1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Corporal | George | Nelson |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| St. Vital MB | Manitoba | 1921-02-08 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| Section Commander | E | |
Transportation - Home Base to Hong Kong
Members of 'C' Force from the East travelled across Canada by CNR troop train, picking up reinforcements enroute. Stops included Valcartier, Montreal, Ottawa, Armstrong ON, Capreol ON, Winnipeg, Melville SK, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Jasper, and Vancouver, arriving in Vancouver on Oct 27 at 0800 hrs.
The Winnipeg Grenadiers and the local soldiers that were with Brigade Headquarters from Winnipeg to BC travelled on a CPR train to Vancouver.
All members embarked from Vancouver on the ships AWATEA and PRINCE ROBERT. AWATEA was a New Zealand Liner and the PRINCE ROBERT was a converted cruiser. "C" Company of the Rifles was assigned to the PRINCE ROBERT, everyone else boarded the AWATEA. The ships sailed from Vancouver on Oct 27th and arrived in Hong Kong on November 16th, having made brief stops enroute at Honolulu and Manila.
Equipment earmarked for 'C' Force use was loaded on the ship DON JOSE, but would never reach Hong Kong as it was rerouted to Manila when hostilities commenced.
On arrival, all troops were quartered at Nanking Barracks, Sham Shui Po Camp, in Kowloon.
Battle Information
We do not have specific battle information for this soldier in our online database. For a detailed description of the battle from a Canadian perspective, visit Canadian Participation in the Defense of Hong Kong (published by the Historical Section, Canadian Military Headquarters).
Wounded Information
| Date Wounded | Wound Description | References |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | N/A |
Hospital Information
| Name of hospital | Date of admission | Date of discharge | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-BMH | 04/17/1942 | 05/31/1942 | 118 | |
| HK-BMH | 09/07/1942 | 10/10/1942 | 118 |
POW Camps
| Camp ID | Camp Name | Location | Company | Type of Work | Reference | Arrival Date | Departure Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-SA-01 | Shamshuipo | Kowloon, Hong Kong | Capture | 42 Jan 22 | |||
| HK-NP-02 | North Point | North Point, Hong Kong Island | 33 | 42 Jan 22 | 42 Sep 26 | ||
| HK-SA-02 | Shamshuipo | Kowloon, Hong Kong | 42 Sep 26 | 44 Apr 29 | |||
| JP-Se-2B | Yoshima | Fukushima-ken, Iwaki-gun, Yoshima-mura, Kamyoshima, Japan | Furukawa Mining Company | Coal mining | 1,134 | 44 May 30 | 45 Sep 09 |
Transport to Japan
| Draft Number | Name of Ship | Departure Date | Arrival Date | Arrival Port | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XD6 | Naura Maru | 44 Apr 29 | 44 May 27 | Moji, Japan | Stopped over in Formosa, went through Nagasaki and Hiroshima to POW camp | Tony Banham |
Transportation: SE Asia to Home
No related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
Post-war Photo
Other Military Service
No related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
Death and Cemetery Information
| Date of Death (y-m-d) | Cause of Death | Death Class | Death Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-09-05 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Winnipeg Manitoba Canada | Brookside Cemetery | 9982 | Engraved |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
February 8, 1921 - September 5, 2021 Surrounded by his family's love, our Dad George Peterson passed away peacefully at 100 years of age. Dad resided at Deer Lodge Centre in Winnipeg.
He was predeceased by daughter Nancy (2010), and beloved wife Margaret (2012), twin brother Morris, sister Nancy; and parents, George (Sr.) and Peggy Peterson.
George leaves to mourn his passing, daughters, Pat (Arnold), Alison (Gary); the Alexiuk family (and their children), as well as his many friends.
George grew up in St. Vital and enlisted in the army to fight in the Second World War. After surviving almost four years in a Hong Kong POW camp, George would later be known historically as one of the "Arden Seven". George was the last surviving member of The Winnipeg Grenadiers and was extremely grateful to have been granted 76 extra beautiful years of life in Canada that many of his friends and comrades were not as privileged to enjoy.
George and Margaret were married July 29, 1955, and were blessed with three beautiful daughters, Nancy, Pat, and Alison. They lived a loving and fulfilling life first in Fort Rouge and then in Windsor Park. Dad's other loves included golf, fishing, the NY crossword puzzle, playing cards and spending time at the family cottage at Falcon Lake.
We wish to thank the staff at Deer Lodge Centre, Tower 6 and Tower 5, for the care, respect, and compassion that ALL of you gave to Dad, and ultimately gave to us.
