Red River Métis/Anishinaabe mother from Sagkeeng First Nation, MB
General Information | ||
Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
---|---|---|
Private | Robert | |
From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
Winnipeg MB | Manitoba | 1914-06-13 |
Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
A | 7 Plt |
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.
Killed in action at Bennet's Hill Shelter. 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).
A map detailing the location of this feature can be found in this soldier's vault. (See Vault explanation below in the Links and Other Resources block) .
Site Description | Location | Province | Map Reference | Lat/Long | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blanchard Lake | east of Munroe Lake, Manitoba | Manitoba | 64 O/01 | 59 08' 45"; 98 12' 37" | 1975 |
No other or additional related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
Date of Death (y-m-d) | Cause of Death | Death Class | |
---|---|---|---|
1941-12-23 | Killed In Action | ||
Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
Cape Collinson Road Chai Wan Hong Kong China | Sai Wan War Cemetery | VIII. A. 12. | NA |
Robert Blanchard was 27 years old when he was killed in action on December 23, 1941 during the Battle of Hong Kong. His mother was Red River Métis, as well as Anishinaabe from Sagkeeng First Nation.
His mother was unaware that he had left for Hong Kong until she received a letter from him on his way there. His death wasn't confirmed to her until a year after he had been killed, and his exact date of death was confirmed to her 4 years later.
It is important for me to honour my great uncle’s legacy as an Indigenous veteran, and I encourage everyone to learn more about Indigenous veterans and to do what they can to advance reconciliation in Canada.
Submitted by great niece Julie Carver, March 2025.
This SAI WAN MEMORIAL honours over 2000 men of the land forces of the British Commonwealth and Empire who died in the defence of Hong Kong during the Second World War. The SAI WAN MEMORIAL is in the form of a shelter building 24 metres long and 5.5 metres wide. It stands at the entrance to Sai Wan Bay War Cemetery, outside Victoria, the capital of Hong Kong. From the semi-circular forecourt, two wide openings lead to the interior of the building. The names are inscribed on panels of Portland stone. The dedicatory inscription reads:
1939 - 1945 The officers and men whose memory is honoured here died in the defence of Hong Kong in December 1941 and in the ensuing years of captivity and have no known grave.
The northern side of the Memorial is open and four granite piers support the copper roof. From a commanding position 305 metres above sea level, it looks out over the War Cemetery where some 1,500 men lie buried, and across the water to Mainland China - a magnificent view of sea and mountains.
Research conducted as part of the HKVCA Indigenous Veterans Project for this veteran are available in our Vault. To access this research use the link displayed below under Related Documentation.
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.
Robert’s service medals were donated to the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) in May 2024. They are currently at the office of the MMF’s Veterans Department, and will then be displayed at their Métis National Heritage Centre when it opens in Winnipeg, MB in 2026.
End of Report.
Report generated: 01 Apr 2025.
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