HKVCA Image Gallery

Cdr McRitchie. From Margaret Giles, by email in Oct '09: If you look at the photo, Arthur William Ferrall would be the soldier second from the left, with the dark moustache, sitting behind Cdr McRitchie.

From Gail Petrov, Apr 2014: Photo also shows my father James R Cooper H19772 Winnipeg Grenadier. He is the face above the Captain’s white hat.
Photo also in:
Library and Archives Canada, Faces of War
Title: Canadian and British prisoners-of-war liberated by the boarding party from H.M.C.S. PRINCE ROBERT, Hong Kong, August 1945.

Photographer: Hawes, Jack., Photographer

Mikan Number: 3227337

From the repatriation ship USS ADMIRAL HUGHES which sailed from Manilla to Victoria (September 24 - October 9, 1945) with 'C' Force members aboard. Credits: Tom Thomson via Tony Banham

Received from Lisa in April 2022:

I believe that the photo was taken after the war, maybe on their way home. The reason why that I presume that it was on their home is because, the sword that Mr. Ross has attached to his side seems to be an original WW2 type 98 Japanese Army officer’s sword in a military sling scabbard. However, I could be wrong.

Caption: On the photo from left to right: ?, ? Alfred Hunt (E30748), Lance Ross (E1144), ? My grandfather Alfred Hunt and Lance Ross were both in the same Japanese POW camp (Omine, JP-Fu-5B). In the Omine camp, they were also in the same workgroup. Mr. Ross briefly spoke about my grandfather in his diary. “………Another man in my party got hurt, Alfred Hunt from Chandler”. Both my grandfather and Mr. Ross were from the Gaspé Peninsula (Gaspésie), Québec.

With all this said, I would have love to know the names of the other men photographed in the photo.

Submitted by the Sunstrum family in Dec '17. King George Welcome Home

Page 1 or 2 ‘News Roundup’ dated September 30, 1945 from the American transport Ss. General Langfitt that brought 10 CDN soldiers to Victoria

Page2 or 2 ‘News Roundup’ dated September 30, 1945 from the American transport Ss. General Langfitt that brought 10 CDN soldiers to Victoria.

Lori Notes- only scanned the top 8 and ½ inches by 11inches

Cover of a ooklet put out by Ministry of Veteran Affairs Oct. 1945 called ‘Back to Civil Life’. 64 pages.

Submitted by the family of Gerry Sunstrum in Dec '17.

Headline: "Set Foot On Friendly Shore for First Time in Four Years"

This page from Oct 4, 1945, and others, is also available through the Times Colonist archives at this link: http://archive.org/stream/dailycolonist1045uvic_1#page/n4/mode/1up/search/servicemen.

See also a similar full-scanned page in the Newspaper-Mag Scans folder.

Playing cards at Gordon Head Reconditioning Centre. At Gordon Head Reconditioning Centre, Wednesday afternoon, the Canadian told how gambling games were forbidden in the Jap prison camps and how the Canadians were slapped when caught playing poker. Enjoying their first game for a long time and with Jap money as stakes are Rifleman G. G. Myers, Rifleman Raymond Ross, Rifleman J. R. Pattingale, Rifleman Eric Ross, Rifleman Gerald Sunstrum, Private Riley Prieston.

Submitted by the Sunstrum Family in Dec '17. Souvenirs of their imprisonment in a Japanese prison camp are carried by these Niagara Falls men who arrived in Toronto Thursday morning. Jake Todd, at left, wearing an American army hat, carries a Japanese sword, and Jud Sunstrum at right has a Jap bayonet. He is also wearing a leather belt which he secured from a Jap. Al Graham is in the center.

Omine, Japan Prison Camp. L to R: Charley Mahoney, Earl McBeath, Bill MacWhirter

Taken in the Philippines on way home from POW camp.

Photo submitted by Bill MacWhirter in Nov 2010.

Cdr McRitchie interviewing. Pte William J. Sarginson of the Winnipeg Grenadiers is leaning against the wall behind Cdr McRitchie. (submitted by Catherine Sarginson)

Cdr McRitchie

Col Price, PO Flintoff, Lt Cdr Day

Caption: "MORE FROM THE FAR EAST: Joining the rising number of repatriates from Jap P.O.W. cages, five more Royal Rifles of Canada passed through Montreal yesterday to their homes in Quebec and New Brunswick. Here in the Welcom Room at windsor Station after arriving aboard a Canadian Pacific transcontinental train from Vancouver are, left to right: RFM L. PETE Culligan's N.B.; CPL F. DAY, New Carlisle, Que.; SGT P.O. PELLETIER, Quebec City; RFM W.W. HAMILTON, New Mills, N.B..; and RFM. L. JOHNSON, Bathurst, N.B." (C.P.R. Photos)

