‘Finding Fred Lee’ documentary hopes to finally bring lost soldier home to Kamloops

KAMLOOPS —The Battle of Hill 70. It’s known as the lost battle of World War I, sometimes forgotten in the shadow of the battles of Passchendaele and Vimy Ridge.

Kamloops’ Fredrick Lee, a Chinese-Canadian private with the Rocky Mountain Rangers, is believed to have died in the Battle of Hill 70. The ‘Finding Fred Lee’ documentary by Jack Gin attempts to finally bring light to the lost soldier.

“That process has been a journey. What was the motivation behind it? It was important to find Fred, because he is a lost story. He is a lost story. And it’s tremendous that he has been gone for over 100 years,” said Gin.

Hill 70 is proudly listed on the Rocky Mountain Rangers battle honour. They did not fight as a regiment but were part of different units during the important battle. In 2019, the Rangers travelled back to France to walk on the historic ground of Hill 70.

“But when you’re actually on the ground, boots on the ground, it resonates a total different feeling inside. There were some tears, some silence and there was a lot of walking by yourself and reflecting,” said Commanding Officer of the Rocky Mountain Rangers Lt.-Col. Amedeo Vecchio.

A documentary film crew accompanied the Rocky Mountain Rangers on their trip to France. Ranger President Lt. Mike Young has had a sneak preview of the video and believes it will be crucial in continuing to pass down the history of the Great War.

“It’s a story that I think has to be repeated, and not necessarily just for Kamloops and for Fredrick Lee. These stories need to be told in every other community in this country. And I think, hopefully this is a start,” said Young.

When soldiers from Kamloops died in WWI, the local papers would cover the news, expect for when it was Fredrick Lee who received no mention. Gin’s mission was to find a way to bring Lee back home to Kamloops.

“It’s a Kamloops kid, who loved this place and never really got that recognition of even being killed in action that I think he deserved, but that doesn’t matter now. What does matter is we are bring him home, as a Ranger, to the Ranger family,” added Gin.

The Hill 70 memorial in France pays tribute to the sacrifice made by members of the Rocky Mountain Rangers with a plaza dedicated in their name, right beside that is the Private Fredrick Lee Walkway.

“The soldiers know there are just not names on a cenotaph. I’ve walked the ground that they have walked on, and I’ve seen where they have spilled their blood. It’s a very powerful experience,” said Young.

Over the past decades more remains of soldiers have been discovered on the battle grounds of WWI. Sadly, Lee’s body has never been found.

“It is our wish, and our hope that Fredrick Lee, bless his soul, will be found and will be repatriated back to Canada,” said Vecchio.

“We think we know where he is, but it will take some doing to get,” stated Gin.