Born of War, Reunited by DNA: A Canadian Soldier’s Sons Find Each Other

MyHeritage user Frank McGrath grew up in Longueuil, near Montreal, believing he was an only child. His family tree felt like a closed book, rich with stories of his Canadian-Irish roots and his parents’ wartime romance, but without siblings to share it with.

Frank McGrath

Then, in 2024, an unexpected message from a stranger in the Netherlands cracked the book wide open.

That message came from 22-year-old Amber Hogervorst. Curious about her heritage, Amber had taken a MyHeritage DNA test — a gift from her twin sister — and convinced her grandfather, Frans Bannink, to do the same.

Amber Hogervorst

What they discovered astonished them all: Amber’s grandfather Frans had a Canadian half-brother.

Frans, born in May 1946, had spent his entire life wondering who his father was.

Frans Bannink

The question weighed heavily on the family for generations. Some suspected his father might have been a German soldier, others weren’t sure. His mother never spoke of it. When Amber saw the DNA results showing a 23.6% match to a man in Canada named Frank McGrath, she knew this was a breakthrough.

“One day I got the email saying I got a match and it said half brother,” Amber recalls. “So I texted my mom immediately, telling her we have a Canadian half brother.”

A quiet man with a hidden past

Back in Canada, Frank had taken a DNA test years earlier out of curiosity. Like many, he was interested in understanding his ancestral roots, not solving family mysteries. When the match first appeared in August 2024, he was too busy to notice. It was only after Amber’s message arrived in September that he checked again — and he was blown away by what he found.

Frans Bannink, it turned out, was the son of Staff Sergeant Dermot McGrath — Frank’s father — a Canadian soldier who served in Europe during World War II and remained in the Netherlands after liberation to help deliver food and supplies to the starving population.

Dermot had met two women during that time. The first was Frans’s mother, with whom he had a brief relationship while stationed in Arnhem. Not long after, he met Frank’s mother in Belgium and married her in December 1945. She later immigrated to Canada as a war bride.

Dermot never knew that he had left behind a son in the Netherlands.

Frans, too, had no idea who his biological father was. Raised by a stepfather, he was grateful for the support he received, especially when his mother tried to force him to leave home at 14 to earn money for her. That stepfather paid for Frans’s education and became the father figure he needed. Still, the mystery of his origins lingered.

Frans as a child

“It was an unknown,” Frank says. “But it seemed to all fit together.”

A family trait, a familiar face

When Frank and Frans began video chatting, it didn’t take long for their bond to grow. They noticed uncanny similarities, not just in their faces, but in their personalities and even in the way they sat.

“Everyone in the McGrath family sits in a certain way with crossed legs,” Frank explains. “I told my wife, ‘If Frans is a real McGrath, he’ll do that.’ And sure enough, he did.”

The two brothers were both quiet, reserved men — traits they now attribute to their father, Dermot. They began exchanging stories, photos, and piecing together the missing pages of their shared history.

“When I saw him for the first time, I said to my wife: ‘Yeah, that’s him,’” Frans recalls.

As they shared more about their lives, another striking detail emerged. Frank had been named after his uncle, Francis “Frank” Gerard McGrath, a Lancaster bomber pilot killed in action on April 11, 1943. In an uncanny coincidence, Frans had gotten married on that very same date — April 11 — years later. Even more curious was the fact that both brothers shared nearly identical names. While there’s no way to know for sure, Frank believes their father may have spoken of his fallen brother to Frans’s mother, and that both brothers are named after the same man.

Meeting for the first time

In April 2025, Frank and his wife Johanne traveled to the Netherlands to meet Frans and his family in person. They spent four days together in Almelo, immersed in shared memories and long-overdue introductions.

Frank and Frans meet for the first time

Frank brought photos, military records, and stories that painted a fuller picture of the father Frans had never gotten to meet. Amber remembers how meaningful it was for everyone, especially her grandfather. “It was during our last drink with Frank and Johanne, just before they went back home,” she says. “Frank looked at me with such a grateful expression and told me multiple times how thankful he was for my message. He now had a brother — something he had wished for his whole life.”

Family reunion in Almelo

They joked about their age difference — Frans is two years older — calling each other “big brother” and “little brother.”

The goodbye was especially emotional. As the visit ended, Frans couldn’t bring himself to say farewell. He quietly turned and walked away, overwhelmed. Johanne later said the moment was too powerful even to photograph.

A story written across generations

Amber’s DNA test gave her grandfather the clarity he never thought he’d receive. It also gave her mother, Ingrid, long-sought answers about her father’s identity.

“It’s the start of a new life,” says Frank. “As old as we are.”

In December 2025, the brothers met again. Frans, his wife Truus, and Amber visited Frank in Montreal.

Reunion in Montreal in December 2025

They celebrated Sinterklaas together, a cherished Dutch tradition, with Frank’s children and grandchildren.

“It’s lovely,” Amber says. “Because I know what it feels like to have a sister — I have a twin sister. So for my grandfather to have a brother as well, even though he has half-sisters, that’s amazing.”

The family now stays in touch regularly through a WhatsApp group and video calls. Plans are already underway for Amber and her sister Thyra to visit Canada again.

This discovery bridged decades of silence, reshaped a family’s history, and proved that connection, even across oceans and generations, is always worth the search.

“The chances of something like this happening,” Frank says, “are like winning the lottery… like finding a needle in a haystack.”

Frank and Frans

Many thanks to Frank, Frans, and Amber for sharing their incredible story with us. You can also watch this beautiful segment on the CBC about the brothers. If you have also made an amazing discovery with MyHeritage, we’d love to hear about it! Please send it to us via this form or email it to us at stories@myheritage.com.