Abe Wittenberg, Chilliwack Museum and Archives1

Born in Gnadenheim Slaugard, Russia on August 1st, 1919, Abe Wittenberg and his family immigrated to Canada in 1925. They lived in Drake, Saskatchewan from 1925 to 1928, where Abe attended Kansas School. The Wittenbergs later moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1928 and remained in the city until 1935. During this time, Abe was a student at Lord Kitchener School. In 1935, Abe and his family finally found themselves in Yarrow. From 1935 to 1939, Abe worked on the hop fields in Yarrow, as well as at Mackenzie Barge & Derrick in Vancouver.2

In February of 1943, Abe Wittenberg made the decision to enlist into the army. However, Abe joined the infantry and not the non-combatant services, despite the pressure from the Mennonite Brethren Church. Naturally, this proved to be quite the controversial move. Abe and his brother, Jake, did not care about the feelings of the Church.3

“We weren’t thinking about the church much at the time. Conscientious objection? We just weren’t involved with that kind of thing then.“

Jake Wittenberg, October 23, 20004
Abe Wittenberg’s gravestone in Ravenna War Cemetery, Veterans Affairs Canada.5

After completing his basic training in Vernon, British Columbia and his advance training at Currie Barracks in Calgary, Alberta, Abe was sent overseas in August on the Queen Mary and landed in Aldershot, England. The following month, Wittenberg was assigned to the Loyal Edmonton Regiment 1st Division and was initially sent to Africa. He was wounded, but later recovered and rejoined the 1st Division in Sicily.6

Later in December of 1944, Wittenberg was relocated to Italy where he was severely wounded in battle. On December 13th of 1944 in Naviglio Canal, Corporal Abe Wittenberg succumbed to his injuries and was buried at the Ravenna War Cemetery in Ravenna, Italy. He was 25 years old.7

  1. “Corporal Abe A. Wittenberg,” Chilliwack Museum & Archives, https://www.chilliwackmuseum.ca/war-memorial/WW2_W_names.html ↩︎
  2. “Abe Wittenberg Memoir,” Chilliwack Museum & Archives, archive ID: 2003.069.003.001.046. ↩︎
  3. Harold J. Dyck, “Yarrow Book Manuscript Files/Yarrow War Dead Essay Draft,” Chilliwack Museum & Archives, archive ID: 2003.069.003.004.005. ↩︎
  4. Dyck, “Yarrow Book Manuscript Files/Yarrow War Dead Essay Draft.” ↩︎
  5. “Abe Wittenberg – The CanadianVirtual War Memorial,” Veterans Affairs Canada, https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2223474. ↩︎
  6. “Abe Wittenberg Memoir.” ↩︎
  7. “Abe Wittenberg Memoir.” ↩︎