1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Private | Sheldon | Archibald Alexander |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Dauphin MB | Manitoba | 1919-01-13 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| HQ Coy | ||
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 | 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-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 | N/A |
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
| Transport Mode | Arrival Destination | Arrival Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Brewster | 1945-11-03 | Bronchitis acute |
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
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-01-14 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Dauphin Manitoba Canada | Riverside Cemetery | ||
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
BIRSS: Sheldon Archibald Alexander Birss. On Saturday, Jan. 14, 1995, Sheldon A.A. Birss, following a gallant battle against cancer, passed away peacefully in the Assiniboine Centre, Brandon, MB. Sheldon was born Jan. 31, 1919 at Dauphin, MB, raised and educated in the Gartmore district. Prior to enlisting in the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders on Sept. 24, 1940, Sheldon farmed with his parents, Neil and Margaret, on their mink, fox and mixed farm. Sheldon’s musical abilities were evident to his comrades and Canada when he performed as “The Singing Soldier” on CBC’s Red River Jamboree before mobilization with the Winnipeg Grenadiers, Oct. 24, 1941. Sheldon shipped out Nov. 16, 1941 and fought at Hong Kong until its fall on Dec. 25, 1941, when he was taken prisoner. Under brutal conditions Sheldon survived as a prisoner of war until liberation, Aug. 25, 1945. Returning to Dauphin, Sheldon married Phyllis Keats on Dec. 1, 1945 and together they tended the family farm, always known as a centre of hospitality and merriment, generally led by Sheldon’s voice and guitar. The homestead hosted many a joyous occasion. Leaving the family farm in 1961, Sheldon found employment in the Dauphin area and retired from Manco Dairies in 1983. Sheldon spent his retirement with new found interests at his cottage in Clear Lake, Golfing, Boating, the Saturday night dances and games of chance at the lake and in Brandon. As a veteran Sheldon remained a lifetime member of the Hong Kong Veterans Association, Winnipeg and the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 20—Dauphin. Predeceased by his beloved wife Phyllis on Nov. 24, 1984, Sheldon will be sadly missed by: his only daughter Bonnie (John) Yakubchak, Dauphin, MB; sons, Reid (Bette), grandchildren Julia and Reid Jr., Winnipeg, MB., Sheldon Jr. (Michele) and grandchild Drew, Winnipeg, MB and Randall, North Vancouver, BC. Also mourning Sheldon’s demise are: sisters, Kay (Bill) Jones of Tswawassen (Delta), B.C., Heather (Harold) Smith of High River, AB; brothers, Elwood and Ted of Dauphin, MB; as well as many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Also left to cherish fond memories are special friend Beryl Marnoch of Brandon and her son David (Eleanor) and their son Ryan of Minnedosa, MB. Funeral service was held at Sneath-Strilchuk Funeral Chapel on Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 2 p.m. with Rev. Dexter van Dyke officiating. Organist Sandra Dowhan played Sheldon’s favorite hymns, The Old Rugged Cross and Just a Closer Walk with Thee. A special tribute was conducted by the Dauphin Royal Canadian Legion. Forming the Honor Guard were members of the Royal Canadian Legion and Russ Moore of Winnipeg representing the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry. Active pallbearers were Dayle Birss, Brock Birss, Peter Rampton, Don Snitka, Adam Baran and David Marnoch. Honorary pallbearers were: Art Rampton, Bill Fisher, Jim Fisher, Lewis Niicholson, Andy Newton, Harvey Buckwold, Louis Trach, Ted Dent and Jim Cowan. Interment took place in the Dauphin Riverside Cemetery. The family wishes to extend a special thanks to Dr. K. A. Drummond and the nurses of A-2 Palliative Care unit at the Assiniboine Centre, Brandon. Should friends so desire donations may be made in Sheldon’s memory to the Manitoba Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation, 100 Olivia Street, Winnipeg, R3E 0V9. The Sneath-Strilchuk Funeral Service of Dauphin had care of arrangements.
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.
- 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
- Find a Grave® is a valuable resource that may contain additional information on this 'C' Force member. When you arrive at the site search page, fill in as much detail as you can for best results.
General Comments
Private Sheldon Birss - Son of Mr. and Mrs. Neil Birss, Dauphin, Pte. Birss served with the Winnipeg Grenadiers at Hong Kong. He joined the regiment just before it left for the Orient.
Picture & caption from Face Book Page- Operation Picture Me- Hong Kong [scanning from Winnipeg Tribune] by David Archer, 2016
End of Report.
Report generated: 27 Apr 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.
- 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.