Late grandfather that worked for Regina Industries

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I have had yet another poignant and moving e mail from someone trying to put together their past. However, this time it relates to a munitions worker but it is very moving:

Hi, My name is Jessica Mueller and I am looking for some information on my Grandfather. I am the youngest grandaughter of Anton Joseph Mueller, who worked at Regina Industries in 1942. On November 25th 1942, while unloading a truck, my grandfather was injured at work and later died as a result of his injuries on December 4th, 1942. At this time my dad was only 2 and a half months old. My dad is from a very large family and his mom soon realized that she wouldn't be able to take care of all the children by herself. Shortly after my grandfather's passing, my dad and all of his brothers and sisters were put in an orphanage just outside of Regina. He did get reunited with his mom and syblings in the end however the family was never really close after all the time they spent seperated. My Grandma died in 1986 and refused to talk about my Grandpa even on her death bed. The little information I have above, I have received from the Regina Leader post of that time period and the more personal from my dad. This December marks the 65th anniversary of my Grandfathers death and I know it would mean the world to my dad if he could have any additional information on his father. I received your name from the government of Canada historian department who stated that Regina Industries, although hired for work during the war, was still undercontrol of General Motors since it was a general motors plant before the war. I know that it would be unusal for a company to keep information on their employees for an excess of 65 years but I just had to try and see what I could come up with. Any information you have is greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for your help. Jessica Mueller

My reply:

Hello Jessica!

We seem to be having a lot of queries online in Canada on the Maple Leaf Up Forum (Canadian military history) lately because so may people are trying to trace grandfathers, grandmothers, and families because of wartime relationships, adoptions, etc. So I am no stranger to such an interesting request.

My wife has a half-brother who was conceived in Canada, who may be in the States from a relationship between my wife's late father and an American girl around 1942-3 when he was in the RAF undergoing pilot training. We assume that the son was put up for adoption...however your story is really tragic.

Now, I have been thinking for a day about this query. There were two I think not three Crown Corporations set up by GM of Canada with the Fderal Government to produce munitions, one was Border City Industries Limited of Walkerville/Windsor, Ontario, and the other Regina Industries Limited of Regina. The Regina, Sask. GM assembly plant re-opened for the second time in December 1937 but it was never converted to military vehicle production in the war, and although Oshawa, Ontario also produced munitions, it became the sole military vehicle assembly operation and Regina stopped assembly by beginning July 1941. The plant then became solely a munitions plant making 6-pounder gun components, and various other gun mounts, etc. It seems as though your late grandfather had an industrial accident which I wonder might have been sufficiently noteworthy to have been reported in THE REGINA LEADER-POST? The paper has a collection of article clippings but there may well be a microfilmed collection of back issues say in the University? Or perhaps the Provincial Library? I doubt whether any other records exist of personnel exist anywhere as the plant was closed by 1945, and then vacated. I would also consider writing a letter to the paper and perhaps asking if anyone can add any more light?

With very best wishes,

David Hayward
Southampton-UK

Hi David,

I read this post and went searching for Saskatchewan Vital Statistics records site ... for starters, I don't know what sort of info Jessica or her dad are looking for, whether just certain time frame of Grandfathers life or events surrounding his death, his whole life, or his whole life plus who his parents etc were ... I suspect that her dad knows very little about his dads personal life and history and thats probably what he would want to be knowing about.

Maybe Jessica or her dad can get some information from ordering birth and/or marriage and death records and work forwards from there.

http://vsgs.health.gov.sk.ca/vsgs_srch.aspx

Grandfathers time frame means records would have to be applied for (not accessible/viewable online)

The vital stats site does have access to some info/records online, but they are restricted within timeframes ... births more than 100 years ago, deaths more than 70, and marriages are not done yet (they're working on adding records in all categories as an ongoing process and note they won't start the marriages one until the deaths are completed)

Also she might want to try and find out if there was (likely was) an obituary for her grandfather in the local Regina paper of the time and if they would have a record of it in their archives ... obits (and memorials) often tell all sorts of information. Often nothing, but often surprizing bits of info.

Also, consider that maybe the workplace may not have employee records of the Grandfather, but maybe some connection can be found to another employee or someone that knew, or knew of, the Grandfather and remembers him and his accident etc. I know it's a stretch ... but something to consider once the actual workplace is known and if it can be contacted now.

I don't know a soul in Regina, so I can't ask anyone to do a little hunting as a favor, or I would. Its so sad when someone wants family knowledge and some other family members either doesn't know anything or they simply aren't approachable or forthcoming with info. The knowledge is out there, somewhere ... someone knows something, is what I always believe and I never give up.

Hope some of this helps somehow.

Ma

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Hi Ma!

This is one answer that I had up my sleeve as it were because Regina Industries Ltd, together with Border City Industries Ltd were the two Crown Corporations that GM of Canada formed for the munitions production at Regina and the new plant at the top of Walker Road, Windsor (nee Walkerville) respectively. The latter became GM's Trim Plant but poor Regina closed for the final time in 1946 and that was then end of that sorry saga: 1928-30; 1931; 1937-1941 as assembly plants then 1941-45 as munitions plant. No employee records would exist I think, but there may be I suggested, a report in the local paper [The REGINA STAR] and they have a "morgue" of sorts with clippings but the Provincial Library in Saskatoon is it [?] may well have back microfilm copies. I do wonder if the Death Certificate may hold some information?

