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Thread: Looking for information on the Royal Winnipeg Rifles

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    ATAG Member ATAG_Flare's Avatar
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    Looking for information on the Royal Winnipeg Rifles

    Especially during D-day and the battle of Normandy.

    I am working on putting together a little film about my grandfather Nick Homeniuk who served with them in WWII during Normandy and I'll intersperse it with footage I took of his battle sites today that I took during my holiday in France. However I am needing some more historical information on the regiment, where they were, etc. It only needs to cover their activities up to the battle for Caen Carpiquet aerodrome. I am also looking for pictures, however these don't necessarily need to be of the RWR regiment since the people who are watching aren't professional historians Any help would be appreciated.

    EDIT: I'm also looking for a title for the film. Any ideas?

    Flare
    Last edited by ATAG_Flare; Mar-20-2015 at 06:13.

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    Re: Looking for information on the Royal Winnipeg Rifles

    I have the complete Battlezone Normandy book series, I am sure there is some information about the RWR in there. I will look it up for you when I have the time this weekend.

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    Re: Looking for information on the Royal Winnipeg Rifles

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeast View Post
    I have the complete Battlezone Normandy book series, I am sure there is some information about the RWR in there. I will look it up for you when I have the time this weekend.
    That would be great, thanks!

    PS - Just looked up the books, the information I'm looking for would probably be in the Juno Beach and Battle for Caen volumes.
    Last edited by ATAG_Flare; Mar-20-2015 at 08:06.

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    Re: Looking for information on the Royal Winnipeg Rifles

    If you are really serious about finding out all the details, then you should look at the Canadian Army Official History.

    You can get a .pdf copy of "Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War, Vol III The Victory Campaign: The Operations in Northwest Europe, 1944-45, 1960" at the following link:

    http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-.../Victory_e.pdf

    On page 109 is Chapter 5 which deals with the landings in Normandy.

    In addition, would recommend author Mark Zuehlke's series of books:

    "Juno Beach, Canada's D-Day Victory: June 6 1944" which deals with the landing.

    "Holding Juno, Canada's Heroic Defense of the D-Day Beaches: June 7 - 12 1944", which deals with the defeat of the attempted counterattack by 12SS Panzer and other German reserve formations.

    "Breakout From Juno, First Canadian Army and the Normandy Campaign: July 4th - August 21st, 1944", which deals with the series of battles, led by the Canadians, which led to the surrounding of the German Armies in the Falaise pocket.

    "Terrible Victory, First Canadian Army and the Scheldt Estuary Campaign: September 13 to November 6th 1944" which deals the bloody campaign to clear the approaches to the port of Antwerp so it could be used as a supply port.

    "On to Victory, The Canadian Liberation of the Netherlands, March 23 - May 5 1945", which deals with the liberation of the Netherlands and entry into Germany.

    There's a wiki page about "...the little Black Devils":

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Winnipeg_Rifles



    Royal Winnipeg Rifles were one of the Regiments whose captured soldiers were executed by 12th SS.

    The officer responsible was Wilhelm Mohnke, who people may remember from the 'Downfall' film, an actor represents him as an SS officer. He never was brought to trial for his crimes.

    Last edited by RAF74_Buzzsaw; Mar-20-2015 at 15:07.

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    Re: Looking for information on the Royal Winnipeg Rifles

    Send me a PM please. Please provide what info you have on your relative and I will see what info we have.

    See: The Devils’ Blast: the Annual Chronical of The Royal Winnipeg Rifles

    http://www.royalwinnipegrifles.com/r...-devils-blast/

    The 2014 issue, on line NLT 30 Apr will tell the Regiments D-Day story, the first 48 hours.

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    Re: Looking for information on the Royal Winnipeg Rifles

    Quote Originally Posted by Rifleman62 View Post
    Send me a PM please. Please provide what info you have on your relative and I will see what info we have.

    See: The Devils’ Blast: the Annual Chronical of The Royal Winnipeg Rifles

    http://www.royalwinnipegrifles.com/r...-devils-blast/

    The 2014 issue, on line NLT 30 Apr will tell the Regiments D-Day story, the first 48 hours.
    Thanks! I'll pm you this weekend when I return. All information is useful!

