Retired German soldiers to revisit CFB Shilo

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This article was published 26/05/2025 (305 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

More than four decades after their military training at CFB Shilo, a group of retired German soldiers is preparing to return to the base next month for a nostalgic reunion and personal pilgrimage to a place many of them still hold dear.

The group, made up largely of veterans who trained at Shilo between 1979 and the early 1990s, is scheduled to arrive in Winnipeg on May 29 before spending four nights in nearby Brandon. From there, they plan to revisit Shilo, where they served during Canada’s long-standing military partnership with Germany, which included the use of expansive Canadian training grounds unavailable in Germany due to space constraints.

Between 1974 and 2000, German soldiers were stationed at CFB Shilo as part of a NATO agreement, with a particularly concentrated presence from 1979 to 1985. Their primary focus was on tank and artillery training, and the German Army Training Establishment Shilo (GATES) had specific requirements for artillery support during their battle exercises.

The long-standing presence not only strengthened NATO training collaboration but also had a notable positive impact on the local economy. According to the Winnipeg Free Press, the German army’s activities at Shilo contributed significantly to the economic vitality of the nearby City of Brandon. Over more than 25 years, the partnership left a lasting mark on both military co-operation and the surrounding community.

The visit is spearheaded by Michael Schipf, a 66-year-old retired German soldier who trained at CFB Shilo from 1979 to 1981. Schipf, who now lives in Germany, created a Facebook group two decades ago to help former German servicemen stay in touch. What started as an online forum has since evolved into regular in-person reunions every two years in Germany — and now, a return to the land where their military journeys once took shape.

“We’re just a group of old friends who trained together, and Shilo was a big part of our lives,” Schipf told the Sun. “Some of us served for one year, some for three. And some never went back to Germany, they stayed in Canada, got married, built lives there.”

The planned visit includes stops in Winnipeg to reconnect with old friends, many of whom now live in Canada, followed by time in Brandon and a self-guided walk around the Shilo base. Schipf explained that although base officials were initially open to giving the group a tour, scheduling conflicts mean the visitors will explore the grounds on their own.

“Things have changed a lot in 40 years,” Schipf said. “We just want to walk through, see what’s familiar, what’s different. It’s about memories.”

During their original posting, the German soldiers conducted live-fire tank training in the wide-open prairies, maneuvers impossible to perform in the tighter confines of postwar Germany. Many, like Schipf, embraced Canadian life during their time abroad, forging friendships, playing local sports, and even participating in cultural events like Oktoberfest at the German Club in Winnipeg and on base.

Schipf recalled travelling extensively while stationed in Canada: “We went to Lake Winnipeg, drove to Mexico, flew to the Bahamas and Florida. It was freedom, space and adventure. For a 21-year-old German soldier, that was unforgettable.”

Their return this June is less about military history and more about connection, both with each other and with a place that left a lasting mark.

“Shilo was not just a base. It was where we grew up in many ways,” Schipf added. “We want to remember it together.”

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