Transportation - Home Base to Hong Kong

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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

Transport to Japan

Other Military Service

A veteran of the First World War, he enlisted by misrepresenting his age on December 28th, 1915 in Moncton, New Brunswick, with the 145th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, regimental number 832057, fought in France with the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles, wounded in action and gassed at Vimy on June 5, 1917, discharged at Quebec City, Quebec on September 11th, 1919, having been awarded the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the Class A War Service Badge number 322593.

Death and Cemetery Information

Gravestone Image

Canada Memorial-Head of Millstream Union Cemetery, New Brunswick, Canada

Obituary / Life Story

Wedding picture taken on December 26, 1917. Elmer William Cole was 18 and Dorothy Charlotte Ellen (Taylor) was 16.

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Son of George Abner Oliver Cole and Ruzullah (aka Rosilla) Rogers. Husband of Dorothy Charlotte Ellen Taylor of Sussex, New Brunswick. His father served in the First World War with the 2nd New Brunswick Forestry Company B of the Canadian Pioneer Corps, regimental number 2303886, in England and fought in France with the 31st Company of the Canadian Pioneer Corps.

Elmer was the father of Alma Dorothy Matilde, Philip Anthony George, Rodney Elmer, Private Bliss Thomas, Royal Rifles of Canada, regimental number E/30079, a prisoner of war in Hong Kong and Japan, Donald Stanley, Private Frank Charles, who fought in Europe in that conflict and survived the war, Beatrice Ilena, Isabelle Lottie, Gladys Florence, Verna Evelyn, Betty Victoria, Shirley Mable, Margory Rose, and Robert Cole, all of New Brunswick.

A veteran of the First World War, he enlisted by misrepresenting his age on December 28th, 1915 in Moncton, New Brunswick, with the 145th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, regimental number 832057, fought in France with the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles, wounded in action and gassed at Vimy on June 5, 1917, discharged at Quebec City, Quebec on September 11th, 1919, having been awarded the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the Class A War Service Badge number 322593.

During the Second World War, he served in Quebec, Newfoundland with W Force, Hong Kong with C Force, Japan as a prisoner of war. He had 1,309 days of service, including 871 overseas.

Citation(s): 1939-1945 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal 1939-1945, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp.

Canadian Virtual War Memorial

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Elmer William Cole, Royal Rifles of Canada (R.C.I.C.), Company Quartermaster Sergeant (C.Q.M.S.)

Personal Information

Elmer William Cole was born on September 18, 1899 in Moncton, New Brunswick. He was raised in a Baptist family along with 13 brothers and sisters. His parents were Rosellia Cole and George A. Cole. He completed 9 years of school before leaving. Elmer like many young people at the time served overseas in the First World War. While overseas he fell in love and eventually married Dorothy Taylor on Christmas Eve, 1917 in Sussex, England. Elmer saw action with the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles where he achieved the rank of Acting Corporal. This regiment saw action in France and Flanders from 1916 to 1918. At the end of the war. Elmer and his new wife returned to Canada. Together they had 11 children, seven girls and four boys; one of whom was Bliss Cole.

Elmer Cole enlisted on the 16th of August, 1940 in Quebec at the age of 41. Before enlistment, he was an electrical operator and he lived with his family on Joliet Street in Chicoutimi, Quebec.

