Victoria Daily Colonist
Submitted by the family of Gerry Sunstrum in Dec '17.

This page from Oct 4, 1945, and others, is also available through the Times Colonist archives at this link: http://archive.org/stream/dailycolonist1045uvic_1#page/n4/mode/1up/search/servicemen.

Captions on the page are listed below for search purposes:



#12 Canadian ex-prisoners soon made themselves comfortable at the Gordon Head Camp, overjoyed to be in familiar surroundings once again. In the above picture they are seen examining a .28 caliber Japanese Army rifle they brought back with them.


#10 Hongkong Survivors Land Here Eight of the 10 Canadians who arrived yesterday, all of the Royal Rifles of Canada, are seen above on the after deck of the ship. These men have gained from 30 to 70 lb in weight since their liberation.

Still wearing the United States Army garb issued them when they were liberated from Tokyo prison camps along with what remained of their Canadian uniforms these survivors in top picture of the Hongkong campaign gathered aboard the U.S. transport General Longfitt this morning for their first sight of home shores. Front row, left to right: Lance Corporal Quinton Mulrooney, Douglastown, Quebec; Rifleman C. Pollock, Campbellton, New Brunswick; Rifleman Raymond Ross, Cookshire, Quebec; Rifleman John H. Smith, Kenogami, Quebec. Back row: Rifleman J.R. Pattingale, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia; Rifleman Gerald G. Myers, Halifax; Rifleman Gerald Sunstrum, Niagara Falls; and Rifleman Eric Ross, New Richmond, Quebec.


#11 The only two Winnipeg Grenadiers on the ship were Private Riley Prieston, above left and Private John Stephens. Wearing American clothing like the others, they were imprisoned with the other eight Canadians for almost 4 years. Rifleman Stephens wife met him here yesterday.


#13 The above photograph, taken from the Royal Canadian Navy pilot boat, shows the 19,000 ton American Transport Ss. General Langfitt, named for General WC Langfitt of the United States Army Engineers, who served in the last war, the ship made the 7178 mile voyage direct from Manila in 17 days. She began her maiden voyage on September 30th, 1944, and since then has logged more than 90,000 miles, traveling at an average speed of 17 knots. Captain of the ship is Commander Robert K. Ashton, of Rhinelander, Wisconsin. After unloading her human cargo here she left for Seattle to discharge more than 2,000 American Army personnel and ex-prisoners of War.


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