http://www.calgaryhighlanders.com/2007/ ... ns2007.htm
The funeral was today; I had the honour of bearing Master Warrant Officer Winkel's decorations and headdress in Canadian military tradition during the service.WINKEL _ Heinz Ernst May 20, 1923 - September 11, 2007 Heinz Ernst Winkel of Calgary passed away at home with his loving family by his side. Heinz was born and raised in the town of Wittstock/Dosse, Germany. He leaves to mourn, his wife Shirley of forty years; his seven daughters and their families, Karin (Lloyd), Birgit (Alan), Edda (Ernie), Adrianne (Mike), Donna, Rebecca, Heather (Chris); fifteen grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. He had numerous nieces and nephews here in Canada and Germany. Good friends and people he took under his wing. He is predeceased by his parents Ernst and Marie Winkel, his brothers Erich, Horst and Hartmut, also his first wife Thea. He is survived by his sister Anne-Marie who resides in Germany. Heinz was well known for his dedication to the military serving for the German army in 1939 beginning at the age of sixteen. After the war, he joined the French Foreign Legion. Upon moving to Canada with his family in 1956, holding various odd jobs, he soon joined the Canadian Forces and served in The Calgary Highlanders. He retired from the Militia as a Master Warrant Officer in 1973. His other affiliations include the Royal Canadian Legion, the Masonic Society, Al Azhar Shrine units: Oriental band and Legion of Honour. He was also a volunteer for the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. His passions were cooking traditional German dishes for all his girls. His hobbies included painting and photography. Heinz had a dry sense of humour and entertained his army friends at the Sergeant's mess reminiscing of days and campaigns that shaped their lives. A pipe smoker and cigar aficionado, he took pride in working for Cavendish & Moore's sharing his knowledge and stories with customers. Many tourists would stop by to re-visit the shop for his colourful renditions of Calgary. A Military Service will be held to honour Heinz Winkel, Sunday, September 16, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. at the Mewata Armouries (801 - 11 Street S.W.). In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Heinz's name to the Canadian Cancer Society (No. 200, 2424 - 4 Street S.W., Calgary, Alberta T2S 2T4), the Calgary Highlanders and the Shriners Hospitals for Children (1529 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, QC H3G 1A6). Condolences may be forwarded by visiting http://www.leydens.com . Arrangements entrusted to LEYDEN'S FUNERAL HOME, RECEPTION and CREMATION CENTRE, 17 Avenue S.W. and 2 Street. Telephone: 228-4422.
From what was printed in the newspaper over the last couple of decades and what came out in the eulogy today, he enlisted in 1939 in the German Army. By 1942 he was a paratrooper - which would place him in the Luftwaffe, no? - and jumped on Crete at age 18 - on his birthday no less. According to a newspaper story from a couple of decades ago that I tracked down ages ago, apparently his father, also a paratrooper, met him on Crete, and upon meeting him slapped his face and told him that he had been told to stay home and look after his mother!
At some point, so the story goes, he ended up on the Gran Sasso Raid, and later in the SS Parachute Battalion 500. I always wondered about the veracity of this, but at the funeral there was a very striking and obvious war time photo of Herr Winkel in uniform with runes on the side of a standard stahlhelm. The eulogy seemed to have the history of Battalion 500 down pretty well, including Yugoslavia and the Ardennes.
After the war, the story continues, he was thought to be dead, and was therefore denied a pension. Off he went to the French Foreign Legion, in the company of many other Germans, to serve in Algeria and in Indo China.
He came to Canada afterwards and had a long career with the Canadian Forces, both regular and reserve, in a regular French-speaking unit (the Van Doos), and a reserve Highland regiment.
The last time I saw him, he was dancing up a storm just last January at Robbie Burns night and making all us young guys look bad in front of our female companions. :)
At the funeral Rot Scheint Die Sonne was played according to his wishes - a favourite song of his he apparently played every year on his birthday/anniversary of Crete. A wreath of edelweiss was present on the dias with his cremated remains, and edelweiss was similarly passed out to guests.
A suitable send off for a professional Prussian soldier.
If anyone has any detailed information about Herr Winkel's service in the German military, the family is eager to learn more and made the request at the funeral that they be contacted. I haven't seen his name in any reference books and his past has been elusive.