With respect to Covid restrictions, a Public and Military Graveside Service will take place on Friday, September 17, 2021 at Brookside Cemetery, 1:00 p.m. (1300 hours).
Flowers are gratefully declined; however donations in George's Honour may be made to Deer Lodge Centre Foundation, or to The War Amps of Canada.
Rest in Peace Dad as you've been reunited with Mom and Nancy. Our Love, Gratitude and Respect will remain with you always and we'll miss your wonderful smile.
Many thanks to Erik Bardal of Neil Bardal Funeral Centre for arrangements. NEIL BARDAL FUNERAL CENTRE 204-949-2200 neilbardalinc.com As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 11, 2021
Links and Other Resources
Facebook has proven to be a valuable resource in the documentation of 'C' Force members. The following link will take you to any available search results for this soldier based on his regimental number. Note: results may be contained within another related record. Facebook Search Results
→ Related documentation for information published in this report, such as birth information, discharge papers, press clippings and census documents may be available via shared resources in our HKVCA Vault. It is organized with folders named using regimental numbers. Use the first letter of the individual's service number to choose the correct folder, then scroll to the specific sub-folder displaying the service number of your interest.
General Comments
Picture & the following from Face Book Page - Operation Picture Me- Hong Kong [scanning from Winnipeg Tribune] by David Archer, 2016
20 year old twin brothers, Private Morris Peterson, left, and Corporal George Peterson, right, were at Hong Kong with the Winnipeg Grenadiers, having served with the unit since the outbreak of war. Their father, Corporal G. N. Peterson, centre, Winnipeg Light Infantry, is an instructor at the 100th basic training centre, Portage la Prairie. Mrs. Peterson lives at 53 Fermore Avenue St. Vital.
This veteran was interviewed by Veterans Affairs. To view, visit the VACVideo Gallery page and use the search tool. Note: VAC moves pages around constantly, so you may have to work to find the video. Currently the best way to access the Hong Kong veteran interviews is to select the "Heroes Remember" category, then use the advanced search option and click on the "Hong Kong" campaign option.
From Alison Griffith: Please forgive my boldness! I was not sure how to celebrate my Dad’s 100th Birthday during COVID. We were expecting to have a big party for him to celebrate this momentous milestone but simply can’t do that in person. So I’m hoping instead that maybe we can all join virtually to celebrate my Dad, George Peterson who will be 100 years old on Monday, February 8th, 2021. He resides at Deer Lodge Centre on Tower 6 in Winnipeg, and he is the last surviving Winnipeg Grenedier as well as a Hong Kong POW Veteran from WWII. If you can find some time this Monday to toast my Dad with a Crown Royal, a kind thought, or a virtual greeting at the link below, we would be grateful! Well Wishes can be sent to him here: https://deerlodge.mb.ca/residents/well-wishes/ This is the cake that my sister Pat had made for our Dad and I think the Co-Op Grocery Store in Southdale did a fantastic job!!
End of Report.
Report generated: 25 Apr 2024.
Additional Notes
(These will not be visible on the printed copy)
- Service numbers for officers are locally generated for reporting only. During World War II officers were not allocated service numbers until 1945.
- 'C' Force soldiers who died overseas are memorialized in the Books of Remembrance and the Canadian Virtual War Memorial, both sponsored by Veterans Affairs Canada. Please use the search utility at VAC to assist you.
- Some birthdates and deathdates display as follows: 1918-00-00. In general, this indicates that we know the year but not the month or day.
- Our POW camp links along with our References link (near the bottom of the 'C' Force home page) are designed to give you a starting point for your research. There were many camps with many name changes. The best resource for all POW camps in Japan is the Roger Mansell Center for Research site.
- In most cases the rank displayed was the rank held before hostilities. Some veterans were promoted at some point prior to eventual post-war release from the army back in Canada. When notified of these changes we'll update the individual's record.
- Images displayed on the web page are small, but in many cases the actual image is larger. Hover over any image and you will see a popup if a larger version is available. You can also right-click on some images and select the option to view the image separately. Not all images have larger versions. Contact us to confirm whether a large copy of an image in which you are interested exists.
- In some cases the References displayed as part of this report generate questions because there is no indication of their meaning. They were inherited with the original database, and currently we do not know what the source is. We hope to solve this problem in future.
- We have done our best to avoid errors and omissions, but if you find any issues with this report, either in accuracy, completeness or layout, please contact us using the link at the top of this page.
- Photos are welcome! If a photo exists for a 'C' Force member that we have not included, or if you have a higher quality copy, please let us know by using the Contact Us link at the top of this page. We will then reply, providing instructions on submitting it.