1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Private | Thomas | Joseph |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Winnipeg MB | Manitoba | 1922-06-25 |
| 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 | 45 Sep 10 |
Transportation SE Asia to Home
| Transport Mode | Arrival Destination | Arrival Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Admiral Hugh Rodman | Vancouver, BC | 1945-10-07 | Manilla to Vancouver, BC |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-12-28 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Winnipeg Manitoba Canada | Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens | Peace Niche | Yes & Engraved |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
THOMAS DEWAR June 25, 1922 - December 28, 2013 Peacefully in his sleep at the Concordia Hospital, Tom passed away to be with his wife Mary, of sixty-six years. Tom will be greatly missed by his daughter, Lorraine (Ray) Zacharias, his son, David (Janis), his three grandchildren, Sharon, Daniel and Trisha, and his great-granddaughter, Sydney. Tom was predeceased by his parents, Joseph and Dorothy, his sisters, Christina Murray, Margaret Hewitt and Dorothy Tyers, his brother Edward and his granddaughter Krystin. Tom grew up in the west end of Winnipeg on Toronto Street and attended Hugh John McDonald School where he first met Mary in 1936. Tom joined the Winnipeg Grenadiers as a bugler in the non-combat militia reserves in 1937. When war was declared, Tom enlisted in the active militia of The Winnipeg Grenadiers. They spent one and a half years in Jamaica, preparing themselves for the tropical climate of Hong Kong. They arrived in Hong Kong on November 16, 1941 and were captured Christmas Day, 1941. They then spent the next three years and eight months under the harshest conditions ever experienced by any POW. Tom returned home to Winnipeg in 1945 and he and Mary began dating in 1946. They were married on October 18, 1947 and built their lives around their two children, Lorraine and David. On his return from Hong Kong, Tom began working at the Laurie Wagon and Carriage Co. After almost losing a couple fingers, Tom decided to find another profession. He joined the CIBC, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in 1950 and worked there until his retirement in 1983 as Supervisor of the Central Mailroom. Tom and Mary bought a cabin at Grand Beach, where they spent many summers with their children, Lorraine and David. After selling the cabin in 1978 Tom and Mary turned their vacation plans to traveling the world. They especially enjoyed Hawaii and Las Vegas. They also enjoyed many ocean cruises and bus tours. Tom and Mary were active members of the Fort Garry Legion, # 90, where Tom held many positions, including Legion President for four years. While serving as President, Tom was instrumental in implementing By-Laws in the Branch, as no By-Laws were enforced. Tom received many awards as a member of the Legion, including Legionnaire of the Year and the Certificate of Merit. Each of these awards is awarded for outstanding devotion to the aims and objectives of the Royal Canadian Legion. In 1975, Tom received a Life Membership Award. In May, 1993, Tom received the "Palm Leaf Meritorious Service" medal, the highest award granted to Life, Ordinary or Associate voting members who have rendered continuous meritorious service to the cause of the Royal Canadian Legion. On August 19, 2012, Tom was honored with the "Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee" medal, created to mark the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty's accession to the throne. Tom was very active in curling and bowling, for the Legion and CIBC and followed hockey, football and baseball on TV. Tom and Mary were also season ticket holders for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for over 50 years, for which they were recognized and honored by the Winnipeg Football Club and presented with an autographed football. They attended the 1991 Grey Cup, which was held in Winnipeg. The family would like to extend their appreciation and love to the staff of Pembina Place Mennonite Personal Care Home, where Tom resided for eight years. A celebration of Tom's life will be held on Monday, January 6, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. at Chapel Lawn Funeral Home, 4000 Portage Avenue, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, if friends so desire, a donation can be made to a charity of choice. For those who wish to sign the online Guest Book please visit our website. www.chapellawn.ca 885-9715 As published in the Winnipeg Free Press on January 04, 2014
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
No comments found.
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.