1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Rifleman | Robert | Andrew Augustine |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Glen Levit NB | Eastern Quebec | 1925-01-14 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| Company Clerk/Runner | ||
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 | 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 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 | 43 Jan 19 | 45 May 13 |
| JP-Se-1B | Yumoto | Fukushima-ken, Iwaki-gun, Yumoto-cho, Mizunoya, Japan | Joban Coal Mining Company | 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
| Transport Mode | Arrival Destination | Arrival Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Rixey | SF | 1945-10-11 |
2 FROM MONTREAL ARRIVE IN FRISCO
70 Repatriated Canadians Reach U.S. Aboard the U.S.S. Rixey
San Francisco, October 12. The following Canadians were among 70 repatriated Canadian prisoners of war who landed here yesterday aboard U.S.S. Rixey; Rfmn. D. M. Adams, Matapedia, Que.; Rfmn. A. Blanchard, Val d'Amour, N.B.; Rfmn. R. A. Boudreau, Glen Levit, N.B.; Rfmn. C. Cochrane, New Richmond, Que.; Rfmn. E. Daigle, West Bathurst, N.B.; Rfmn. J. A. Dempsey, Jacquet River, N.B.; Cpl. W. A. Dobb. Sherbrooke; Rfmn. A. Driscoll, Durkan Centre, N.B.; Rfmn. E. F. Francis, Dartmount, N.S.; Rfmn. G. Grimshaw, Montreal; Rfmn. J. H. Hand, Chapleau, Que.; Rfmn. S. D. Henderson, Richmond, Que.; Rfmn. J. I. Hotton, Gaspe, Que.; Rfmn. G. T. Hutchinson, Norton, N.B.; Rfmn. R. Keays, Broadlands, Que.; Ffmn. J. W. Killoran, Belledume River, N.B. Rfmn. A. D. Lapointe, Kirkland Lake, Ont.; L. Cpl. E. G. Ladds, Noranda, Que.; Rfmn. A. MacDonald, Wyers Brook, N.B.; Cpl. M. Moores, Matapedia, Que.; Rfmn. E. Olson, Bury, Que.; Rfmn. G. P. Pentland, Escuminac, Que.; Rfmn. D. B. Rees, St. John's, Nfld.; Rfmn. F. Robertson, Maria East, Que.; Cpl. A. T. Robson, Kenogami, Que.; Rfmn. R. Tremblay, Preval, Que.; Cpl. L. G. Wood, Lake Megantic, Que.; Sgt. J. C. MacMillan, Campbellton, N.B.; Cpl. Leo Ross, Cookshire, Que.; Rfmn. B. E. Boulanger, Perce, Que.; Rfmn. C. I. Meredith. New Richmond, Que.; Rfmn. H. E. Glendenning, South Bathurst, N.B., Rfmn. Gordon MacIver, Scotstown, Que.; Rfmn. R. A. McLaughlin, Campbellton, N.B.; L. Cpl. G. A. Lachance, Montreal; Sgt. C. H. Kerrigan, Aroostock, N.B.
Post-war Photo
Other Military or Public Service
No other or additional 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-01-16 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Atholville New Brunswick Canada | Glen Levit Cemetery | Yes | |
Gravestone Image
No other or additional related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
Obituary / Life Story
DOD- January 16, 1991- Funeral services for Robert (Bob) Boudreau, president of the Maritime-Gaspesian of the Hong Kong Veterans Association, were held at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Atholville Saturday at 2:00 p.m. He was 66. Boudreau died last Wednesday at the home of John Duguay of St. Omer. Both had attended a veteran's meeting in Gaspe last Tuesday and Boudreau decided to spend the night at the Duguay residence. Duguay is secretary-treasurer of the association. Boudreau, of Glen Levit, joined the Royal Rifles in 1940 at the age of 15, when he, like many others, fibbed about their ages. After Hong Kong fell to the Japanese on Christmas Day, 1941, Boudreau would spend his remaining teenage years in prisoner of war camps in Hong Kong and Japan. He was back home for his 21st birthday. Boudreau always played a leading role nationally in the Hong Kong Veterans Association and last year formed the Maritime-Gaspesian branch. He previously had served two years as Maritime-Quebec president. He was president of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 35 Atholville for 1971-81 during which time he initiated the Atholville swimming pool project. During his tenure as president, the Legion building burned but was quickly rebuilt. Boudreau also served as Legion District Commander in 1978-79. He was a Life Member of branch 35 and a recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal, the highest award bestowed by the Legion. Active in politics, he was president of the , Restigouche West Liberal Association for many year. Boudreau was also a founder and captain of the Glen Levit Regional Fire Department and has served on the Restigouche Planning Commission. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus, the UCT, and a past president of the Glen Sports Associations For many years. he operated a store and gas station in Glen Levit. Born on Jan. 14, 1925, Boudreau was a son of Stella (Coulombe) Boudreau and the late Anthony Boudreau. He was predeceased by his wife, Eileen (Kierstead) Boudreau. Besides his mother, he is survived by two daughters: April Boudreau, at home, and Mrs. Jackson Pollock (Darlene) of Glen Levit; two sons: Dallas and Claude, both of Glen Levit; two sisters: Joyce Archibald of Flat lands and Dorothy Adams of Glen Levit; and two brothers: Graham of Glen Levit and Carl of New Richmond. A Legion memorial service was held at Maher's Funeral Home on Friday and the flag was flown at half-mast at the Atholville Legion. Fr. Charles Picot officiated at the funeral service Saturday and he was assisted by Frs. Omer Parker and Ubald Theriault. The funeral was largely attended by veterans and firemen from throughout the region. Pallbearers were Jeffrey Pollock, Chris Archibald, Stewart Thompson, Fred Roussel, Danny Firth, Bill Falle, Colin Murray and John Lanteigne. Interment was in Glen Levit. [The Tribune, Campbellton, N.B. January 19, 1991]
Links and Other Resources
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Related documentation
- Our HKVCA Vault (Google Docs) may contain additional information, newspaper clippings, and documents which have been saved for this soldier. To access this information, click on the vault link and a Google Docs folder list will open in a separate tab. Use the first letter of the soldier’s service number, found at the top of this report, to open the correct folder. Each sub-folder is identified by service number. Scroll down until you reach the one of your interest.
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General Comments
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End of Report.
Report generated: 15 May 2025.
Additional Notes
(These will not be visible on the printed copy)
- Service numbers for officers ("X") 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.
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- The 'From' information box at the top of the report represents the enlistment location unless we have obtained updated information pinpointing where the member lived.
- 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.
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