General Information | ||
Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
---|---|---|
Staff Sergeant | Colin | Alden |
From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
Cookshire QC | Eastern Quebec | 1916-11-15 |
Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
Company Quartermaster Sergeant | C | Coy HQ |
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 Dec 15 | ||
JP-Os-11B | Narumi | Aichi-ken, Aichi-gun, Narumi-machi, Arimatsu Mura 114-3 | Nippon Rolling Stock Company and Daido Electric Steel Company | Men employed as slaves for Daido Electric Steel Company and made wheels at the Nippon Wheel (Vehicle) Mfg. | 44 Jan 06 | 45 Sep 10 |
JP-Na-8B | Tateyama | 1-Banchi, Shimookui-cho, Toyama City, Toyama, Japan | Tateyama Heavy Industry Company | Manufacture of small steam rollers, used for building of airfields or roads | N/A | N/A |
Draft Number | Name of Ship | Departure Date | Arrival Date | Arrival Port | Comments | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
XD5A | SS Soong Cheong / Toyama Maru | 43 Dec 15 | 44 Jan 04 | Moji, Japan | Arrived at Takao, Formosa, 43 Dec 20; Transferred to Toyama Maru, 43 Dec 30, went to Narumi | Tony Banham |
Transport Mode | Arrival Destination | Arrival Date | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
USS Ozark Passenger List A | SF | 1945-10-02 | evacuated from Japan via USS Ozark |
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.
Image | Name of Award | Abbreviation | References | Precedence | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Distinguished Conduct Medal | DCM | 37, 38, 123 | 07 | ||
DCM CitationCanada Gazette dated 6 April 1946 (No. 14, Vol. 80, p. 2066) and CARO/6522 dated 18 April 1946.Company Quartermaster-Sergeant Standish was Company Quartermaster-Sergeant of "C" Company, Royal Rifles of Canada at Hong Kong in December 1941. During the night of 18/19 December at Lye Mun Gap he showed conspicuous bravery in maintaining a constant supply of ammunition to the forward positions of this company which were heavily engaged with the enemy, During the course of his duties he came under extremely heavy mortar and rifle fire. His vehicle received a direct hit during the course 0/the action, but despite this, he made necessary repairs under fire to maintain his supply. In an endeavour to cut the supply line, the enemy had infiltrated behind our lines, submitting supply personnel to heavy and constant sniping fire. This did not stop Standish from travelling back and forth over this dangerous ground to keep forward positions supplied. During intervals of unloading vehicles in the forward area, Standish took an active part in the action. His conduct was an inspiration to all ranks, and due to his gallantry and efforts it was possible to hold this position until the order arrived to withdraw. This non-commissioned officer never relaxed in his duty, and was conspicuous in his bravery during the entire campaign in securing and delivering food, water and other supplies to the outposts under fire and against heavy odds. At times when transport was not available he carried rations on his back, taking time off to hunt snipers who were a constant threat to all personnel. During the whole period as a prisoner of war he carried on with the same spirit of self-sacrifice, and although quite ill, he always saw that his men received all that was available to reduce the misery of Japanese camp life. |
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 | |
---|---|---|---|
1991-01-16 | Post War | ||
Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
Rougemont Quebec Canada | Cimetière Saint-Thomas Anglican |
No other or additional related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
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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 Nov 2024.
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