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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Budvar Olafson

In memory of:

Private Budvar Olafson

January 1, 1944
Camp Niigata-Rinko 5B, Osaka, Japan

Military Service

Service Number:

H/6269

Age:

25

Force:

Army

Unit:

Winnipeg Grenadiers, R.C.I.C.

Citation(s):

1939-1945 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal 1939-1945, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp.

Additional Information

Born:

January 1, 1918
Boissevain, Manitoba

Enlistment:

September 12, 1939
Winnipeg, Manitoba

He was born as Bodvar Petur Olafson and was nicknamed Bud.

Son of Jon Olafson (a.k.a. John) and Oluf Sigridur Soebeck (a.k.a. Olive Sarah Soback), of Kitchener, Ontario, but originally from Iceland.

Brother of Corporal Conard Olafson of the 2nd Troop A Squadron of the Lord Strahcona Horse's 2nd Armoured Regiment. He fought in Italy and survived the war.

He served with the 1st Regiment Manitoba Mounted Rifles - NPAM - regimental number 2420, June 17th, 1933 and was discharged from the army in 1938. He enlisted on September 12th, 1939 with the 1st Battalion Winnipeg Grenadiers and served in Manitoba, Jamaica with Y Force, Hong Kong with C Force and Japan as a POW. He had 1,562 days of service, including 796 overseas.

To commemorate his sacrifice, the Manitoba government named Olafson Lake located northeast of North Knife Lake in his honor in 1974.

Commemorated on Page 407 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Burial Information

Cemetery:

YOKOHAMA WAR CEMETERY
Japan

Grave Reference:

Sec. A.D. 16.

Location:

YOKOHAMA WAR CEMETERY is 9 kilometres west of the city on Yuenchi-Dori, Hodogaya Ward, which branches left off the old Tokkaido highway. The nearest railway station is Hodogaya, 5 kilometres to the north on the JNR line but the cemetery is easily reached by bus from Yokohama station.

Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Digital Collection

Send us your images

  • Newspaper Clipping– In memory of the men and women memorialized on the pages of the Winnipeg Evening Tribune. Submitted for the project, Operation: Picture Me

    Details

    Newspaper Clipping
    Newspaper Clipping – In memory of the men and women memorialized on the pages of the Winnipeg Evening Tribune. Submitted for the project, Operation: Picture Me
  • Newspaper Clipping– In memory of the men and women memorialized on the pages of the Winnipeg Evening Tribune. Submitted for the project, Operation: Picture Me

    Details

    Newspaper Clipping
    Newspaper Clipping – In memory of the men and women memorialized on the pages of the Winnipeg Evening Tribune. Submitted for the project, Operation: Picture Me
  • Photo of BUDVAR OLAFSON– Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

    Details

    Photo of BUDVAR OLAFSON
    Photo of BUDVAR OLAFSON – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me
  • Photo of Budvar Olafson

    Details

    Photo of Budvar Olafson
    Photo of Budvar Olafson
  • Photo of Budvar Olafson– In memory of those who served in Hong Kong during World War 11 and did not come home. Submitted with permission on behalf of the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association by Operation: Picture Me.

    Details

    Photo of Budvar Olafson
    Photo of Budvar Olafson – In memory of those who served in Hong Kong during World War 11 and did not come home. Submitted with permission on behalf of the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association by Operation: Picture Me.

Learn more about the Canadian Virtual War Memorial

To learn more please visit our help page. If you have questions or comments regarding the information contained in this registry, email or call us. For inquiries regarding the names and information found in the RCMP Honour Roll, please email the RCMP.

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