Photo caption: BASKING IN YOKOHAMA SUNSHINE : Pictured here are men of the Royal Rifles of Canada in uniforms given them by the U.S. Army, shortly after their arrival at Yokohama after being liberated from Japanese prison camps. Looking astonishingly fit after three and a half years as POW’s, they are:
Back Row: RFMN. E Blanchette, Indian Cove, Gaspe; J. MceaChern, Sydney, N.S. J.N. LE-Blanc, Petite de Grat?, N.s. H.E. Naylor, Victoria, B.C.; SGT. T.W. WILSON, New York City; RALPH BUCHANAN; Lockport, N.S.; R.A. MacLEAN, Grindstone, Magdalen Islands, Que.; W.R. GAGNE, Brighton,
Front row: D. BERNIER, Warwick, Arthabaska Co., Que.; R.N GRIEVES and F.A._______ Campbellford, Ont.; M. GARON, L’Anse au Beaufils, Gaspé, Que.; J. KELSO, Verdun
(Photo and caption submitted by Jeffrey Kelso, John Kelso's grandson, having received it from Donald Kelso, John Kelso's son.)

Photo of HMS Glory, which was received from FJ Ireland in Aug 2013, was taken by her parents as the ship arrived in Victoria.

HMS Glory was returning soldiers from Hong Kong. Read more about this ship at Wikipedia.

Submitted by Gene Labiuk, Dec '17: Hamilton Spectator October 1, 1945.

Liberated from Jap Prisons, They Reach Canada Again

This handkerchief was signed by number of HK Veterans shortly after their liberation from Japanese prisoner of war camp. This artifact belongs to JoAnne Huntington Barter, the daughter of HK Veteran Windom Huntington. It appears that they are all survivors of Omine.

Names include: Willett, Huntington, Dearden, Elliott R.W., Smith W.D., Shalala, Legros, Coull J., Coull B., Miller E., and many others.

Submitted by Gene Labiuk, Dec '17: Hamilton Spectator September 20, 1945.

Liberated Canadians

Brigadier Kay, of Winnipeg....

Submitted by Gene Labiuk, Dec '17: Hamilton Spectator September 26, 1945.

Freed from Japs

Caption: "Happy grins wreaths the faces of these eight members of the Royal Rifles of Canada as they approach Canadian shores aboard a United States Army transport after nearly four years of Japanese imprisonment. A few minutes after this picture as taken these men were steppig on good Canadian soil at Esquimalt dockyard, near Victoria, B.C. From left to right (front row) L/Cpl. Q. Mulrooney, Rfn. G. Pollock, Rfn. Raymond Ross, Rfn. J.H. Smith. (Back row) Rfn. J.R. Patting, ?, Rfn G.G. Hyers, Rfn. G. Sunstrum and Rfn. Eric Ross." (Canadian Army Photo)

Caption: "Shown here are Canadians who suffered as prisoners of the Japanese since Christmas Day, 1941, enroute homeward again as free men. The mixed group on the left shown men of both battalions; left to right (front) Rfn. L.A. Cunning, Gaspe; Pte. Arthur Diehl, Winnipeg; Pte. Humicky, Winnipeg; Pte. George Le Blanc, Winnipeg; Back row, left to right: Rfn. Isaac Comeau, Maltemagua, N.B.; Sgm. Jack Rose, Vancouver; Cpl. E.A. Dayton, Chilliwack, B.C.; L/Cpl. San DiSensi, Montreal; Rfn. L.J. Cotton, Quebec. Right is the U.S.S. Ozark which carried 244 members of the Winnipeg Royal Rifles (sic) and Winnipeg Grenadiers from Manila to San Francisco." (Canadian Army Photo)

Caption: "These happy liberated prisoners of war who recently flew acrosss the Pacific to San Francisco, reached Vancouver en route home. Here they pose for the photographer beside the railway coach that bore them from the California city. All members of the famed Royal Rifles of Canada, they are shown here in the front row (from left to right): Rfn. G.H. McKee, Chapleau, Ont.; Rfn. J.E. Glenn, Trenton, Ont.; Rfn. C.A. Wurm, Arnprior, Ont.; Rfn. M.T. Murray, Oshawa, Ont. Back row: Sgt. E.E. Dissing, London, Ont.; Rfn. J.A. Gauthier, Flint, Michigan, USA.; Rfn. D.E. Southworth, Campbellford, Ont.; Rfn. K.R. Inche, Ostawa, Ont.; Rfn. Frederick A. Cooper, Sutton West, Ont." (Canadian Army Photo)

From Anne Wurm via Facebook in Nov 2020: "This was taken on his way home after release. Article lists as C Wurm but it should have been G Wurm. He is front row, second from the right."

