1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Private | Carl | Triggve |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Baldur MB | Manitoba | 1918-04-24 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| Regimental Police | 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-NP-01 | North Point | North Point, Hong Kong Island | 41 Dec 20 | 41 Dec 22 | ||
| 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 Aug 15 | ||
| JP-To-5B | Niigata-Rinko | Niigata-ken, Nakakambara-gun, Ogata-mura, Japan | Marutsu, Rinko Coal, Shintetsu | Stevedore labor at port of Niigata (Marutsu), primarily foodstuffs; mining coal (Rinko Coal ) and labor at a foundry (Shintetsu) | 43 Sep 02 | 45 Sep 05 |
Transport to Japan
| Draft Number | Name of Ship | Departure Date | Arrival Date | Arrival Port | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XD4B | Manryu Maru | 43 Aug 15 | 43 Sep 01 | Osaka, Japan | Brief stopover in Taihoku (Taipei), Formosa (Taiwan); then 2 day stopover at northern point for stool tests | Tony Banham |
Transportation SE Asia to Home
| Transport Mode | Arrival Destination | Arrival Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda Naval Aircraft | SF | 1945-09-30 | also on USS Ozark Manifest List A |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968-04-04 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Winnipeg Manitoba Canada | Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens | ||
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
On April 4, 1968, at the family residence, Ste. 12, 460 Osborne St., Carl Tryggvi Jonsson, aged 49 years, beloved husband of Rose Jonsson. Born in Cypress River, Manitoba, Mr. Jonsson had lived in Winnipeg since 1945. He was a salesman for many years. He was a member of the Duke of Kent Legion, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Aerie No. 23, and was an active member of the curling clubs of both the above associations. He served in World War II with the Winnipeg Grenadiers in Jamaica and Hong Kong from 1939 – 1945. Beside his wife he Is survived by 3 daughters, Mrs. Mike Benson (Jacqueline), Winnipeg, Mrs. Larry Losky (Hazel), Winnipeg, and Mrs. Len Johnson (Elaine), Calgary, Alta.; 3 grandsons; 1 grand daughter, three brothers and six sisters. Funeral services 1:00 p.m. Monday at the Bardal Funeral Home Sherbrook and William. Rev. C.L. Morgan officiating. Burial in Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens. Viewing 2:00 to 9:00 pm Sunday. Winnipeg Free Press April 6, 1968, page 34 with photo
Carl was born in Cypress River, the son of Christjan B. and Thordis Jonsson. He enlisted in Winnipeg with the Grenadiers and served in Jamaica and then in Hong Kong. Carl was a member of Duke of Kent Legion Branch and Fraternal of Eagles Aerie No. 23 and was an active member of the curling clubs of both associations. He was married to Rose Kelso and at the time of his death in 1968, was employed as a salesman for many years in Winnipeg. He is survived by three daughters: Jacqueline, Hazel and Elaina.
C. T. Jonsson Head Hong Kong Veterans
Carl T. Jonsson has been elected president of the Winnipeg branch of the Hong Kong Veterans Association. Other executive members are: Bert Delbridge, vice-president; Bill Savage, secretary, and Alf Matthews, treasurer. Winnipeg Free Press November 22, 1957, page 12
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
In Hong Kong
Pte. Carl Jonsson, 24, left, and Theodore Jonsson, 22, right, sons of Mrs. Thordis Jonsson, 574 Maryland St., both served with the Winnipeg Grenadiers in Hong Kong. The brothers joined up in September 1939, and also saw service in the West Indies. Carl worked in Saskatchewan mines and Theodore at Gibson’s Bowling alleys in Winnipeg. The family came to Winnipeg from Glenboro, Sask.
Winnipeg Tribune, January 12, 1942, page 3 with photo
1945 Next of Kin: Mrs. Thordis Jonsson (mother), 456 Sherbrooke St., Winnipeg MB.
’C’ Force Family Connections:
- Brother of H6313 Theodore Jonsson
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.