1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Private | Elmer | Edward |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Carman MB | Manitoba | 1923-12-28 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| B | ||
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-UNK | N/A | N/A |
POW Camps
| Camp ID | Camp Name | Location | Company | Type of Work | 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 | 42 Jan 22 | 42 Sep 26 | ||
| HK-SA-02 | Shamshuipo | Kowloon, Hong Kong | 42 Sep 26 | 43 Jan 19 | ||
| JP-Fu-5B | Omine | Kawasaki-machi, Fukuoka pref., Kyushu Island, Japan | Furukawa Industries Omine | Coal mining | 43 Jan 23 | 45 Sep 22 |
Transport to Japan
| Draft Number | Name of Ship | Departure Date | Arrival Date | Arrival Port | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XD3B | Tatuta Maru | 43 Jan 19, left Shamsuipo Camp, 0500 hrs; left Hong Kong 1300hrs | 43 Jan 22, 0400 hrs | Nagasaki, Japan | Tony Banham |
Transportation SE Asia to Home
| Transport Mode | Arrival Destination | Arrival Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Glory | Esquimalt, BC | 1945-10-27 | Manila to Esquimalt, BC 37 CDNs sick and 119 fit |
No other or additional related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
Post-war Photo
No other or additional related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
Other Military or Public Service
No other or additional 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-12-06 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Winnipeg Manitoba Canada | Brookside Cemetery | MLTY-9267-0 | Yes |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
Elmer Edward Wiebe (fondly remembered by his buddies as "Eddie')
Winnipeg Grenadier – Regiment# H77713
Daddy left us way too early. Having seen several Doctors over several years, fighting a long unknown illness, a diagnosis was finally found, but unfortunately too late for treatment. Leukemia. He survived four months of the six months given.
Born in Morden, Manitoba on December 28, 1923. He was pre-deceased by his older brother, Henry Wiebe, who was killed in action prior to capture. Wiebe Lake southwest of Tadoule lake, Manitoba is named after him. He is buried in Sai Wan Bay War Cemetary. (More information can be found on his site H77148). Daddy was wounded, shot in the leg, during the battle.
His parents, George and Lena Wiebe had eight children. Other siblings include: Jack Wiebe (Dorothy), William, aka Bill/Billy, Wiebe (Lynda), Georgina Satey, aka Hazel, (Paul), Ruby Plett (Archie), Susie and Velma. The family went through many hardships and unfortunately family life is unknown. His sister, Ruby Plett, is still alive, living in Steinbach, Manitoba and we are hoping will make her 97th birthday come February 2025. His mother, Lena, married George Rolfe and they resided in Winnipeg until their passing predeceasing daddy.
What we have been told is that Daddy enlisted with the Winnipeg Grenadiers at the tender age of fifteen, lying about his age as many young men did during that time. Uncle Henry would have enlisted at the same time. Daddy served from 1939-1945 and then voluntarily returned and served with the Military Police from 1950-1955. He has several medals, but we don't know the meaning of them.
How did we come about? It is our understanding that our mother, Florence Chartrand, was daddy's Pen Pal. After their release and return home, mom met dad at the train station in Winnipeg in 1945. Funny story: Given that mom was Catholic they went to the Catholic Church to be married. The Priest refused to marry them, telling mom that he (dad) was too damaged. Nonetheless, the Catholic Priest and Daddy proceeded to indulge in some Church Wine instead. Fortunately, the United Church Minister was more accommodating and hence, their marriage on November 15, 1947, lasted 44 years before his passing at the young age of 66 years.
We were 11, unfortunately 2 boys were stillborn, and they raised the 9 of us. It was a tumultuous family, understandable. Daddy was hospitalized a few times due to Shell Shock, as they called it then, we now know it is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Seven of his children are still alive and doing well. The eldest Violet Mead, Barry Wiebe (deceased), Hazel Murray (deceased), Judy Wiebe, Sylvia Wiebe, John Wiebe, Bonnie Wiebe, Donald Wiebe and Dennis Wiebe.
Dad was a Truck Driver with Western Scrap for over 20 years. Retiring from that position, he took up a Security Position with Selkirk Steel Mill. We began in Winnipeg, and eventually they purchased property in Lockport, Manitoba and enjoyed working the land and growing a large garden. Daddy loved his pickles, mom made excellent ones, and you would find him always with sunflower seeds and black coffee, especially at the long weekend all-night drive-in movies. Daddy made a record with his Buddies during his time of service. He loved to sing, play cards, fish and to joke and tease. Good times. Fond memories.,BR>
Mom worked full time as well at Swift Canadian in Winnipeg and is fondly remember as a "Chicken Nurse", her description. We all loved her homemade soups, especially Turkey Neck Barley. She was an excellent cook. Both our parents were hard working. Mom lasted twenty-one years after daddy (DOD - 1990 December 06) (mom DOD - 2011 July 30).
The suffering of war on our dad, and its long-lasting effects that impacted him, our mom and family is a constant reminder of the devastation of war.
Let us choose peace and "Wasureru-Nai", Never Forget. We will remember them.
God bless all.
As submitted by his daughter Sylvia Wiebe
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.
Related documentation
- Our HKVCA Vault (Google Docs) may contain additional information, newspaper clippings, and documents which have been saved for this soldier. To access this information, click on the vault link and a Google Docs folder list will open in a separate tab. Use the first letter of the soldier’s service number, found at the top of this report, to open the correct folder. Each sub-folder is identified by service number. Scroll down until you reach the one of your interest.
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General Comments
’C’ Force Family Connections:
- Brother of H77148 Henry Wiebe
End of Report.
Report generated: 15 May 2025.
Additional Notes
(These will not be visible on the printed copy)
- Service numbers for officers ("X") 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.
- The 'From' information box at the top of the report represents the enlistment location unless we have obtained updated information pinpointing where the member lived.
- 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.