1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
Red River Métis
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Private | Garnett | James |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Fisher Branch MB | Manitoba | 1917-02-07 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| A | ||
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-AS-01 | Argyle Street | Kowloon, Hong Kong | 41 Dec 22 | Dec 26 | ||
| 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 Mar 20 |
Commemorative Feature
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stodgell Lake | northeast of North Knife Lake, Manitoba | Manitoba | 64 I/09 | 58 37' 52"; 96 25' 46" | 1974 |
Other Military 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1943-03-20 | Acute Enteritis | Died while POW | |
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Cape Collinson Road Chai Wan Hong Kong China | Sai Wan War Cemetery | VIII. F. 8. | NA |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
Private Garnet Stodgell enlisted on September 28th, 1939 in Winnipeg. He trained at Fort Osborne Barracks and Minto Armories in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He went to Bermuda on the "Lady Drake". Then to Jamaica in September 1940. He returned to Canada at the beginning of October 1941. Five weeks later he took a train to Vancouver, then a ship to Hong Kong. It took 21 days to get there. He was there from 3 to 4 weeks when the fighting started. Garnet was taken prisoner on December 24th, 1941. He died in a Japanese prison on March 20th, 1943 at the age of 25 and lies in a cemetery somewhere in the orient. Stodgell Lake is named for Private Garnet James Stodgell.
Private Garnett James Stodgell was the son of Charles and Mary Stodgell of Fisherton, Manitoba. His mother was Silver Cross Mother for 1963.
Two of his brothers were also killed in action: Cpl Cyril Angus Stodgell and WG H6353 Stanley Stodgell. His brothers Norman and Roy as well as WG H6352 George Stodgell also served during WWII.
He is commemorated on page 217 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance.
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.
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.
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
→ Related documentation for information published in this report, such as birth information, discharge papers, press clippings and census documents may be available via shared resources in our HKVCA Vault. It is organized with folders named using regimental numbers. Use the first letter of the individual's service number to choose the correct folder, then scroll to the specific sub-folder displaying the service number of your interest.
General Comments
In memory of Mrs Mary Stodgell, 1963 National Memorial (Silver) Cross Mother. Mrs Stodgell lost three sons during the Second World War. Submitted on behalf of Chris Stodgell for the project Operation Picture Me.
Lays Wreath For Sons Lost In War
OTTAWA (CP) A 74-year-old widow, Mary Stodgell of Winnipeg. who lost three sons in the Second World War, will represent Canadian mothers at the national remembrance ceremony here Nov. 11. Mrs. Stodgell will place one of the official wreaths at the National War Memorial. Her wreath on behalf of some 104,000 mothers who lost sons in war, will be placed immediately following that of Governor-General Vanier. OTHER official wreaths will be placed by the Prime Minister, Judge C. C. Sparling, Dominion president of the Royal Canadian Legion, and the chiefs of staff.
Mrs. Stodgell had five sons in the service during the Second World War. Two died in the Pacific and one in Europe. Stanley Stodgell, 21, was killed at Hong Kong in 1941. Garnett Stodgell, 25, was taken prisoner at Hong Kong and he died in captivity in 1943. A third brother, Cyril, was killed in Belgium in 1944. The surviving brothers are Norman, who served in Europe, and Roy, who served at Hong Kong.
End of Report.
Report generated: 21 Nov 2024.
Additional Notes
(These will not be visible on the printed copy)
- Service numbers for officers 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.