    By the way that's a pretty awesome first post.

    Flare

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    Re: Looking for information on the Royal Winnipeg Rifles

    Have you your Grandfathers personnel file from the national archives of Canada?
    As long as he has passed on for a number of years (I can't remember how many)
    for a $5.00 fee (1999 dollars) they will mail you his file for family research.

    I did this for my uncle who was killed in action in 1944 with the Seaforth Highlanders.

    You can also find and pay for a private historian to search and photocopy the regiments
    war diary for the days you are interested in. This will not be as cheaply priced but there
    were several historians who live in Ottawa that will do this for you.

    Cheers.

    p.s. ATAG-Lewis has a thread where some of us have posted our ancestors war stories on this forum.
    Last edited by ATAG_Snarglepuss; Mar-26-2015 at 20:42.
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    Re: Looking for information on the Royal Winnipeg Rifles

    Thanks to everyone who helped out and gave information. The short film which is called Legacy of the Past is now finished production and will be on YouTube for everyone to see next week. Wish me luck in the film festival!



    Flare
    Last edited by ATAG_Flare; Apr-04-2015 at 22:37.

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    ATAG Member ATAG_Flare's Avatar
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    Re: Looking for information on the Royal Winnipeg Rifles

    Film's done!


    More info in my thread in the sim theatre section of the forums.

    Flare

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    Re: Looking for information on the Royal Winnipeg Rifles

    Quote Originally Posted by RAF74_Buzzsaw View Post
    If you are really serious about finding out all the details, then you should look at the Canadian Army Official History.

    You can get a .pdf copy of "Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War, Vol III The Victory Campaign: The Operations in Northwest Europe, 1944-45, 1960" at the following link:

    http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-.../Victory_e.pdf

    On page 109 is Chapter 5 which deals with the landings in Normandy.

    In addition, would recommend author Mark Zuehlke's series of books:

    "Juno Beach, Canada's D-Day Victory: June 6 1944" which deals with the landing.

    "Holding Juno, Canada's Heroic Defense of the D-Day Beaches: June 7 - 12 1944", which deals with the defeat of the attempted counterattack by 12SS Panzer and other German reserve formations.

    "Breakout From Juno, First Canadian Army and the Normandy Campaign: July 4th - August 21st, 1944", which deals with the series of battles, led by the Canadians, which led to the surrounding of the German Armies in the Falaise pocket.

    "Terrible Victory, First Canadian Army and the Scheldt Estuary Campaign: September 13 to November 6th 1944" which deals the bloody campaign to clear the approaches to the port of Antwerp so it could be used as a supply port.

    "On to Victory, The Canadian Liberation of the Netherlands, March 23 - May 5 1945", which deals with the liberation of the Netherlands and entry into Germany.

    There's a wiki page about "...the little Black Devils":

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Winnipeg_Rifles



    Royal Winnipeg Rifles were one of the Regiments whose captured soldiers were executed by 12th SS.

    The officer responsible was Wilhelm Mohnke, who people may remember from the 'Downfall' film, an actor represents him as an SS officer. He never was brought to trial for his crimes.



    Literally jaw dropping. That link is bookmarked. Is it available for purchase in hard copy format? I like books and this would be awesome.

    My grandfather started in the North Shore Regiment from New Brunswick. He joined pre-war as a reservist and went over in 1939. I believe he was at Dieppe and D-Day. Passed away with the bullet which sent him home still in his chest. Lodged between his heart and lung. Didn't kill him and it was too dangerous to get it out so they left it. Dad says that he used to pick shrapnel out of his skin for years.

    My grandmother said and keep in mind she was a tiny little Acadian thing that when he came back from the war he was so hard the only place you could pinch him was his balls.



    Edit///


    Just popped off a request for both my grandfathers military records.


    Thanks.
    Last edited by 7./JG26_SMOKEJUMPER; Apr-19-2015 at 04:05.

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