Grenadiers honoured by China

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This article was published 18/03/2016 (3709 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

St. Vital’s George Peterson, 95, received a peace certificate and medal from the People’s Republic of China on March 9 presented by Carole Hadley, secretary of the Hong Kong Veterans Association (Prairie Region). Peterson was a member of the Winnipeg Grenadiers battalion during the Battle of Hong Kong, which saw 290 Canadians killed and another 493 wounded. The survivors spent 44 months as prisoners of war in horrible conditions. Hong Kong, which was then a British colonial territory, surrendered to Japanese forces on Christmas Day 1941. The certificate reads: “For your outstanding and dedicated service in (the) Asia Theatre during World War II fighting against the Japanese invaders, protecting peace and promoting friendship between the people of Canada and China.” Peterson and George Nobiss are the last surviving members of the Winnipeg Grenadiers.