# Winnipeg Rifles & Lake Superior Regiment



## Ceejay (10 Jul 2006)

Hi All
I have just joined the site today and thought I would post a message about my Grandfather, Charles Carrigan who served in The Winnipeg Rifles & Lake Superior Regiment during WW2. He was based in Sussex, UK from 1940 and transferred from the Winnipeg Rifles in around Dec 1943. In July 1944, a couple of weeks after my father was born, he went with the Lake Superior Regiment to Holland. He was shot in Nijmegen in Nov 1944 (by a sniper) and was left paralysed from the neck down. He was transferred to Christie Street Hospital in Toronto where he died in August 1946. I have some (not a lot) information about both these regiments and also a picture of the Lake Superior Regiment taken in July 1944 before they went overseas. This picture also has the names of all the people in the regiment at the time. Anyway if anyone has any information on either of these Regiments or would like me to perhaps 'help' them with any research please contact me.
Take care for now
CJ xx


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## Ceejay (12 Jul 2006)

Hi again everyone.
I have already posted a message about my Grandad who served in the Lake Superior Regiment and The Royal Winnpeg Rifles. I would be grateful if anyone has any tips on where I can find out information about these regiments in World War 2.
Thanks for reading my post
CJ
xx


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## Michael OLeary (12 Jul 2006)

You can start here to identify histories for the units: 

http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/mediawiki-1.5.5/index.php?title=Unit_Histories:_Second_World_War

These volumes may be available through Chapters if they are recent printings, or through abebooks.com if they are out of print.


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## Michael Dorosh (12 Jul 2006)

As Michael O'Leary points out (thanks for the link), unit histories are the best place to start.  Read.  Also go to your local library and ask for C.P. Stacey's book OFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE CANADIAN ARMY IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR Volume III: The Victory Campaign, as it will get you started on a background to what the regiments were doing and a general understanding of the Army's role in the war.  You can use the index to find info on the specific units your grand-dad was in.  C.P. Stacey's earlier book THE CANADIAN ARMY 1939-45 is a condensed version of the 3 volume official history that will be just as useful if you can't find the 3 volume set.

If you have specific questions later on about terminology, specific battles, etc., feel free to post them here as there are some very knowledgeable historians who visit the site, Michael O'Leary naturally being one of them.

Good luck.

Incidentally, your grandfather was no doubt shot during the phase of the campaign known as the "Nijmegen Salient".  A little bit of info on that here:

http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/mediawiki-1.5.5/index.php?title=Nijmegen_Salient

Despite being a "quiet" time from the Canadian Army, several hundred soldiers were still being injured every month (Nov, Dec, Jan) by sniper fire or hostile activity during patrols, etc.  No one was ever really "safe" in NW Europe in the rifle battalions. Guys like your grandfather went through a lot so we can enjoy the freedoms we have; it's sad that he never got to reap the benefits but I like to think he'd be happy that you are.


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## Ceejay (15 Jul 2006)

Thank you both for taking the time to read and reply to my posting. The sites you recommended are very interesting.
Take Care
CJ x ;D


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## exgunnertdo (21 Jul 2006)

The Royal Winnipeg Rifles (my hubby's former unit) has a museum, and a website.  The museum is very good, with lots of memorabilia and the curators are guys that really care about the unit, and have lots of knowledge.  Link to the Regiment's web site, with a link to the museum and other info is:

http://www.mts.net/~rwpgrif/


Also, FYI, we just got notice in the mail that the Rifles are celebrating their 125th anniversary in Sept 2008 (2nd weekend of Sept) I believe, so the topic of unit history is on everyone's mind for the next year+.  Info is on the site.

My hats off to your Grandad.  I've got a soft spot in my heart for the Rifles.  Great unit!


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## ex-Sup (21 Jul 2006)

Here's a few links you can try:

LSSR webpage http://www.lssr.ca/
Thunder Bay Military Museum http://www.superiornet.net/tbay/museum/military/
Thunder Bay Museum http://www.thunderbaymuseum.com/index.htm
In the Face of Danger: History of the LSR by George Stanley (copies held by T. Bay Library & Lakehead University)

I know that Capt David Ratz & Bruce Reith (Sgt-Ret'd) are working on a new regimental history http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/17081.0.html - you may want to conact them.

Hope this helps in your search for information.


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