, a Scottish soldier who disappeared during the Second World War, has been identified more than 80 years after his death.
Pte. Coia, originally from Glasgow, was working as a shop assistant before enlisting. He died at the age of 19 during the Battle of Normandy in June 1944, shortly after arriving in France ahead of the D-Day landings. He was killed fighting with The Seaforth Highlanders in an attempt to capture a hill near Caen.
His remains were identified by "war detectives" from the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) at the Ministry of Defence. The JCCC team reviewed commonwealth war records, lists of missing soldiers, and battalion war diaries to map the fighting around the hill where Pte. Coia fell. They determined that he was the only Seaforth Highlander reported missing on June 11, 1944, the day he is believed to have died.
According to researchers, Pte. Coia would have faced heavy shellfire and machine-gun fire on the day of his death. Thirty-four other soldiers from his battalion were killed in the same action while attempting to seize Hill 112, a strategically important high ground.
A rededication service for Pte. Coia's grave, previously marked only as "a soldier of the 1939-1945 war," was held at Bayeux War Cemetery in France. A piper from the Royal Regiment of Scotland’s 2nd Battalion participated in the ceremony. While Pte. Coia has family in Glasgow, they were unable to attend.
Pte. Coia was among five war dead whose remains were commemorated this week following identification efforts. Reverend Paul Collins, Chaplain to 5th Battalion The Rifles, officiated at the services, emphasizing the bravery of the soldiers who died in the events leading to France's liberation and the defeat of the Nazis.
In a separate ceremony, relatives also gathered in France for the burial with full military honors of two World War I Scottish soldiers and four unidentified comrades. These remains were identified using DNA approximately 108 years after their deaths, and all six were laid to rest on Friday.
Rosie Barron, a researcher at JCCC, stated that organizing these rededication services is an honor and helps provide closure for families. She noted the Normandy community's welcoming attitude towards families and military personnel, viewing the Battle of Normandy as a celebration of regained liberty. Barron added that the JCCC's work to identify other potential graves in Normandy will continue.