While going through my old Moose Jaw Times-Herald files on Jan. 27, 2021, I came across a story about ‘John’ (Hans) Walpoe. John, a German Jew, lost his entire family in the Holocaust. He eventually fought with the French Underground and the Winnipeg Rifles.
In a unique co-incidence, on Jan. 22, 2021 the University of Manitoba News also published a wonderful account to the interesting life of John Walpoe — a life that ended in tragedy. The U of M story and a 1951 story from the Harvard Crimson filled the gaps.
On July 20, 1945 the Moose Jaw Times-Herald published a Canadian Press story about Walpoe.
“Canada’s First “Unofficial” Soldier
“John Wolpe, 27-year-old German Jew, now under treatment for a shattered thigh at a Canadian military hospital near Watford, is the Canadian Army’s first “unofficial” soldier. He teamed up with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles in No Man’s Land — a refugee from the Germans — but the Canadians could give him neither pay, rank nor privileges. He got a uniform, however, and during his six months with the regiment, killed 28 Germans and took hundreds more as prisoners.”
(There was a photo) “Seen here with Nursing Sister Isobel Atkins, Melverton, Ontario, Wolpe said, ‘I didn’t care about the pay … all I wanted was to fight and kill Germans … you see, my family was murdered in Poland in 1942…’
“Wolpe’s officers have nothing but praise for the way he fought throughout the campaign at the Schelde, Nijmegen, both sides of the Rhine and inside Germany.
“Now he wants to stay in England and work as an interpreter.”
Winnipeg Rifles
John hooked up with the Winnipeg Rifles after D-Day. He was wounded in action at Calais while fighting with the Rifles.
John never stayed in England. He was a ‘DP,’ a Displaced Person and had no citizenship. The Winnipeg Rifles commander went up the chain of command and eventual Prime Minister Mackenzie-King gave him Canadian citizenship.
The U of M News states “… he was sponsored by the General Monash branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.” He moved to Winnipeg in February 1946 and enrolled in the University of Manitoba where he completed his degree in Romance Languages.
According to the Spring 1951 issue of the Harvard Crimson, “He graduated with top honors and came to Harvard on a fellowship in the fall of 1949.”
He completed his studies at Harvard in the spring of 1951 and studies and taught as several locations. Along the way he was married and had children.
The U of M News writes, “In 1961, Wolpe accepted a professorship in modern languages at Rockford College (now Rockford University) in Illinois.”
The U of M News continues, “On May 1, 1963, two years after arriving at Rockford College, the sole surviving member of the Wolpe family took his own life …”
There could be many reasons that led to him taking his own life at age 44. Most notably, family problems; PTSD from his War experience and no parents or brothers or sisters to give support; all killed by the NAZIS. We can never forget the suffering caused by NAZISIM.
Whatever the reason, it was very unfortunate.
