Historic Sites of Manitoba: Rivers War Memorial (Rivers, Municipality of Riverdale)

Link to:
First World War | Second World War | Other | Sources

A monument was erected in commemoration of soldiers from the Rivers area killed during military service. It was unveiled on 12 June 1927 at a ceremony attended by Major-General H. D. B. Ketchen.

Rivers War Memorial (September 2011) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Rivers War Memorial (August 2021) Source: George Penner Site Coordinates (lat/long): N50.03122, W100.24074 denoted by symbol on the map above

First World War

Name	Occupation	Service	Rank	Birth Date	Death Date
Thomas Clifford Batty	Farmer	1st Depot Battalion, Manitoba Regiment	Private	1896	15 May 1918
Robert Percival Bowman [Armoury, Rivers Methodist]	Farmer	1st Canadian Mounted Rifles	Private	3 March 1896	15 September 1916
Lyman Leslie Brooks MM [Rivers Methodist]	Hardware Clerk	27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Sergeant	1893	1 May 1917
Robert William Brown [Rivers Methodist]	Clerk	16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	1888	29 April 1918
Edward Charles Ferg	Locomotive Engineer	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	1890	25 April 1915
Norman Ferguson	Locomotive Stationary Engineer	Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry	Corporal	1877	2 June 1916
Henry Fowler [Rivers Methodist]	Boiler Maker	16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	31 March 1887	4 June 1916
James Frederick Hawkins	Boiler Maker	Canadian Army Medical Corps	Private	14 September 1883	7 July 1921
Randall Hays	Farmer	44th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	1892	10 August 1918
Herbert "Harry" Higgins [Armoury, Transcona]	Locomotive Fireman	1st Canadian Mounted Rifles	Private	10 November 1889	5 June 1916
Hubert Frederick Kann [Rivers Methodist]	Farmer	27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Corporal	1893	15 September 1916
Irwin Russel Miller	Farmer	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	1897	1 October 1918
Stanley George Newman	Farmer	18th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	1891	10 March 1916
George Nelson Porteous [Cypress River, Rivers Methodist]	Farmer	5th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	5 April 1896	13 October 1918
John Rix [Armoury, Rivers Methodist]	Farm Hand	28th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Sergeant	28 February 1895	22 August 1917
Thomas William Roberts [Rivers Methodist, Transcona]	Carpenter’s Apprentice	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	1898	28 October 1917
Robert Chester Sargent [Minitonas, Rivers Methodist]	Farmer & Teacher	The Royal Canadian Regiment	Private	15 November 1895	16 September 1916
H. Smith	?	?	?	?	?
Martin Wareham [Rivers Methodist]	Farmer	16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Corporal	27 October 1890	4 June 1916
Ivor Vincent Withers	Clerk	1st Canadian Mounted Rifles	Lance Corporal	1893	5 June 1916
Samuel Thomas Zaharia	Farmer	100th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	1896	14 September 1917

Second World War

Name	Service	Rank	Birth Date	Death Date
Charles Michael Beltz	Winnipeg Grenadiers, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps	Corporal	9 February 1918	19 December 1941
Drummond Edward Chapman	23 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force	Flight Sergeant	21 April 1922	7 November 1941
Philip Chura	Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada	Private	4 November 1904	12 July 1943
Robert Llewellyn Davies	Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada	Lance Corporal	5 August 1920	21 July 1944
Oliver Roland Donogh [Glenboro]	Royal Winnipeg Rifles, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps	Lieutenant	2 August 1921	19 July 1944
Frederick Henry Dowland	Royal Canadian Air Force	Sergeant	9 January 1923	7 September 1942
Herbert Lloyd Dowland	114 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force	Warrant Officer Class I	3 November 1918	25 August 1944
William Dutka	25th Armored Delivery Regiment, Elgin Regiment, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Trooper	14 January 1912	9 June 1944
Glen McKay	Atlantic Ferry Command	Radio Operator	?	1941
Dietrich Victor Klassen	Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps	Private	16 April 1923	23 July 1943
Ole Burnett Konsmo	HMCS Guysborough, Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve	Cook	24 January 1910	18 March 1945
Irvin Melville Lowe	76 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force	Warrant Officer Class II	28 January 1919	3 December 1943
Hugh Charles McFadden	168 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force	Flying Officer	3 July 1913	2 April 1944
Albert Thomas Murray	Royal Canadian Army Service Corps	Private	20 January 1914	26 February 1946
John Oliver Hugh Nevill	57 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force	Flight Sergeant	1 May 1916	2 April 1942
Reginald Frank Piercy	429 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force	Flight Sergeant	16 August 1910	25 February 1945
James Wallace Piercy	Royal Canadian Air Force	Flying Officer	8 October 1912	27 May 1945
Ralph Ainsworth Post	106 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force	Flight Sergeant	20 June 1920	19 May 1942
Albert James Radcliffe	Royal Canadian Air Force	Leading Aircraftman	22 November 1921	20 October 1943
Kenneth Lloyd Radcliffe	44 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force	Sergeant	16 September 1924	25 March 1944
Bertram Shylega	Royal Canadian Air Force	Flying Officer	26 January 1921	4 January 1945
Gibson Ritchie Stratford [Pettapiece, Rapid City]	Royal Canadian Air Force	Pilot Officer	23 June 1919	31 May 1942
John Emerson Thompson MC	4 Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery	Captain	?	25 July 1944
Thomas Allan Thomson	426 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force	Pilot Officer	22 August 1921	28 January 1944
Thomas William J. Trewin	406 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force	Flight Lieutenant	2 April 1905	5 April 1945
Nelson J. Vickery	Regina Rifle Regiment	Rifleman	21 February 1916	9 June 1944
Albert Wareham	Royal Canadian Air Force	Sergeant	7 July 1919	30 July 1942
Ronald Joseph Warren MM	Monmouthshire Regiment	Private	23 April 1923	25 February 1945
Arthur Lawrence Wood	644 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force	Warrant Officer Class II	23 April 1922	27 May 1944

Sources:

“The War Memorial,” The Gazette, 2 September 1926, page 1.

“Our Honored Dead,” The Gazette, 2 September 1926, page 1.

“Rivers War Memorial to be Unveiled Sunday Next, June 12th,” The Gazette, 9 June 1927, page 1.

“Unveiling of Rivers War Memorial Outstanding Event,” The Gazette, 16 June 1927, page 1.

For the names of First World War casualities from Manitoba who do not appear on any physical monument in the province, see the Manitoba Historical Society War Memorial. If you know of a name that is omitted from this list, please contact the MHS War Memorial Researcher Darryl Toews (darryl@mhs.mb.ca).

Soldiers of the First World War - Canadian Expeditionary Force, Library and Archives Canada.

Canadian Virtual War Memorial, Veterans Affairs Canada.

Financial support for research reported on this page was provided by the Manitoba Heritage Grants Program (2015-2016).

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Darryl Toews.

Page revised: 21 November 2020

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