Military Movements

After enlistment, Elmer Cole was taken on strength by the Royal Rifles of Canada and trained in Valcartier. Quebec. In December of 1940, he set sail for Newfoundland where he was part of 'W' Force. He remained there until August 28, 1941. It was during this time period that the Cole family relocated to Sussex. New Brunswick. Elmer was promoted to Company Quartermaster Sergeant (C.Q.M.S.). Soon after, the British asked for one or two Canadian regiments to help reinforce Hong Kong, one of their key outposts in the east. Canada sent two regiments: the Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers. C.Q.M.S. Cole, now part of 'C' Force went overseas with the rest of his division to Hong Kong from Vancouver, British Columbia on the 27th of October, 1941. Elmer Cole's son, Bliss Cole had also enlisted, and was also part of the Royal Rifles. They were the only father-son team in the regiment at the time. During the journey, they were not told of their destination before they arrived. Upon arrival, C.Q.M.S. Cole spent his last three peaceful weeks training and getting to know the colony and the British soldiers who were already stationed there. Most of their equipment shipped from Canada was diverted to the Philippines after it became apparent that it would not arrive in Hong Kong in time. There were intelligence estimates that the Japanese had only a few thousand soldiers who were poorly trained. Then on the December 8, 1941 (international date), the Japanese attacked the colony. This happened on the same day as the attack on Pearl Harbor. Most of the first attacks were stealthily undertaken at night, and were devastating to the allied troops. 'C' Force undertook a series of successful attacks during the invasion and they were able to force the Japanese to retreat. They also created the covering fire that allowed the remaining allied forces to retreat safely during the last day of the invasion. During the last week of the invasion, 'C' Force endured heavy bombardment from Japanese artillery until they, and the rest of the allied troops, surrendered. The Japanese overran the colony in 17 days, and by Christmas Day, December 25, 1941, the colony was in Japanese hands. Of all the Canadians who went to Hong Kong, 277 died and the rest were taken as prisoners of war, including Elmer and his son Bliss. Also imprisoned by the Japanese was a cousin, Rifleman Louis Cole. Most of the men who partook in the defense had not been in the army for 16 weeks and most had not received adequate training; some had never even fired a live round before. C.Q.M.S. Cole and his son stayed at North Point prisoner of war camp and later were both transferred to another prison camp near Yokohama, Japan in January of 1943. There, C.Q.M.S. Cole spent the remainder of his days working at a Japanese shipyard.

His Final Days

During the two years and three months, from December 25, 1941 to March 16, 1944, that C.Q.M.S. Cole spent as a prisoner of war, he probably went through all manner of horrors. A letter from C.Q.M.S. Cole July 11, 1943 said that life in the prisoner of war camp was not so bad. He wanted to assure his loved ones that he was in good health and high spirits. Unfortunately, this was not the case for most Japanese prison camps during the Second World War. The rations for breakfast, lunch and supper were incredibly small (900 calories per day), and composed mainly of poor rice and wild roots and greens. Fresh meat was nonexistent as was fruit. Sometimes there was fish but it was usually rotten. The poor food in addition to the strenuous work that the prisoners were forced to do produced many diseases that were prominent inside the camp until the end of the war. Many of these diseases such as beriberi, pellagra, diptheria and dysentery were easily treatable with a good diet and adequate rest. The epidemics that plagued the camp were spread even more by the crowded conditions. Sleeping itself was also difficult because there was no bedding or beds; the huts were infested by a host of bugs such as cockroaches, bedbugs and lice. At one point during his imprisonment, Bliss Cole weighed approximately 90 pounds; he had lost 60 pounds due to malnourishment. Many of the men in these camps had lost weight to extreme degrees. In March, 1944, Elmer was admitted to hospital; he would die later that month. His death greatly affected Bliss's morale, but a commanding officer took him aside and told him "Remember your mother has just lost her husband, she doesn't need to lose a son." Bliss took this to heart, and it gave him strength. With his mother as his foremost thought, Bliss Cole survived to return home.

Medical Records

Elmer William Cole was in perfect health before he was captured by the Japanese in Hong Kong. Afterwards, he survived as a prisoner of war in Japan for 2 years and 3 months. He died in a Shinagawa Prisoner of War Hospital from croup pneumonia and dysentery on the 16 of March, 1944. This information did not reach his family back in Canada until March 25, 1945; one year later.

Lest We Forget

Elmer William Cole is buried overseas in the British Commonwealth War Cemetery, the Yokohama War Cemetery. His ashes now lie in the Canadian Section, grave 13, Row A, Plot A. The cemetery contains the remains of 1675 soldiers; 1555 who died in Japan during the Second World War as prisoners of war. C.Q.M.S. Cole was awarded the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal (C.V.S.M.) and clasp, the 1939-45 Star, the Pacific Star, the War Medal, and the Defense of Hong Kong Bar. His wife received his medals, a memorial bar (registration No. 3959), as well as a memorial cross (registration No. 17629). His mother also received a memorial cross (Registration No. 17630). He died as a prisoner of war in Japan along with 557 other Canadians. He was 46 years old when he died. He left behind his grieving widow, Dorothy who was 43 years old, his mother, Rosellia who was 67 years old, his children who were between eight and 25 years old and his nine surviving brothers and sisters.

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

E30215 Elmer COLE - Discrepancy of a year on Birth Date: 18 Feb 1899. Birth Place: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada Residence Place: Kenogami Co., Chicoutimi, P.Q., Canada Next of Kin: wife Dorothy Cole From FB Lillian November 2017

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End of Report.

Report generated: 01 May 2024.