1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Rifleman | Bliss | Thomas |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Sussex NB | Eastern Quebec | 1923-03-29 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| A | ||
Transportation - Home Base to Hong Kong
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.
Battle Information
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).
Wounded Information
No wounds recorded.Hospital Information
No record of hospital visits found.POW Camps
| Camp ID | Camp Name | Location | Company | Type of Work | Reference | Arrival Date | Departure Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-SM-01 | Stanley | Fort Stanley, Hong Kong Island | 20, 31, 33 | 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 Jan 19 | |||
| JP-To-3D | Tsurumi | Yokohama-shi, Tsurumi-ku, Suyehiro-cho, 1-chome, Japan | Nippon Steel Tube - Tsurumi Shipyards | Variety of jobs related to ship building | 9 | 43 Jan 19 | 45 May 13 |
| JP-Se-1B | Yumoto | Fukushima-ken, Iwaki-gun, Yumoto-cho, Mizunoya, Japan | Joban Coal Mining Company | 134 | 45 May 13 | 45 Sep 15 |
Transport to Japan
| Draft Number | Name of Ship | Departure Date | Arrival Date | Arrival Port | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XD3A | Tatuta Maru | 43 Jan 19, left Shamsuipo Camp, 0500 hrs; left Hong Kong 1300hrs | 43 Jan 22, 0400 hrs | Nagasaki, Japan | Boarded train, arrived in Tokyo on 43 Jan 24 at 0700 hrs, boarded electric train for 10 mile ride to camp | Tony Banham |
Transportation: SE Asia to Home
No related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
Post-war Photo
Photo from 2003 approx.
Other Military Service
No related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
Death and Cemetery Information
| Date of Death (y-m-d) | Cause of Death | Death Class | Death Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-03-19 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| St. John New Brunswick Canada | St. Joseph's Cemetery |
Gravestone Image
No related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
Obituary / Life Story
It is with deep sadness that the family of Bliss Thomas Cole of Saint John announces his peaceful departure from this life on March 19, 2011, at the age of 87. Born in Turtle Creek, NB, on March 29, 1923, he was the son of the late Elmer and Dorothy (Taylor) Cole. Bliss is survived by his wife of 68 years, Eileen (Warner), children David (Anne) of Austin, Tx, Phillip (Karen) of Truro, NS, Anne Thomson of Liverpool, NS, and Margaret Cole and Kathy Whittle (George), both of Saint John; sisters, Shirley Hicks, Verna Pearson, Betty Mason, Gladys Parisi and Marjorie Arsenault; 15 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, all of whom are proud to have received his love and guidance. He was predeceased by brothers Frank, Rodney, Phillip, Donald, and Robert; and sisters, Elma, Isabelle, and Bea. Bliss joined the Canadian Army (Royal Rifles of Canada) in 1940 at the age of 17. He and his father were both captured by the Japanese Army during the fall of Hong Kong on Christmas Day 1941. Sadly, his father did not survive the POW camp, but Bliss, along with the other surviving POW's were released just after VJ Day in 1945. Bliss moved to Sussex shortly after the war, where he met and married the love of his life, Eileen, then later moved with his young family to Saint John. He worked at the old DVA Hospital until just shortly before it closed, then worked as a uniformed customs officer with Canada Customs in the Port of Saint John. Bliss converted to Catholicism when his first child was born, and remained devoted to the Catholic Church for the rest of his life. He was a long time member of the Knights of Columbus, a Scoutmaster, and avid bowler, a proud member of the Hong Kong Veterans Association, and served on various committees for the St. Pius X Catholic Church. Against all odds Bliss survived the Japanese POW camp, but in his eyes, his greatest accomplishment in life was having a long and successful marriage to Eileen and being a father to his five children, who have always realized what a very special person he was. His family wish to express their deep appreciation for the kindness and care provided by Delores, Anne, Arlene, and Tony, as well as the extra-mural nurses, the VON regular home care workers and Father Douglas McNeill. Resting at Fitzpatrick's Funeral Home, 100 Waterloo St., with visiting on Tuesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Pius X Church on Wednesday morning at eleven o'clock. Interment will take place in St Joseph's Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, the Extra-Mural Nursing Program; or St. Pius X Building Fund would be appreciated. www.fitzpatrickfh.com
Links and Other Resources
Read about the memory quilt and view photos
Facebook has proven to be a valuable resource in the documentation of 'C' Force members. The following link will take you to any available search results for this soldier based on his regimental number. Note: results may be contained within another related record. Facebook Search Results
→ 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.
General Comments
Bliss Thomas Cole and Father Elmer Cole E30215. His father did not come home.
1945 Next of Kin: Mrs. Dorothy Cole (mother nee Taylor), RR#2 Sussex NB.
Marriage July 13, 1946 in Studholm, Kings, New Brunswick, Canada to Eileen Frances Warner
Search this website for - Pearson Remembers POWS With Quilt
End of Report.
Report generated: 10 May 2024.
Additional Notes
(These will not be visible on the printed copy)
- Service numbers for officers are locally generated for reporting only. During World War II officers were not allocated service numbers until 1945.
- 'C' Force soldiers who died overseas are memorialized in the Books of Remembrance and the Canadian Virtual War Memorial, both sponsored by Veterans Affairs Canada. Please use the search utility at VAC to assist you.
- Some birthdates and deathdates display as follows: 1918-00-00. In general, this indicates that we know the year but not the month or day.
- Our POW camp links along with our References link (near the bottom of the 'C' Force home page) are designed to give you a starting point for your research. There were many camps with many name changes. The best resource for all POW camps in Japan is the Roger Mansell Center for Research site.
- In most cases the rank displayed was the rank held before hostilities. Some veterans were promoted at some point prior to eventual post-war release from the army back in Canada. When notified of these changes we'll update the individual's record.
- Images displayed on the web page are small, but in many cases the actual image is larger. Hover over any image and you will see a popup if a larger version is available. You can also right-click on some images and select the option to view the image separately. Not all images have larger versions. Contact us to confirm whether a large copy of an image in which you are interested exists.
- In some cases the References displayed as part of this report generate questions because there is no indication of their meaning. They were inherited with the original database, and currently we do not know what the source is. We hope to solve this problem in future.
- We have done our best to avoid errors and omissions, but if you find any issues with this report, either in accuracy, completeness or layout, please contact us using the link at the top of this page.
- Photos are welcome! If a photo exists for a 'C' Force member that we have not included, or if you have a higher quality copy, please let us know by using the Contact Us link at the top of this page. We will then reply, providing instructions on submitting it.