1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Private | Stanley | Gustaf Carl |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Lac Du Bonnet MB | Manitoba | 1912-02-25 |
| 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
| Date Wounded | Wound Description | References |
|---|---|---|
| 41/12/21 | N/A |
Hospital Information
| Name of hospital | Date of admission | Date of discharge | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-BMH | 08/26/1942 | 09/23/1942 | 118 |
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 | 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 Ozark Passenger List A | SF | 1945-10-02 | evacuated from Japan via USS Ozark |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975-07-21 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Winnipeg Manitoba Canada | Brookside Cemetery | D10-0058-0 | Yes |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
On July 21, 1975 at the Deer Lodge Hospital, Mr. Stanley Olcen aged 63 years, beloved husband of Margaret of 395 Duffield St. Winnipeg. Mr. Olcen was born in Lac du Bonnet, Man. He served in the Second World War with the Winnipeg Grenadiers; he was a member of the Hong Kong Association, a member of the Empire Masonic Lodge No. 127 AP and AM and was also a member of the St. James Legion. Besides his wife, Margaret, Mr. Olcen is survived by his son, Patrick and daughter, Karen of Winnipeg; his brother Alfred Olcen and his two sisters, Esther (Mrs. J. Toombs) of Ottawa and Ruth (Mrs. G. Ross) of Winnipeg. Friends may call at the chapel on Wednesday, between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, July 24 at the Bardal Funeral Home, Sherbrook at William, Padre C. L. Morgan officiating. Interment in the Brookside Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Bardal Funeral Home in care of arrangements phone 774-7474.
Ref: Unknown newspaper clipping
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
Calgary Soldier Freed From Japanese Prison
L/Cpl. Hugh Dobbins Anderson, taken prisoner at Hong Kong Christmas Day, 1941, is now liberated and safe in Allied hands, his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Anderson, 1119 3rd St. E., has been informed.
L/Cpl. Anderson is the first Calgary soldier to be reported safe after Japanese internment for almost four years.
Pte. Guy Jackson Stewart and Pte. Stanley G. C. Olcen are also reported to be safe in Allied hands. Both were captured at Hong Kong. Pte. Olcen's sister is Mrs. Esther Toombes, 1525 32nd Ave. S.W., and Pte. Stewart's wife, Mrs. Gloria Stewart, lived at the J-Bar-J guest ranch at Bragg Creek until recently.
Information that L/Cpl. Anderson was safe was received by Mrs. Anderson from the director of records, Ottawa. The telegram stated that further information would be sent to her as it was received.
L/Cpl. Anderson was a miner before his enlistment and worked at mines in Drumheller and near Lethbridge. He enlisted in the Winnipeg Grenadiers in September, 1939, serving in Jamaica before the regiment was transferred to Hong Kong.
His relatives received word that he was a prisoner a year after his capture, and their only other communication was a post card received last February in which he stated he was well. His 14-year-old daughter, Janet, also lives in Calgary.
Ex-Jap Prisoner Due Here Sunday
Pte. James Stewart, Winnipeg Grenadiers, former Hong Kong prisoner, will reach Calgary Sunday morning to join his father, George McIntyre Stewart, 1813 26th Ave SW. It is expected Pte. Stewart will be the first Calgary man to reach the city after liberation from four years in Jap prisoner of war camps.
OTHERS DUE
One other Calgary man and two other liberated Albertans landed at San Francisco Tuesday and are expected to reach their homes shortly. They are Pte. Stanley G. Olcen, whose sister, Mrs. Esther Toombes, lives at 1525 32nd Ave. S.W., Rfmn. Clayton A. Hanson, whose sister is Mrs. B. E. Smathers, Ferintosh, and Pte. Arthur E. A. Wright, whose wife is Mrs. Vera Wright of Mannville.
L/Cpl. Hugh D. Anderson, whose wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Anderson, lives at 1119 3rd St. E., is scheduled to land at San Francisco about October 14.
IN WINNIPEG
Pte. Stewart is now in Winnipeg, having gone there by way of Edmonton. He received no mail while he was interned and did not know his father had moved to Calgary a few years ago. He telphoned his father on Thursday evening and told him he would visit his sisters in Winnipeg and then leave for Calgary. Pte. Stewart's brother, Gun Sgt. George M. Stewart, arrived home Sunday after six years of Service in Europe with the R.C.H.A..
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.
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- 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.
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