The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Captain | George | Michael |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Kingston ON | Eastern Ontario | 1911-02-01 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| Brigade Signals Officer | Brigade Headquarters | |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 41/12/18 | G.S.W. right knee and right arm (Wong Nei Chong Gap) | 117(42/09/07) |
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 | N/A | N/A | ||
| HK-SA-02 | Shamshuipo | Kowloon, Hong Kong | 42 Sep 26 | 43 Aug 19 | ||
| HK-AS-02 | Argyle Street | Kowloon, Hong Kong | 43 Aug 19 | 44 May 11 | ||
| HK-SA-02 | Shamshuipo | Kowloon, Hong Kong | 44 May 11 | 45 Sep 10 |
Transportation SE Asia to Home
| Transport Mode | Arrival Destination | Arrival Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Gosper | Victoria | 1945-10-12 | Manila to Victoria, BC 1936 British and CDNS |
From the records of Gene Labiuk: USS GOSPER to Victoria.
Post-war Photo
No other or additional related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966-11-07 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Lorraine France | Choloy War Cemetery | ||
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
Former Almonte Teacher Dies In Germany
Lt. Col. G. M. Billings died suddenly of a heart attack on November 7th at Baden Solingen, Germany, where since September 1965 he and Mrs. Billings have been employed by the Department of National Defence at their High School attended by the children of officers and men serving with 4 (F) Wing R.C.A.F. in our NATO forces in Europe.
The funeral service was held in the 4 (F) Wing Chapel at 8.00 a.m. November 11th. He was buried with military honours among fellow servicemen in the Canadian Military Cemetery at Choloy. France.
Lt. Col. Billings is survived by his wife, Mary, his daughters Rosemary and Jane and his son Michael.
He was commissioned in the Canadian Army (Regular) on graduation from the Royal Military College in Kingston and earned his Bachelor of Science degree at Queen's University. A devoted soldier, Lt.-Col. Billings served his country for thirty-three years as an officer in the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals. He was taken prisoner by the Japanese while commanding the Signals unit of the ill-fated Canadian "Hong Kong" Brigade and detained until the cessation of hostilities.
On retirement from the Canadian Army he and Mrs. Billings joined the teaching staff of the Almonte High School in September 1961, where during the four years he taught, he gained the respect of student and fellow staff member alike.
Jim, as he was known to a wide circle of friends and acquaintances, will long be remembered for his unceasing energy and devotion to whatever duty he was called upon to perform, for his keen sense of humour and for his sincere yet cheerful approach to life. Most noted of all Jim's commemorable characteristics were his intense concern for the young entrusted to his care and his love of the great outdoors in which his large frame found so many hours of pleasurable companionship and activity.
We had hoped that he would return to us when he had completed his tour in Germany. He will be missed very much.
Links and Other Resources
Read more about RCCS 'C' Force members in Burke Penny's book Beyond the Call published by HKVCA.
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
Local Men Seized at Hong Kong Get Letters Through to Kin
Capt. G. M. Billings, Sgt. H. W. McBroom Tell of Experiences
Two Kingston soldiers, Capt. G. M. Billings, R.C.C.S., and Sgt. W.H. (Harry) McBroom, of the Canadian Pay Corps, who were captured by the Japanese in the fall of Hong Kong are safe and well according to letters received in the city yesterday afternoon.
CAPT. BILLINGS
Mrs. Billings, formerly Mary Graham, daughter of Prof. and Mrs. Stanley Graham, Albert Street, received a letter from her husband which stated that although he had been wounded he had fully recovered and was now enjoying good health. He did not give any indications as to where the captured Canadians had been taken by the Japanese for internment, but said the food was adequate and that they had their own doctors and dentists.
Capt. Billings, who left Victoria, B.C., for active service in the East, wrote in his letter of games such as volleyball which were being provided for the officers and men in the internment camp.
Second Letter
Sgt. W. H. (Harry) McBroom in a letter dated June 3 to his wife who lives on Toronto Street, states that he is well. He said that outside of sunburn he was feeling fine. He added he has grown a long beard. He did not speak of conditions following the fall of Hong Kong.
Sgt. McBroom, who is a son of Mr. and Mrs. W. F. McBroom, Portsmouth, enlisted in Kingston and left Ottawa for Hong Kong on Oct. 23, 1941.
His oldest brother, Aberdeen, a veteran of the First Great War, is now in England with the Canadian Active Army.
Capt. Overton Hickey, Kingston, who was also with the Canadians during the siege of Hong Kong has not communicated with his relatives in the city. It is expected that other letters written by Canadian prisoners of war will be received over the week-end. The letters, which were written early in June, were sent direct to Ottawa where they were censored and then forwarded to the addressees.
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.