Group photo on return to Canada. IN THE FRONT ( L>R) IS ERNEST J. MILLER , R. ELLIOTT. IN THE REAR IS (L.R) L/CPL R J JESSOP ....ERNEST J. MEADE ... A/CPL. C . MAHONEY. (submitted by Ronald J. Meade, Aug 2012)

Submitted by Gene Labiuk, Dec '17: Hamilton Spectator September 10, 1945.

Freed Canadians See Bomb Damage

Submitted by Gene Labiuk, Dec '17: Hamilton Spectator September 13, 1945.

Limbless Canadians, Britons

Submitted by Gene Labiuk, Dec '17: Hamilton SpectatorSeptember 17, 1945.

Liberated Canadians

Submitted by Gene Labiuk, Dec '17: Hamilton Spectator October 13, 1945.

First of Hong Kong Prisoners Home

Rfmn Peter C. Burns

Submitted by Gene Labiuk, Dec '17: Hamilton Spectator October 13, 1945.

Home From Hong Kong

Pte Victor T. Oke

From David Lyons, son of H6225, Arthur Lyons, WG:

After my father passed on I was given this by my mother who advised me that one morning my father awoke in the prison of war camp and all the guards were gone. I was advised shortly after that a plane fly over head and dropped these leaflets from the air onto the prison camp advising the troops the war was over, to stay put as supplies are on the way. The photo is the original leaflet. At the top of the page my father wrote down his POW number, (576)name (Arthur Lyons) and the date, (August 28, 1945, Japan.)

From Dan James (Grandson of John Edward (Jesse) James:

I would be interested in Knowing the other Gentlemen in this photo. I know the person on crutches is my Grandfather John Edward (Jesse) James.

Excerpts from caption: "Enjoying his first Canadian cigarette in nearly four years, Lieutenant John Park of Winnipeg,... with seamen of the Canadian cruiser, Prince Robert. The young officer, a member of the Winnipeg Grenadiers, was the first Canadian prisoner of war to greet crew members when the cruiser tied...at Kowloon. Lieutenant Park is the son of ...."

Submitted by Gene Labiuk in Nov '17: From Montreal Gazette of 13 Sept 1945 (289 at Hong Kong Listed By Ottawa)

Submitted by Gene Labiuk in Nov '17: Liberation photo from Yokohama. Pictured: Blanchette, McEachern, LeBlanc, Naylor, Wilson, Buchanan, MacLean, Gagne, Bernier, Grieves, McArthur, Caron, Kelso (John)

Submitted by Gene Labiuk in Nov '17: From Montreal Gazette of 11 Oct 1945: Over 100 Ex-POWs Arrive Here Today

Submitted by Gene Labiuk in Nov '17: From Montreal Gazette of 12 October 1945: Riotous Welcome for Ex-POWs Here (page 1 of 2)

Submitted by Gene Labiuk in Nov '17: From Montreal Gazette of 12 October 1945: Riotous Welcome for Ex-POWs Here (page 2 of 2)

Caption: "North Point Concentration Camp after Japan's surrender in 1945. This camp was built by the British in 1939. All the allied prisoners were held there after the defeat of Hong Kong. (ANC. 116796)"

Note: Author Tony Banham has noted that this photo is actually of Shamshuipo Camp.

Caption (captured with a magnifying glass by Derrill Henderson): Four Province of Quebec men, listed as being from Gaspé, Noranda, Melbourne and Windsor Mills are among those pictured above in the first photograph to be released on this continent of liberated Canadian prisoners of war in Japan. Captured at Hong Kong where the Royal Rifles of Canada (Quebec City), the Winnipeg Grenadiers and a Canadian headquarter’ force shared in its defence with British and Indian troops were released from the Narumi Daito prison camp in Japan. They are, reading from left to right, front row” CPL TED KURLUK, Vancouver; RIFLEMAN LESLIE CUNNING, Gaspé, Quebec; CPL WILFORD J. MALOOF, Noranda, Quebec; RIFLEMAN REGINALD H. MOORE, Campbellford, Ont. Back row: PTE CHAS. WOODHEAD, Winnipeg, Man; RIFLEMAN ALFRED MILLS, Melbourne, Quebec; RIFLEMAN WALTER J. SPINGLEY, Peterborough, Ont; RIFLEMAN GORDON LALONDE, Martintown, Ont.; RIFLEMAN JOHN BASKIN, Blacklands, New Brunswick; and RIFLEMAN KENNETH MUIR, Windsor Mills, Quebec.

