1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Private | Frank | Emil |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| McCreary MB | Manitoba | 1920-12-28 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| HQ Coy | 1 Signals | |
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
| Date Wounded | Wound Description | References |
|---|---|---|
| 41/12/25 | N/A |
Hospital Information
| Name of hospital | Date of admission | Date of discharge | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-BMH | 12/25/1941 | 02/20/1942 | 118 |
POW Camps
| Camp ID | Camp Name | Location | Company | Type of Work | Arrival Date | Departure Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-NP-01 | North Point | North Point, Hong Kong Island | 41 Dec 20 | 41 Dec 22 | ||
| HK-SA-01 | Shamshuipo | Kowloon, Hong Kong | Capture | 42 Jan 22 | ||
| HK-NP-02 | North Point | North Point, Hong Kong Island | 42 Jan 22 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NATS 50848 | Oakland | 1945-09-20 |
No other or additional related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-09-08 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Brandon Manitoba Canada | Brandon Cemetery | plot 43-G-32 | Yes |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
CHRISTENSEN: - After a lengthy illness, Frank Emil Urwald Christensen, age 75, passed away at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg on Sunday, September 08, 1996. He was born on December 28, 1920 in Brookdale, MB, and was raised in the village of McCreary, MB. Frank spent 26 years in the Canadian Armed Forces. He received a total of 11 decorations, medals and campaign stars in recognition of services. He was taken prisoner in Hong Kong during the Second World War (1941-1945) and served in Korea (1952-1953) and in Germany (1956-1957). He retired from the services in the fall of 1967 at the age of 46. Mr. Christensen was predeceased by his mother; brothers, Peter, Jim and Mack; and sister Betty. He is survived by his wife Renate; daughter Pat (George); sons David (Wendy) and Eric; grandchildren Lincoln, Brian and Lisa; brothers Cecil and John (Grace); sister Meta (Ken); sisters-in-law Jennette as well as numerous nieces and nephews. The funeral service was held at the Brockie-Donovan Chapel on Wednesday, September 11, 1996, at 4 p.m. with Pastor Ted Jannuska of Redeemer Lutheran Church officiating. Interment followed in the veterans’ section of the Brandon Cemetery. Legion rites were observed at the graveside.
Links and Other Resources
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.
- 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
- Find a Grave® is a valuable resource that may contain additional information on this 'C' Force member. When you arrive at the site search page, fill in as much detail as you can for best results.
General Comments
Picture Frank and Meta
April 1964 Awarded the first clasp to his Canadian Forces Decoration recently, Sgt. F. E. Christensen, Royal Canadian Engineers, receives the congratulations of his commanding officer, Captain Tony Fallon. Chris joined the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders in 1940 and a year later transferred to the Winnipeg Grenadiers and went to Hong Kong. Captured by the Japanese, he was held a prisoner of war for four years. He joined the Engineers in 1947, served in Korea and then served two years in Germany before coming to Shilo and No. 21 Works Company in December 1960.
In September 1940, at age 19, Frank E. Christensen joined the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders in Winnipeg. A year later he was transferred to the Winnipeg Grenadiers and was shipped out to Hong Kong on November 16, 1941. He was wounded on Christmas Eve of that year, and with the surrender of the Allied Forces the following day, he became a Japanese prisoner of war for four years. During his internment he did slave labor on the air strip in Hong Kong, in the Yokohama shipyards, and in the coal mine at Sendai. He was liberated on September 10, 1945, and was discharged the following March. A year later, on May 18, 1947, he joined up again with the Royal Canadian Engineers. He served one year in Korea (52/53) and two years in Germany (55/57). His final posting was to Shilo in December 1960. From there he received an honourable discharge in the fall of 1967 at the age of 46. He continues to reside in Brandon. He is married and has two sons (age 27 and 28) and a stepdaughter.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.