1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Private | George | Nicol |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| St. James MB | Manitoba | 1919-07-07 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| Section 2ic | B | |
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-SA-01 | Shamshuipo | Kowloon, Hong Kong | Capture | 42 Jan 22 | |||
| HK-NP-02 | North Point | North Point, Hong Kong Island | 33 | 42 Jan 22 | 42 Sep 26 | ||
| HK-SA-02 | Shamshuipo | Kowloon, Hong Kong | 42 Sep 26 | 43 Aug 15 | |||
| JP-Os-3B | Oeyama | Kyoto-fu, Yosa-gun, Yoshizu-mura, Sutsu, Japan | Nippon Yakin Nickel Mine & Refinery | Mining nickel & work at the refinery | 8 | 43 Sep 01 | 45 Sep 02 |
Transport to Japan
| Draft Number | Name of Ship | Departure Date | Arrival Date | Arrival Port | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XD4A | Manryu Maru | 43 Aug 15 | 43 Sep 01 | Osaka, Japan | Brief stopover in Taihoku (Taipei), Formosa (Taiwan); then 2 day stopover at northern point for stool tests | 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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963-08-24 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Winnipeg Manitoba Canada | Chapel Lawn Cemetery | Yes |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
AULD - In loving memory of George who passed away thirty years ago, August 24, 1963. Those we LOVE don't go away, They walk beside us every day, Unseen, unheard and always near, Never forgotten, always here. You will always be in our memories, Marg, Doug, Marilyn, Greg and families.
Links and Other Resources
There may be more information on this individual available elsewhere on our web sites - please use the search tool found in the upper right corner of this page to view sources.
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
Picture taken 1939 Jamaica. Submitted by son Doug Auld January 2017
George Nicol Auld was born July 7, 1919 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was raised at 359 Queen Street and had one sister (Isobel) and one brother (James). Dad worked delivering groceries for a corner store prior to enlisting in the army. After enlisting Dad's training included time in Jamaica. Once the training was considered complete by the Government (later disputed as being lacking), the Winnipeg Grenadiers along with the Royal Rifles of Canada were shipped out from Vancouver October 27, 1941 on the troop ship Awatea. The merchant cruiser, Prince Robert, also carried approximately 100 soldiers to Hong Kong.
The Winnipeg Grenadiers were freed from their prison camp in 1945. Those that survived returned home and Dad was discharged on April 8, 1946. In talking to our Mother, she recalled that her first date with our Dad was the same day that he was discharged. You have to assume that there was a big party to celebrate!
Mom and Dad were married February 22, 1947 and they were together for 17 years. Dad worked for the Canadian National Railway after returning home from Hong Kong. They had 3 children, Douglas, Marilyn and Gregory. There was a lot of love in our family and as kids we had the freedom to explore and develop. Mom and Marilyn have remained in Manitoba over the years while Doug (and wife Donna) live in Ontario. Greg (and wife Darlene) live in Alberta. Mom is a hearty 90+ years today and she is still going strong. She has 3 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren and very proud of them all.
Dad was not a well man as a result of his time spent in the labour camps of Hong Kong. He suffered his first aneurism in May of 1959. It was determined that his poor health was the direct result of the malnutrition experienced overseas. He had surgery in June of 1959 and it was determined at that time that his life expectancy was day to day. As children we were not aware of the seriousness of Dad's condition. Dad died August 24, 1963.
Today, we have fond memories of our life together as a family. We will always be thankful for the sacrifice that was put forth in the past (and present day) to help make the world a safer place.
End of Report.
Report generated: 23 Apr 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.