Photo submitted by Derrill Henderson in Nov 2013.

"Spingley" should perhaps be spelled SPENCLEY (B72966). (Comment submitted by Lori Atkinson Smith in Apr 2020)

Submitted by Burke Penny in Feb 2017.

Arrival home of Sgt Don Penny on 25 Sep '46.

Caption: "Cpl G. Peterson and Pte. M.A. Peterson, twin brothers of St Vital, Man., are seen as they stepped from a train that bore them from San Francisco to Vancouver Wednesday afternoon. The brothers sailed for Hong Kong together on Oct. 27, 1941, were captured together on Christmas Day '41 and shared the horrors of Japanese prisons." (Canadian Army Photo)

From Gail (Cooper) Petrov: Caption reads:

Canadian prisoners of war arrive at Manila:

Back: Grieves, Fidler, Duve

Front: Franckrewicz, Drebit, Cooper, McIvor

Manila, Philippines, 13 Sept. 1945.

Photo by Anonymous. Public Archives Canada

POWs being released from Yokohama, Sept 1945. Rifleman James Andrew Flanagan is on the left. He weighed on 68 lbs. The man on the right is unknown.

Submitted by Marjorie Stintzi in Aug 2015.

Clipping submitted by Gordon Booth, nephew of G.A. Shaw

Montreal Daily Star, Wed, Sept 19, 1945
Caption: Six Province of Quebec members of the Royal Rifles of Canada, still clad in United States Army uniforms which replaced their prison camp rags, arrive in Vancouver from San Francisco to which they were flown across the Pacific from Japan. They formed part of the group of 15 Canadians which left their infamous prison camps at Nigata and Sendai on Sept. 7th and 8th and made their way to U.S. Army Headquarters in Yokohama. On their arrival in Vancouver enroute to their homes their American uniforms were exchanged for Canadian battle dress replete with regimental flashes, medal ribbons and service stripes. In this picture are, standing, left to right: Rfn M.I. Davies, Noranda; Cpl L.T. Doull, Drummondville; Rfn J.C. Court, Escuminac; Rfn S.G. Allison, Escuminac. Kneeling: Rfn G.A. Shaw, Kenogami, and Rfn J.T. Beebe, Port Daniel Centre

Arrival of Prince Robert in Esquimalt

Landing Party Poster - 30 Aug '45

"Vancouver Eagerly Awaits Big Hong Kong 'Repat' Group"

Submitted in Nov '10 by Cathleen Willoughby, daughter of Fredrick Gordon Sissons, WG (top row, 1st on the left)

Sendai POW camp #2 August 28, 1945 outside the warehouse beside the bathing tank.

Back Row - L to R - Morris Peterson, Dick Wilson, John Pollock, George Peterson, Fred English, Tom Mulvaney, Jim Furey, Chuck Bradshaw, Frank Drier, Rix, Al MacTier, Sid Vale

Middle Row: - L to R - Walter Slovinsky, Soren Paulson, Ed Shayler, St. Germain

Front Row: - L to R - "Dolly" Davis, Beaton, George "Sailor" Morgan, George Temple, Fred Poitras, Tom Hoskayne

Front Row Centre - "Ferdinand the Bull"

Alex Archibald in the middle. (Email from daughter, Wendy, received in Sep '09)

Person accepting the cigarettes is Robert "Bob" Olscamp, RRC (identification provided by Jacques Olscamp, son, Nov 2011)

Brigadier Kay (formerly CO Winnipeg Grenadiers) chats with liberated POWs including: Lt Richard Maze, Capt H. Laite (Padre), Lt R. Campbell, Lt James McCarthy, Lt R. Queen-Hughes, Capt Philip, Capt E. Walker, Lt Hugh MacKechnie.

Royce (Bud) Sweet (l) and Harry Adams (nurse is not identified) at a hospital in Manila.

Arrival in Vancouver. Front Row: L to R: Sgt R.C. Stager, Ayr, Ont; Pte H.L. Berry, Toronto; S/Sgt C.A. Clark, Toronto; Sgt Rene Charron, Montreal; Sgt T.G. Marsh, St. Vital, Man; Pte F.C. Petch, Meadow Lake, Sask. 2nd Row: Pte J.E. Cameron, Expanse, Sask; Pte A.J. Hamelin, Hodgson, Man; Pte Arthur Lyons, Winnipeg; Pte M.D. Noel, Portage La Prairie, Man; Pte Joseph Pudlo, Hayfield, Man. 3rd Row: Cpl W.G.J. Tuppert, Quebec City; Pte Fred A. Mack, Winnipeg; Cpl F.E. Stebre, Beausejour, Man; