Midland Regiment soldiers posted to the Royal Rifles of Canada (RRC) in Hong Kong
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"This is all wrong. If Japan goes to war there is not the slightest chance of holding Hong Kong or relieving it. It is most unwise to increase the loss we shall suffer there. Instead of increasing the garrison, it ought to be reduced to a symbolic scale." Winston Churchill
"Military men are dumb stupid animals to be used as pawns for foreign policy." Henry Kissinger
National Film Board of Canada film about the sending of Canadian troops to Hong Kong
Veteran interviews from the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association
from 'Canadians in Hong Kong,' a Veteran's Affairs Canada booklet
In October 1941, the Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers were ordered to prepare for service in the Pacific.
The Canadian contingent was comprised of 1,975 soldiers, which also included two medical officers, two Nursing Sisters, two officers of the Canadian Dental Corps with their assistants, three chaplains, two Auxiliary Service Officers, and a detachment of the Canadian Postal Corps. There was also one military stowaway who was sent back to Canada.
Members of the Midland Regiment sent to Hong Kong with the Royal Rifles of Canada who died fighting or were captured and forced into slave labour in Hong Kong and Japan.
KIA killed in action
died in
captivityRalph Donald Alley C40670
Dec 8, 1921 Havelock, Ontario
June 4, 1974
father George Carlton Alley
mother Edna Dunn
married
June S ?
1925
1986
James 'Jim' Archibald C65411
Sept 5, 1913 Cowdenbeath, Fife, Scotland
July 29, 1985 Windygates, Fife, Scotland
father David Longmore Archibald
mother Jessie Reddie
married April 24, 1934 Port Hope
Muriel Helen Walsh
Dec 5, 1913 Port Hope
Sept 28, 1958
father William John Walsh
mother Elizabeth Jane Wood
John Vincent Baker C40665 KIA
Jan 12, 1922 Campbellford, Ontario
Dec 25, 1941 Hong Kong, China
father Wilbur Charles Baker
mother Mary Ethel Higgins
Clarence Frederick 'Bud' Bevan C65245
1920 Cobourg, Ontario
1976 Cobourg, Ontario
father Clarence Henry Charles Bevan
mother Rosa Vina O'Grady
married
Ruth Aileen McMann
died Oct 29, 1995 Kingston, Ontario
father William Victor McMann
mother Fanny Gertrude Minifie
John Francis Burns C5942
c1919 Hartford, Connecticut
June 6, 1989 Trenton, Ontario
John Frederick Chard C65282
Donald Bruce Dainard C65333
April 18, 1922 Campbellford, Ontario
June 28, 2001
married
Lois Ferguson
born 1927
father John Ferguson
mother Mildred Windover
Elroy George Dupont C65633 KIA
Feb 7, 1922 Pembroke, Ontario
Dec 24, 1941 Hong Kong, China
father Oscar Dupont
mother Ida May Turcotte
William Harvey Gagne C40614
born Brighton, Ontario?
Henry Robert Galbraith C65590
June 16, 1921 Oshawa, Ontario
John Eric 'Jack' Glenn C40531
May 18, 1922 Campbellford, Ontario
Feb 20, 1996 Toronto, Ontario
father Redney Barce Glenn
mother Nellie Dorothea Ray
married
Dorothy Bernice Leland
May 25, 1924 Trenton, Ontario
Nov 20, 1993 Oshawa, Ontario
father Frederick Alfred Leland
mother Minnie Florence Westlake
Walter Grey C65160
c1916 Toronto, Ontario
Dec 23, 1994 Toronto, Ontario
Richard Norman Grieves C65364
c1918 Haliburton, Ontario
Feb 17, 1999 Cobourg, Ontario
father William H Grieves
mother Agnes Parcels
Willis John Grieves C65378 KIA
Sept 18, 1921 Campbellford, Ontario
Dec 12, 1941 Hong Kong, China
father William Grieves
mother Agnes Parcels
Clarence Victor 'Bill' Hay C40669
1920 Campbellford, Ontario
1949 Campbellford, Ontario
father Roy Wilfred Hay
mother Clara Hellena Shoener
Raymond Joseph Hebert C41288
Nov 29, 1923 Renfrew, Ontario
May 19, 1976 Sault Ste Marie
married Sept 6, 1947
Elzie Joseph Henderson C65065 KIA
May 15, 1910 Haliburton, Ontario
Dec 25,1941 Hong Kong, China
father Joseph Henderson
mother Margaret A 'Maggie' Bain
married May 19, 1934 Haliburton, Ontario
Lena Margaret Eliza Phillips
1917 Sudbury, Ontario
Oct 17, 1989 Peterborough, Ontario
father George Allan Phillips
mother Lena Curry
Kenneth Ronald Inche C65559
July 2, 1919 Morrison Township
Jan 30, 2002 Oshawa, Ontario
father George Inche
mother Eliza Jane Campbell
married
Myrtle Dora Hudson
died Feb 2, 2004 Oshawa, Ontario
David Allen Jamieson C41260
Jan 10, 1912 Renfrew, Ontario
Oct 8, 1990
father David Jamieson
mother Margaret McDermid
married
Marion Isobel Shaw
Sept 28, 1917
July 25, 2010
father Cecil Elmo Shaw
mother Dorcas Anna Avery
Charles Francis 'Frank' Jiggins C65439
April 2, 1915 Port Hope
Sept 9, 1993 Port Hope
father William James Jiggins
mother Mary Ann Wallace
married
Nellie Louise Park
Oct 18, 1916 Peterborough, Ontario
Jan 3, 1986 Port Hope
father Thomas Edward 'Ted' Park
mother Annie Isobel Smith
Thomas George Jones C41279
c1919 Pembroke, Ontario
Sept 3, 2006 Pembroke, Ontario
father Louis Jones
mother Josephine D'Aoust
married
Muriel Kennedy
Michael John Kane A20387
Renfrew, Ontario
Gordon Joseph Lalonde C5941
1920 Martintown, Ontario
Dec 12, 1988 Long Sault, Ontario
married
Irene Jacques
June 25, 1923
Aug 12, 2015 Cornwall, Ontario
father Louis Jacques
mother Florence Fontaine
Walter Raymond Lancour C41428
c1921 Chalk River, Ontario
March 28, 1991
William James Lee C40653
born Oshawa, Ontario? Toronto, Ontario?
father William Lee?
mother Christina Strachan?
James William Linn C6368 KIA
Nov 6, 1914 Marmora, Ontario
Dec 23, 1941 Hong Kong, China
father William Robert Linn
mother Margaret 'Maggie' Cosbey
married
Pauline Wanda Rutherford
born c1918
father Frederick Mervin Rutherford
mother Nona Pearl McDonald
Stanley Gerald Lloyd B60896
1921 Kingston, Ontario
April 2, 2001
married
Geraldine Manser
1925
1981
Dec 8, 1921 Havelock, Ontario
June 4, 1974
father George Carlton Alley
mother Edna Dunn
married
June S ?
1925
1986
James 'Jim' Archibald C65411
Sept 5, 1913 Cowdenbeath, Fife, Scotland
July 29, 1985 Windygates, Fife, Scotland
father David Longmore Archibald
mother Jessie Reddie
married April 24, 1934 Port Hope
Muriel Helen Walsh
Dec 5, 1913 Port Hope
Sept 28, 1958
father William John Walsh
mother Elizabeth Jane Wood
John Vincent Baker C40665 KIA
Jan 12, 1922 Campbellford, Ontario
Dec 25, 1941 Hong Kong, China
father Wilbur Charles Baker
mother Mary Ethel Higgins
Clarence Frederick 'Bud' Bevan C65245
1920 Cobourg, Ontario
1976 Cobourg, Ontario
father Clarence Henry Charles Bevan
mother Rosa Vina O'Grady
married
Ruth Aileen McMann
died Oct 29, 1995 Kingston, Ontario
father William Victor McMann
mother Fanny Gertrude Minifie
John Francis Burns C5942
c1919 Hartford, Connecticut
June 6, 1989 Trenton, Ontario
John Frederick Chard C65282
Donald Bruce Dainard C65333
April 18, 1922 Campbellford, Ontario
June 28, 2001
married
Lois Ferguson
born 1927
father John Ferguson
mother Mildred Windover
Elroy George Dupont C65633 KIA
Feb 7, 1922 Pembroke, Ontario
Dec 24, 1941 Hong Kong, China
father Oscar Dupont
mother Ida May Turcotte
William Harvey Gagne C40614
born Brighton, Ontario?
Henry Robert Galbraith C65590
June 16, 1921 Oshawa, Ontario
John Eric 'Jack' Glenn C40531
May 18, 1922 Campbellford, Ontario
Feb 20, 1996 Toronto, Ontario
father Redney Barce Glenn
mother Nellie Dorothea Ray
married
Dorothy Bernice Leland
May 25, 1924 Trenton, Ontario
Nov 20, 1993 Oshawa, Ontario
father Frederick Alfred Leland
mother Minnie Florence Westlake
Walter Grey C65160
c1916 Toronto, Ontario
Dec 23, 1994 Toronto, Ontario
Richard Norman Grieves C65364
c1918 Haliburton, Ontario
Feb 17, 1999 Cobourg, Ontario
father William H Grieves
mother Agnes Parcels
Willis John Grieves C65378 KIA
Sept 18, 1921 Campbellford, Ontario
Dec 12, 1941 Hong Kong, China
father William Grieves
mother Agnes Parcels
Clarence Victor 'Bill' Hay C40669
1920 Campbellford, Ontario
1949 Campbellford, Ontario
father Roy Wilfred Hay
mother Clara Hellena Shoener
Raymond Joseph Hebert C41288
Nov 29, 1923 Renfrew, Ontario
May 19, 1976 Sault Ste Marie
married Sept 6, 1947
Elzie Joseph Henderson C65065 KIA
May 15, 1910 Haliburton, Ontario
Dec 25,1941 Hong Kong, China
father Joseph Henderson
mother Margaret A 'Maggie' Bain
married May 19, 1934 Haliburton, Ontario
Lena Margaret Eliza Phillips
1917 Sudbury, Ontario
Oct 17, 1989 Peterborough, Ontario
father George Allan Phillips
mother Lena Curry
Kenneth Ronald Inche C65559
July 2, 1919 Morrison Township
Jan 30, 2002 Oshawa, Ontario
father George Inche
mother Eliza Jane Campbell
married
Myrtle Dora Hudson
died Feb 2, 2004 Oshawa, Ontario
David Allen Jamieson C41260
Jan 10, 1912 Renfrew, Ontario
Oct 8, 1990
father David Jamieson
mother Margaret McDermid
married
Marion Isobel Shaw
Sept 28, 1917
July 25, 2010
father Cecil Elmo Shaw
mother Dorcas Anna Avery
Charles Francis 'Frank' Jiggins C65439
April 2, 1915 Port Hope
Sept 9, 1993 Port Hope
father William James Jiggins
mother Mary Ann Wallace
married
Nellie Louise Park
Oct 18, 1916 Peterborough, Ontario
Jan 3, 1986 Port Hope
father Thomas Edward 'Ted' Park
mother Annie Isobel Smith
Thomas George Jones C41279
c1919 Pembroke, Ontario
Sept 3, 2006 Pembroke, Ontario
father Louis Jones
mother Josephine D'Aoust
married
Muriel Kennedy
Michael John Kane A20387
Renfrew, Ontario
Gordon Joseph Lalonde C5941
1920 Martintown, Ontario
Dec 12, 1988 Long Sault, Ontario
married
Irene Jacques
June 25, 1923
Aug 12, 2015 Cornwall, Ontario
father Louis Jacques
mother Florence Fontaine
Walter Raymond Lancour C41428
c1921 Chalk River, Ontario
March 28, 1991
William James Lee C40653
born Oshawa, Ontario? Toronto, Ontario?
father William Lee?
mother Christina Strachan?
James William Linn C6368 KIA
Nov 6, 1914 Marmora, Ontario
Dec 23, 1941 Hong Kong, China
father William Robert Linn
mother Margaret 'Maggie' Cosbey
married
Pauline Wanda Rutherford
born c1918
father Frederick Mervin Rutherford
mother Nona Pearl McDonald
Stanley Gerald Lloyd B60896
1921 Kingston, Ontario
April 2, 2001
married
Geraldine Manser
1925
1981
Edward Cameron Lott C65568
c1920 Oshawa, Ontario
1988 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
father William Charles Lott
mother Gladys Irene McNally
married
Eileen Eleanor McCrimmon
1927
Nov 3, 2003 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
father Malcolm McCrimmon
mother Annie Burniston
Howard Thomas Marshall C65148
March 23, 1916 Lindsay, Ontario
June 21, 1961
father William Henry Marshall
mother Annie Ethel Kelly
Geoffrey Charles 'Jeff' Marston C65584
July 22, 1916 Birmingham, England
March 8, 2006 Oshawa, Ontario
father Bertram Charles Marston
mother Elsie Agnes Mason
married
Jean Eleanor Snell
Jan 29, 1919 Huron, Ontario
July 4, 2007 Bowmanville, Ontario
father John Arthur Snell
mother Mary Smith Miller
Frederick Arthur McArthur C65346
Campbellford, Ontario
Hector Gordon McCorkell C65573
Sept 1906 Belfast, Northern Ireland
father James McCorkell
mother Jane Martin
Herman Malcolm McGregor C65019
April 12, 1922 Peterborough, Ontario
March 5, 1985 Peterborough, Ontario
father Edgar McGregor
mother Laura Watson
married July 4, 1941 Saint John, New Brunswick
Mary Eliza Geach
Dec 2, 1923 Lindsay, Ontario
Jan 16, 2017 Scarborough, Ontario
father William John Geach
mother Agnes Burton
Andrew John McKay C40618
Feb 9, 1921 Magherafelt, Ireland
October 15, 1983 Lindsay, Ontario
father James McKay
mother Margaret Convery
married Sept 3, 1940 Lindsay, Ontario
Dorothy Ethel Hall
Oct 6, 1921 Lindsay, Ontario
April 25, 2007 Ancaster, Ontario
father John Hall
mother Margaret J ?
George Medhurst C65164
Sept 25, 1918 Bells Hills, Scotland
Jan 22, 1943 Hong Kong, China
father Thomas Medhurst
mother Sibella Brown
Andrew Muir Moir C65625 KIA
March 7, 1923 Lindsay, Ontario
Dec 25, 1941 Hong Kong. China
father David Moir
mother Janet McDonald
Reginald Harry Moore C65315
1923 Campbellford, Ontario
June 11, 1990 Peterborough, Ontario
Mathew William Murray C6387
Oct 29, 1913 Morpeth, Northumberland, England
March 6, 1992 Toronto, Ontario
father John Murray
mother Sarah Ann Jeffrey
married
Audrey Maude Farrer
April 23, 1921
Feb 19, 2015
father David Farrer
mother Marjory Eveline Kirby
George Robert Pomeroy C65270
Sept 21, 1916 Castleton, Ontario
Sept 1, 1942 Hong Kong, China
father John B Pomeroy
mother Georgina G White
Lloyd George Reid C41424
Dec 12, 1915 Chalk River, Ontario
Nov 9,1943 Tokyo, Japan
father David Reid
mother Margaret Rosanna Morrow
Reginald James Schofield C65117
July 28, 1910 Gloucestershire, England
Nov 17, 1977 Toronto, Ontario
father Frank Langston Schofield
mother Clara Coats Matthews
married
Winnifred Dora Seymour
Dec 14, 1910 London, England
Jan 29, 2005
Garnet Ewart Scobie C41390 KIA
June 20, 1918 Haley Station, Ontario
Dec 23, 1941 Hong Kong, China
father Alexander 'Alex' Scobie
mother Eva Pearl Edmunds
Donald Frederick Southworth C65332
Oct 118, 1922 Campbellford, Ontario
June 6, 1999 Cobourg, Ontario
father Albert Henry 'Harry' Southworth
mother Catherine Barrett
married
June Eleanor Mae McClure
Aug 6, 1928
Feb 23, 1991
William George 'Bill' Tainsh C65118
1918 Perthshire, Scotland
May 14, 1985
father ? Tainsh
mother Jessie ?
