1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Lance Corporal | Charles | Richard |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Stonewall MB | Manitoba | 1916-06-21 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| Driver | HQ Coy | 4 Carrier |
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
(Extract from an interview)
I was on the regimental ration truck from the 7 Dec until 19 Dec. The Japs landed; they made it across the half mile from the mainland to the island under a smoke screen. They'd set a bunch of oil tanks on the shore on fire and they were smoking and they got across that night.
Myself and Eddy Smelts from Elgin, we left Wan Chai gap with two truckloads of men and we went in with a guide to Jardine's Lookout. Unknown to us we went through the Japanese front line - they let us through. There was no action, no firing, might have been rumbles in the distance but there was nothing close. We got into Jardine's Lookout, so we hung around there all night sleeping and half asleep in the cabs, and the men were dispersed. Lt Beirkett was in charge of that party.
At daybreak they opened up on us from both sides. I set fire to my truck, we couldn't get them out and we didn't want them to have it. I took my gas mask, and I stuck it down the gas tank and got the harness saturated, then I threw it in the cab and got the truck going good. I had a Thompson sub-machine gun, I forget how many rounds I had, but not that many. I took that with me but I can't remember what happened to Smelts' truck. We hung around trying to get out all day, everybody on their own, didn't know where we were going and we hadn't a clue where they were. They were sniping at us and they were coming damn close too.
I remember crawling over a ledge and looking down (the reason I mention this is it was the only chance I got to shoot any of them), a bunch of Japs were sitting around cooking some rice over a fire and there was about 20 of them. I didn't have that many rounds in this submachine gun anyway and I just spewed them. I don't know whether I got any or whether I didn't, but anyway I took off at the high port.
About 6 or 7 o'clock that afternoon we couldn't possibly get out. We came across this shack up in the hills. It was something to do with the army, but I can't remember now. We went into this place and there was quite a few more Canadians in there. We decided to stay there. It seemed to me we stayed there that night, but I can't remember exactly. There would be about 50 guys. Lt Mitchel was there and Smelts, the other driver. An hour or so after we got in there the Japs came through - they were just like ants. They surrounded the place and this officer came in and pulled us all out. Everybody out. They lined us up on the road, there was quite a grade on the road. They made us all kneel down then they started sticking guys with bayonets. I was in the front and there was Jacky Albert on one side of me and Deslauriers on the other. They stuck them with bayonets and everything. I looked down and the actual blood was running down the road between my knees. They never touched me; I don't know why. Jacky Albert, he's alive, he got stuck just above his kidney, I guess. And Delorme, they cut him down his head here, his scalp just fell over, of course they killed him.*** And there wasn't many of us got out of that. And then, the ones that were able to walk around after that they were going to shoot us - so they lined us up in front of a firing squad. We figured we'd had it, there was no way that we would get out of this, they'd killed so many now, they wouldn't save us. This Jap officer, I didn't know he was an officer at the time, I never saw a Jap soldier in my life, but anyway he had one of this samurai swords. He let a roar out of him and these guys dropped their rifles and that was it - they wired us up together. They took us back into the shack and stood guard on us all night.
***The name "Delorme" is probably not correct as both 'C' Force members with this name survived the battle. (ed)
Wounded Information
| Date Wounded | Wound Description | References |
|---|---|---|
| 41/12/20 | Back wound, Fracture of the 2nd and 3rd cervical veterbrae |
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-NP-01 | North Point | North Point, Hong Kong Island | 13 | 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 | 33 | 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 | 9 | 43 Jan 19 | 45 Apr 16 |
| JP-Se-4B | Ohashi | Iwate-ken, Kamihei-gun, Katsushi-mura, Ohashi, Japan | Nippon Steel Company | 134 | 45 Apr 16 | 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
From Richard's diary: (corrected)
September
- Arrived in Tokyo met some marines then went on to Yokohama. Had our first meal sure great. Given a show and disinfected. Also given new clothes. Put on board USS HYDE troop transport. Went to show at nite.
- Still on boat. Supposed to fly out tomorrow.
- Started for airport but had to return. Planes grounded.
- At last we left Tokyo Airport at 11AM on 50869 C54 carrying 30 men. Our last sight of Japan. Arrived in Guam 8PM, 7PM Tokyo time. Big supper and a lovely clean bed.
- (until 19 Sep) Finished medical in this time.
- We leave and go on board USS LAMAR. A trooper and are we ever packed.
- 9AM Set sail for Frisco.
October
- Landed in San Diego. Went to Haan Camp, Riverside Calif.
- Left for Las Angeles by bus. Boarded train and left 11PM for Frisco
- Arrived Frisco 2PM, left 7PM. Had a car ride.
- Arrived Portland 6PM, left 12PM
- Arrived Seattle and stayed 24 hrs.
- Left Seattle on CP boat for Victoria. Canadian soil. Had a medical, etc.
- Hanging around camp.
- Told I’m a dysentery carrier and put in hospital.
- Boys I came with leave.
- Still here.
- Leave for Wpg
24 Arrive home
Post-war Photo
Awarded Legion Life Membership in 1981
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-02-05 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Stonewall Manitoba Canada | Stonewall Cemetery | Yes |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
Passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family, Charles Richard Trick in his 80th year of life at 7:00 a.m.,Monday, February 5, 1996 at Stonewall and District Health Centre.
Dick is survived by his devoted wife, Helen (Sheldon) to whom he was married for more than 54 years. He is also survived by their three children, James Richard and his wife Anne, John Charles, and Margaret Ann Sullivan, her husband Bob and their children, Leah and Robby. Dick is also survived by his youngest brother Gordon Trick (Ella), Violet Trick, John Sheldon, Art Sheldon (Glenn), Doris Spurr (Ewart), Stan Sheldon (Maureen) and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Ethel and Charles Staples Trick; brother Douglas and sister Lillian.
Dick lived on a farm in the Stonewall area since the age of eight. He was raised and educated at Stonewall Schools and then joined the Winnipeg Grenadiers in 1939. He was dispatched to Hong Kong in 1941 where he fought and was captured in December. Repatriated after a grueling and extended four-year internment in several Japanese prisoner-of-war camps, he returned to the Stonewall area and took over the family farm.
In the post-war period Dick operated a registered herd of holsteins and assisted in the founding of the Cooperative store in Stonewall. He was an active member of his community in various farm organizations and a faithful member of Stonewall Branch No. 52 of the Royal Canadian Legion. During his service he held various offices including more than 25 years as Branch Service Officer. He received the Meritorius Service Medal from Dominion Command in 1972 and was proud to have been made a life member of the Legion in 1981.
Recently Dick was heard to comment that he took great pride in his more than 56 years of faithful service with the federal government.
Cremation has taken place and no service will be held. Friends wishing to call are welcome at the home of Margaret and Bob Sullivan, 19 Bonnie Cres, Stonewall at 2:00 p.m. on February 8.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Salvation Army or the Stonewall and District Health Centre "Funds for the Future".
MacKenzie Funeral Home, Stonewall in care of the arrangements.
Links and Other Resources
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
You can hear an interview conducted by the Museum of Man and Nature (now The Manitoba Museum) by visiting the HKVCA site and checking out the Audio/Video Interviews section on the Submissions page.
End of Report.
Report generated: 19 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.
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- 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.
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