1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Lance Corporal | Lawrence | Edward |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Beausejour MB | Manitoba | 1923-02-25 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| appointed to Bn HQ | HQ Coy | 1 Signals |
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 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 May 13 |
| JP-Se-1B | Yumoto | Fukushima-ken, Iwaki-gun, Yumoto-cho, Mizunoya, Japan | Joban Coal Mining Company | 45 May 13 | 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
| Transport Mode | Arrival Destination | Arrival Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| USN 02726 | 1945-09-20 | or 02736 |
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
Photo from the 2009 unveiling of the Memorial Wall in Ottawa.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-10-27 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Beausejour Manitoba Canada | Beausejour Cemetery | Yes | |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
Peacefully, on October 27, 2011 surrounded by family, God called his loving son, Lawrence Edward Stebbe to his eternal home. Larry was born in Beausejour, Manitoba on February 25, 1923, the youngest son of Olga (Lentz) and Gustav Stebbe. Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 64 years, Anne (Lewko) and his children Colleen Stebbe, Wayne Stebbe, Jan Gross (Art), Patti Stebbe and his grandchildren Darrin Fenske (Kyla), Ashley Fenske (Mark Ludwick), Llana Henderson (Shane), Jon Stebbe, Kate Gross, Emily Catsirelis, Scott Catsirelis and many nieces and nephews. Larry was predeceased by his parents and siblings Richard , Leonard , George, Ralph, Edna Fedorko, Dorothy Selch and Eleanor Stebbe. In 1939 Larry enlisted with the Winnipeg Grenadiers, was deployed In December 1941 to the defense of Hong Kong and was taken prisoner on Christmas Day. Larry returned home to Beausejour in 1945 and married Anne on June 28, 1947. They opened Larry's Chip Stand and later Larry's Shoe Store. During those years Larry was an active member of Zion Lutheran Church where he served on church council and sang in the choir. Larry also served the wider community in roles at the Lions Club serving as president and a founding member of the Canadian Snowmobile Championships. Mom and Dad moved to Winnipeg in 1971 working until 1982 when they moved to Victoria beginning a long and happy retirement, returning to Winnipeg in 2007. Throughout his life Dad was an active member in the Hong Kong Veterans Association serving in executive positions in both Winnipeg and Victoria. He returned to Hong Kong on three separate occasions as a member of a Canadian contingent commemorating the Battle of Hong Kong. Dad was a founding trustee of the Winnipeg Grenadiers Hong Kong Trust Fund and continued in this role until his death. The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to the medical and nursing staff of the St Boniface Cardiac Unit, Grace Hospital 3 South and Grace Hospice. Your compassionate care enhanced Dad's quality of life over this past year and helped us all during his end of life journey. Dad had a generous spirit and loved people. As a husband you were Mom's faithful and loving friend and partner and the love of her life. You called her 'My Sweetheart'. As a father, we experienced your love for us in so many ways. Dad, we could always depend on you - you were our rock. Your faith in God sustained you throughout your life; your love sustained us. Our thanks to Pastor Carol for her loving support. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Siloam Mission.300 Princess Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3B 1M3.
Links and Other Resources
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.