married
Mary Christina Murchison
Sept 2, 1922 Kawartha Lakes, Ontario
April 16, 1979 Peterborough, Ontario
father John N Murchison
mother Mary H Ross
Clarence Walton Thompson C65460
1918 Port Hope
July 2, 1969 Port Hope
father Edward Thompson
mother Charlotte Ann Walford
married July 1946 Port Hope
Vida Gertrude Bate
1920 Port Hope
Feb 15, 1992 Port Hope
Cecil James Bate
Elizabeth M Carter
Arthur Dominick 'Googie' Turcotte C5895
c1923 Arnprior, Ontario
before 2007
father Joseph Cyrille Turcotte
mother Georgina St Hiliare
married
Edith May Duhn
c1928
July 4, 2007 Arnprior, Ontario
father Herman Duhn
mother Victoria Desjardins
Donald John Vanclief C5922
1921 Picton, Ontario
March 5, 1998
father B Bruce Vancleaf
mother Florence C Daubney
married June 11, 1949
Marion Edna Hennessy
1926
1998
John Walton C65283
Toronto, Ontario
David Wellman C5898
Dec 27, 1907 Hastings, Ontario
Oct 10 1950 Havelock, Ontario
father David Abram Wellman
mother Jennie Loretta Gifford
Joseph Michael Whalen C65092
Jan 15, 1923 Kirkfield, Ontario
Nov 20, 1942 Hong Kong, China
father Francis J 'Frank' Whalen
mother Agnes A Hart
Gilbert Albert Wurm C6352
1921 Arnprior, Ontario
1975 Arnprior, Ontario
father Albert Wurm
mother Florence Jane Ring
married
Joyce Desjardins
Verner James Wurm C65193
c1917 Arnprior, Ontario
father Albert Wurm
mother Florence Jane Ring
c1920 Oshawa, Ontario
1988 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
father William Charles Lott
mother Gladys Irene McNally
married
Eileen Eleanor McCrimmon
1927
Nov 3, 2003 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
father Malcolm McCrimmon
mother Annie Burniston
Howard Thomas Marshall C65148
March 23, 1916 Lindsay, Ontario
June 21, 1961
father William Henry Marshall
mother Annie Ethel Kelly
Geoffrey Charles 'Jeff' Marston C65584
July 22, 1916 Birmingham, England
March 8, 2006 Oshawa, Ontario
father Bertram Charles Marston
mother Elsie Agnes Mason
married
Jean Eleanor Snell
Jan 29, 1919 Huron, Ontario
July 4, 2007 Bowmanville, Ontario
father John Arthur Snell
mother Mary Smith Miller
Frederick Arthur McArthur C65346
Campbellford, Ontario
Hector Gordon McCorkell C65573
Sept 1906 Belfast, Northern Ireland
father James McCorkell
mother Jane Martin
Herman Malcolm McGregor C65019
April 12, 1922 Peterborough, Ontario
March 5, 1985 Peterborough, Ontario
father Edgar McGregor
mother Laura Watson
married July 4, 1941 Saint John, New Brunswick
Mary Eliza Geach
Dec 2, 1923 Lindsay, Ontario
Jan 16, 2017 Scarborough, Ontario
father William John Geach
mother Agnes Burton
Andrew John McKay C40618
Feb 9, 1921 Magherafelt, Ireland
October 15, 1983 Lindsay, Ontario
father James McKay
mother Margaret Convery
married Sept 3, 1940 Lindsay, Ontario
Dorothy Ethel Hall
Oct 6, 1921 Lindsay, Ontario
April 25, 2007 Ancaster, Ontario
father John Hall
mother Margaret J ?
