LEST WE FORGET 303 ROENSPIESS, Jim Jim was born on November 23, 1930, to August Roenspiess and Beulah Williams, and resided in Annaheim, Saskatchewan. Jim joined his brother, Ross Roenspiess, in January 1955 with 1 Battalion “B” Company, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, and was assigned to the ‘VP’ Hockey Team. Jim completed all the normal military training. In October 1955, Jim and Ross moved to Northern Germany and were attached to British Army of the Rhine, BAOR, and upon returning to Canada, Jim went to Victoria with IBN PPCLI. His brother, Ross, chose a different military trade. Jim, because of his civilian trade as a telephone man, was transferred to Kingston, Ontario, and was remustered to the telephone trade. However, he was employed largely by training COMP. Jim was seriously injured and medically discharged. During the next two-anda-half years, he joined the active reserves, attended night school, qualifying RCAF to call him for Radar training, and on completing this was posted to Baden-Baden, Germany as a radar technician. Soon after, the different branches of the military were combined and renamed as the Canadian Forces. During 1970, Jim was returned to the Vimy Barracks in Kingston, ON. That is where he was assigned to an ‘Electric Training Staff’ position and was soon to be employed as an instructor of all phases of radar training and became a specialist in ‘Ground Control Approach Technology’. A special requirement arose for a man with ‘analog’ equipment, and this called for Jim to be extended for five years beyond Compulsory Retirement Age. Jim’s service of 29-and-ahalf years ended in July 1986. ROENSPIESS, Ken Ken was born on March 22, 1928, to August and Beulah (Williams) Roenspiess and resided in Annaheim, Saskatchewan. Ken joined the Canadian Army Signals Corps on September 22, 1955. He completed 23 weeks of Boot Camp at Vimy Barracks in Kingston, Ontario. He trained as a Teletype Operator and later was introduced to the ‘Cryptography’ trade, involving highly secret coded documents and communication, working behind closed doors for the remainder of his career. In 1961, while stationed in Whitehorse, Yukon, two of Ken’s brothers, Ross Roenspiess (RCEME) and Joe Roenspies (RCMP) joined Ken at HQ Northwest Highway System. This was a rather unusual occurrence, the three of them serving together for a period of time. Ken served at CARP near Ottawa, Ontario and finally was CRA’d from the Canadian Army to complete his service as Warrant Officer with the 737 Comm. Troop HMCS Unicorn (Reserves) Saskatoon. His first posting with the Royal Canadian Signal was in Dana, Saskatchewan. From there, Sgt Roenspiess was honourably released from regular army due to Compulsory Retirement Age. Ken passed away in 2015.
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