Other than that I am stumped, and apprciate your suggestions which I shall pass on. I can imagine that an industrial accident would have had some column-inches even in the war.

I realy feel sorry for the locals, as they seem to have held out hope for industrialisation at the time when agriculture was the only major income source, and they lost out on the on-off auto industry roller-coaster, and finally because Oshawa proved it could handle and cope with all assembly work [though the St Catherines, Ontario plant kicked in with V-8 engine production in late 1954]. However, yet another sad wartime story has come out of the woodwork now.

Hi David ... I would also think that there are still orphanage records, tucked away in some dusty storage room, of the orphans identities and backgrounds and their parents etc ... actually, that's probably the place I would put at the top of my list for searching for info ... the hope would be records weren't destroyed by accident or anything and that someone knows where they are.

A copy of the original registration death certificate would also top the list for me as well as any orphanage records that could be found ,,, and how about the funeral home who handled the funeral and burial?

I'm also not clear (unless I missed it in Jessica's writing) of whether her grandfather worked as an enlisted man or as a civilian ... if enlisted he would have service records. Yes? Copies can be had via the National Archives. I did check the Virtual War Graves site and the Grandfather (using MUELLER spelling) is not listed. I looked there because he was working at a war effort/manufacturing place and thought his death would come under death while/due to serving at home.

Another brainflash ... if there were an industrial accident, would that not mean fire department attendance to the accident and perhaps they would have records of the accident call as well?

I'm just freeflowing with possibilities for search ideas here ... and passing them on. Never know what might turn up some info.

Regards newspapers archives ... I know that Winnipeg Free Press microfiched archives are accessible via the Winnipeg Public Library, so would assume the big dailies of Saskatchewan would also have microfiche copies in Regina's library ... maybe the University also holds records.

Enough ... gotta have my coffee now ,,, just woke a while ago from snoozing and am not quite awake her

Ma

Am curious ... is Jessica and her Dad in Canada? Or even in Saskatchewan? ... that would help get at info quicker if they are local and can chase down some of this info by telephone and visits to places they could find info from.

Ma

PS: THAT war certainly did change everything ... life as people knew and did it ... for everyone, in the world who was involved. It's astounding as I still learn more about the impacts. Seems like no person or aspect of life was untouched and the world is still rumbling with the ongoing longterm effects. Whump.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

She did not say...she has a hotmail a/c. Good points though Karmen, thanks!

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by David_Hayward
She did not say...she has a hotmail a/c. Good points though Karmen, thanks!

David, get into the email headers and give me the originating IP address... I can tell you where she is.

Originally posted by David_Hayward
She did not say...she has a hotmail a/c. Good points though Karmen, thanks!

You're welcome David ... I only hope some of my input pays off for Jessica and her Dad, somehow. I especially hope so for the Dad's sake and he is who I'm thinking about most here ... some answers and knowledge of his Dad before he passes on too ... and it's too late for him.

Karmen

PS: ... I just reread Jessica's letter and realize the fire dept unlikely involved, or to have any record, if it was an unloading a truck accident ... and no fire or fire danger was a concern ...

A photo and short blurb of that munitions plant:

http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/regina...tries_ltd.html

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Geoff, can you make sense of this lot please?

David



[DELETED]

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by David_Hayward
X-Originating-IP: [71.17.37.15]
From: "Jessica Mueller" <mueller_jess@hotmail.com>

David,

The Hotmail isn't anything other than a web-based email client. She's posting from Regina, Saskatchewan, so in the context of this discussion, she has "local" access to the resources Karmen has been explaining...

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Thanks...she can clearly hotfoot to the newspaper or library then. I don't know what else we can suggest apart from a copy Death Certificate. Unless the local paper prints a letter of hers appealing for info?

Excellent then, if she's Regina based. Makes it a whole lot easier and quicker, and cheaper, for Jessica to scout out the information, now that she has some ideas of who/where to approach for possible answers. She can visit the main library and probably browse the microfiche newspapers for any accident stories and obituaries etc, now ... she's lucky to have actual dates to narrow her search ... and the beauty is that it only costs the "cents" to pay for a photocopied page of that info.

So many people are so new at researching things in areas they know nothing about that they haven't a clue of where and with whom and what to start and don't know what local resources they might approach ... I should know. The amazing thing is when you find out what local resouces are available, from someone across the other side of the world because no one that you know around you has a clue

I think my first "military type resource" I checked out was once I found out about Fallen Soldiers being listed online in the Virtual Memorial, and then the online Legion message board ... and then the reference to MLU forum ... and then ............

I'd suggest to Jessica THE MOST IMPORTANT THING is to first to find out exactly what sorts of knowledge and time frames that her Dad would want to know about so that she can know "what specifically" to ask about and where to ask or look. If it were me I'd sure look into finding any orphanage records and info if they still exist!!!

Good luck to her!!!

Karmen