George Medhurst C65164
Sept 25, 1918 Bells Hills, Scotland
Jan 22, 1943 Hong Kong, China
father Thomas Medhurst
mother Sibella Brown
Andrew Muir Moir C65625 KIA
March 7, 1923 Lindsay, Ontario
Dec 25, 1941 Hong Kong. China
father David Moir
mother Janet McDonald
Reginald Harry Moore C65315
1923 Campbellford, Ontario
June 11, 1990 Peterborough, Ontario
Mathew William Murray C6387
Oct 29, 1913 Morpeth, Northumberland, England
March 6, 1992 Toronto, Ontario
father John Murray
mother Sarah Ann Jeffrey
married
Audrey Maude Farrer
April 23, 1921
Feb 19, 2015
father David Farrer
mother Marjory Eveline Kirby
George Robert Pomeroy C65270
Sept 21, 1916 Castleton, Ontario
Sept 1, 1942 Hong Kong, China
father John B Pomeroy
mother Georgina G White
Lloyd George Reid C41424
Dec 12, 1915 Chalk River, Ontario
Nov 9,1943 Tokyo, Japan
father David Reid
mother Margaret Rosanna Morrow
Reginald James Schofield C65117
July 28, 1910 Gloucestershire, England
Nov 17, 1977 Toronto, Ontario
father Frank Langston Schofield
mother Clara Coats Matthews
married
Winnifred Dora Seymour
Dec 14, 1910 London, England
Jan 29, 2005
Garnet Ewart Scobie C41390 KIA
June 20, 1918 Haley Station, Ontario
Dec 23, 1941 Hong Kong, China
father Alexander 'Alex' Scobie
mother Eva Pearl Edmunds
Donald Frederick Southworth C65332
Oct 118, 1922 Campbellford, Ontario
June 6, 1999 Cobourg, Ontario
father Albert Henry 'Harry' Southworth
mother Catherine Barrett
married
June Eleanor Mae McClure
Aug 6, 1928
Feb 23, 1991
William George 'Bill' Tainsh C65118
1918 Perthshire, Scotland
May 14, 1985
father ? Tainsh
mother Jessie ?
married
Mary Christina Murchison
Sept 2, 1922 Kawartha Lakes, Ontario
April 16, 1979 Peterborough, Ontario
father John N Murchison
mother Mary H Ross
Clarence Walton Thompson C65460
1918 Port Hope
July 2, 1969 Port Hope
father Edward Thompson
mother Charlotte Ann Walford
married July 1946 Port Hope
Vida Gertrude Bate
1920 Port Hope
Feb 15, 1992 Port Hope
Cecil James Bate
Elizabeth M Carter
Arthur Dominick 'Googie' Turcotte C5895
c1923 Arnprior, Ontario
before 2007
father Joseph Cyrille Turcotte
mother Georgina St Hiliare
married
Edith May Duhn
c1928
July 4, 2007 Arnprior, Ontario
father Herman Duhn
mother Victoria Desjardins
Donald John Vanclief C5922
1921 Picton, Ontario
March 5, 1998
father B Bruce Vancleaf
mother Florence C Daubney
married June 11, 1949
Marion Edna Hennessy
1926
1998
John Walton C65283
Toronto, Ontario
David Wellman C5898
Dec 27, 1907 Hastings, Ontario
Oct 10 1950 Havelock, Ontario
father David Abram Wellman
mother Jennie Loretta Gifford
Joseph Michael Whalen C65092
Jan 15, 1923 Kirkfield, Ontario
Nov 20, 1942 Hong Kong, China
father Francis J 'Frank' Whalen
mother Agnes A Hart
Gilbert Albert Wurm C6352
1921 Arnprior, Ontario
1975 Arnprior, Ontario
father Albert Wurm
mother Florence Jane Ring
married
Joyce Desjardins
Verner James Wurm C65193
c1917 Arnprior, Ontario
father Albert Wurm
mother Florence Jane Ring