1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Private | Robert | Foster |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Carman MB | Manitoba | 1919-10-23 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| A | ||
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
No wounds recorded.Hospital Information
No record of hospital visits found.POW Camps
| Camp ID | Camp Name | Location | Company | Type of Work | Reference | Arrival Date | Departure Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-NP-01 | North Point | North Point, Hong Kong Island | 41 Dec 20 | 41 Dec 22 | |||
| HK-AS-01 | Argyle Street | Kowloon, Hong Kong | 41 Dec 22 | Dec 26 | |||
| 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 | 43 Jan 19 | |||
| JP-To-3D | Tsurumi | Yokohama-shi, Tsurumi-ku, Suyehiro-cho, 1-chome, Japan | Nippon Steel Tube - Tsurumi Shipyards | Variety of jobs related to ship building | 43 Jan 19 | 45 Apr 16 | |
| JP-Se-4B | Ohashi | Iwate-ken, Kamihei-gun, Katsushi-mura, Ohashi, Japan | Nippon Steel Company | 134 | 45 Apr 16 | 45 Sep 15 |
Transport to Japan
| Draft Number | Name of Ship | Departure Date | Arrival Date | Arrival Port | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XD3A | Tatuta Maru | 43 Jan 19, left Shamsuipo Camp, 0500 hrs; left Hong Kong 1300hrs | 43 Jan 22, 0400 hrs | Nagasaki, Japan | Boarded train, arrived in Tokyo on 43 Jan 24 at 0700 hrs, boarded electric train for 10 mile ride to 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
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Other Military Service
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Death and Cemetery Information
| Date of Death (y-m-d) | Cause of Death | Death Class | Death Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-06-23 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Winnipeg Manitoba Canada | Chapel Lawn Cemetery | Structure 94 Columbarium 7375 | Yes |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
ROBERT FOSTER LYTLE October 23, 1919 June 23, 2009 Peacefully after a valiant battle with cancer, Robert (Bob) Lytle passed away at Riverview Health Centre at the age of 89 years. Bob was born in Carman to Emily Lucy (nee Watson) and Robert James Lytle. He is survived by his wife of 62 years Myrtle (nee Mansell), children Robert (Lorelee), Susan Wrigley (Doug), Debbie Clement (Bill), Darcy (Doreen) and Todd; grandchildren Jeff, Creag, Chris (Shannon), Sean (Natasha), Michael (Nicole), Shannon (Sheldon), Kelly, Kristin, Lauren, Paige, Emma, Alexis and Tara, great-grandchildren Kaydence, Jack, Tyson and Andrew, sisters-in-law Violet Babcock and Leah Mansell and many nieces and nephews. Bob was the last surviving member of his family, predeceased by his parents, sisters Elizabeth, Irene, Winnifred, Rexina, Elinor, Shirley, and brother Jack. Bob enlisted for the Second World War as a Winnipeg Grenadier on September 14, 1939 and served in Bermuda, Jamaica and Hong Kong. He was taken prisoner-of-war by the Japanese on Christmas Day 1941 and was interned for four years. Released in 1945, he returned to Carman where he met Myrtle and they married on November 11, 1946. While working for Beaver Lumber they lived in Yorkton, Nipawin and Wolseley, Saskatchewan and always valued the lifelong friendships made there. The family later moved to Winnipeg when Bob found his calling as an Insurance Adjuster. He was highly respected and made many lasting friends in the insurance industry. He retired in 1985. Bob was very active in the Hong Kong Veterans Association, and held the office of National Secretary for seven years. He was Past President of the Royal Canadian Legion Nipawin Branch 120 and Life Member of Charleswood Branch 100. He belonged to the insurance industry's International Order of the Blue Goose. He was a Mason with Red River Lodge 114 and became a Shriner where he found much joy singing with the Chanters. His favourite past-time in the early years was fishing and he enjoyed curling and golfing most of his adult life. One of his greatest gifts was his sense of humour. He always loved a good joke. In 1966 the family moved into their dream home in Charleswood. Bob was first and foremost a family man. He was a very devoted husband and father. His children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren meant the world to him. With the loving care of his wife Myrtle, he got his wish to remain in the home he loved so much, for as long as possible. He will be dearly missed by his family and friends. The family extends sincere thanks to Dr. McCammon, Dr. Maksymiuk of CancerCare and Dr. Lipschitz at HSC. We are extremely grateful to Dr. Crow and all the wonderful, caring staff on 3E Riverview Health Centre. Our deepest appreciation goes to Mark Shepherd, coordinator of the Palliative Home Care Program and Bob's caregivers. The celebration of Bob's life will take place at Charleswood United Church on Saturday, June 27 at 1:00 p.m. with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Palliative Care Unit, care of Riverview Health Centre Foundation, 1 Morley Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3L 2P4 or HKVCA, Memorial Wall P.O. Box 381,Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 2H6. My life on earth is truly past I've loved you all to the very last Weep not for me but courage take and love one another for my sake Love Dad Arrangements entrusted to: Chapel Lawn 885-9715
Links and Other Resources
There may be more information on this individual available elsewhere on our web sites - please use the search tool found in the upper right corner of this page to view sources.
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→ 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
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End of Report.
Report generated: 24 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.