1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Private | John | C. |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Woodmore MB | Manitoba | 1921-09-16 |
| 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 | 45 Apr 16 |
| JP-Se-4B | Ohashi | Iwate-ken, Kamihei-gun, Katsushi-mura, Ohashi, Japan | Nippon Steel Company | 45 Apr 16 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
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
No other or additional related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-12-29 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| West St. Paul Manitoba Canada | Glen Eden Cemetery | Yes | |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
JOHN MARUSCHAK Peacefully on Monday, December 29, 2008 at Concordia Hospital, John passed away at the age of 87 after a short illness. John is survived and lovingly remembered by daughter Ellen Kliewer (Henry), grandchildren John Delisle (Pamela) and Alana Delisle; his brothers and sisters, Marie Patek, Peter Maruschak (Mary), Bill Maruschak (Ann), Iris Kopchuk (Mike), nieces and nephews, and many close friends. Born September 16, 1921 to Anna and Michael Maruschak in Stuartburn, MB. John left school at a young age to work on a neighbouring farm for Frank and Cissy Pott who declared he was just the man they were looking for . With the outbreak of the Second World War John enlisted with the Winnipeg Grenadiers in 1939, one of 1,975 Canadian soldiers (Winnipeg Grenadiers together with the Royal Rifles of Canada) sent to defend Hong Kong. Following a 17-day battle, the British Crown Colony was surrendered Christmas Day to Japan. Survivors were taken prisoner to work in slave camps for the next three years and eight months. When the war ended John returned home to Canada and obtained employment with Inman Motors where he developed his skills as a body man and trimmer, highly regarded in the industry. John married Pearl Johnson, May 22, 1946 and was predeceased by her in 1997, missing her deeply all these years. They had a long and happy marriage enjoying many lovely holidays taking their daughter on wonderful camping trips exploring Western Canada and the US - with miles of movie footage capturing the memories. They also had a trailer at Spruce Sands then on property in St. Malo for a number of years while their grandchildren were young. In later years John and Pearl were able to enjoy holidays in Jamaica, Hawaii, Great Britain and Portugal. In his retirement he did a beautiful job finishing their basement and having been a music man' many years from 1961 playing records/tapes for weddings, socials and banquets his love of playing and listening to music remained one of his greatest pleasures. He was a member of the 29er's CB Radio Club and had a HAM radio operator's license. John enjoyed fighting with his computer' downloading and watching many of his home movies. Even though his world had become smaller in recent years, John actively embraced life and was fully engaged in the world around him, looking forward to the safe arrival of his first great-grandchild. He had a special sense of humour and a positive accepting outlook, choosing to make the best of whatever life held. The family would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to the staff of Concordia Village and Concordia Hospital for their compassionate care and attention. A celebration of John's life will be held Saturday, January 3, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at Glen Eden Funeral Home, 4477 Main Street. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association or the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Glen Eden Funeral Home 338-7111
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
Note spelling of last name- John MARUSCHAK (Marsuschak )
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.