General Information | ||
Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
---|---|---|
Rifleman | Harold | Alexander |
From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
St. Catherines ON | Central Ontario | 1921-03-06 |
Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
D | 18 Plt |
Members of 'C' Force from the East travelled across Canada by CNR troop train, picking up reinforcements enroute. Stops included Valcartier, Montreal, Ottawa, Armstrong ON, Capreol ON, Winnipeg, Melville SK, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Jasper, and Vancouver, arriving in Vancouver on Oct 27 at 0800 hrs.
The Winnipeg Grenadiers and the local soldiers that were with Brigade Headquarters from Winnipeg to BC travelled on a CPR train to Vancouver.
All members embarked from Vancouver on the ships AWATEA and PRINCE ROBERT. AWATEA was a New Zealand Liner and the PRINCE ROBERT was a converted cruiser. "C" Company of the Rifles was assigned to the PRINCE ROBERT, everyone else boarded the AWATEA. The ships sailed from Vancouver on Oct 27th and arrived in Hong Kong on November 16th, having made brief stops enroute at Honolulu and Manila.
Equipment earmarked for 'C' Force use was loaded on the ship DON JOSE, but would never reach Hong Kong as it was rerouted to Manila when hostilities commenced.
On arrival, all troops were quartered at Nanking Barracks, Sham Shui Po Camp, in Kowloon.
We do not have specific battle information for this soldier in our online database. For a detailed description of the battle from a Canadian perspective, visit Canadian Participation in the Defense of Hong Kong (published by the Historical Section, Canadian Military Headquarters).
Camp ID | Camp Name | Location | Company | Type of Work | Arrival Date | Departure Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HK-SM-01 | Stanley | Fort Stanley, Hong Kong Island | Capture | 41 Dec 30 | ||
HK-NP-01 | North Point | North Point, Hong Kong Island | 41 Dec 30 | 42 Sep 26 | ||
HK-SA-02 | Shamshuipo | Kowloon, Hong Kong | 42 Sep 26 | 43 Aug 15 | ||
JP-To-5B | Niigata-Rinko | Niigata-ken, Nakakambara-gun, Ogata-mura, Japan | Marutsu, Rinko Coal, Shintetsu | Stevedore labor at port of Niigata (Marutsu), primarily foodstuffs; mining coal (Rinko Coal ) and labor at a foundry (Shintetsu) | 43 Sep 03 | 44 Jan 18 |
JP-To-15B | Niigata-Tekko | Niigata-ken, Niigata City, Yamanoshita, Akiba-dori, Japan | Niigata Ironworks Company | 44 Jan 18 | 45 Sep 05 |
Draft Number | Name of Ship | Departure Date | Arrival Date | Arrival Port | Comments | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
XD4B | Manryu Maru | 43 Aug 15 | 43 Sep 01 | Osaka, Japan | Brief stopover in Taihoku (Taipei), Formosa (Taiwan); then 2 day stopover at northern point for stool tests | Tony Banham |
Transport Mode | Arrival Destination | Arrival Date | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
USS Admiral CF Hughes | Victoria, BC | 1945-10-09 | Manila to Victoria BC |
No other or additional related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
No other or additional related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
No other or additional related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
Date of Death (y-m-d) | Cause of Death | Death Class | |
---|---|---|---|
2009-06-05 | Post War | ||
Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
Fonthill Ontario Canada | Pleasantview Memorial Gardens |
No other or additional related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
SMITH, Harold ~ surrounded by his loving family, on Friday, June 5, 2009 at the age of 88. Beloved husband of 63 years to June (Bowden) Smith. Loving father of the late Gerald (2001) survived by his wife Diane Smith, Harold Dennis (Ann) Smith, Rona (Norman) McMillan and Earl Edward Smith. Grandpa will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his 13 grandchildren and his 13 great grandchildren. Predeceased by brother Frederick Smith and his wife Norma. Harold was a veteran and a prisoner of WWII, serving as a rifleman, a member of Hong Kong Veterans Assoc. of Canada, member of Lincoln & Welland Regiment Assoc. and a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Br. #24, St. Catharines. Harold worked for Hayes Dana for 30 years retiring in 1979. Harold's family will receive friends at the LAMB-BOCCHINFUSO FUNERAL HOME, 2 Regent St., Thorold on Monday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral Service will be held at the First Baptist Church, 42 Ormond St. S., Thorold on Tuesday at 11 a.m. Interment to follow at Pleasantview Memorial Gardens, Fonthill. The Royal Canadian Legion Br. #24, St. Catharines will conduct a legion service for Comrade Harold on Monday at 7:30 p.m. Memorial donations in memory of Harold to the Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated by the family. Online condolences at www.lbfuneralhome.com
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→ Related documentation for information published in this report, such as birth information, discharge papers, press clippings and census documents may be available via shared resources in our HKVCA Vault. It is organized with folders named using regimental numbers. Use the first letter of the individual's service number to choose the correct folder, then scroll to the specific sub-folder displaying the service number of your interest.
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End of Report.
Report generated: 10 Dec 2024.
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