John Shiwak – Lance Corporal

John Shiwak was a hunter and trapper from Rigolet, a remote Inuit community on the Labrador coast.

On July 24, 1915, at the age of 28, he enlisted in the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.

Being a hunter and trapper made him a perfect fit for being a sniper in the regiment.

In competitions against the British, he won every time.

It is said he was the best sniper in the British Army fighting in France.

On November 20, 1917, Shiwak was killed in Masnières, France.

He is buried in the Beaumont Hamel cemetery in France with hundreds of his fellow Newfoundland and Labrador soldiers.

His death had a profound impact on his regiment.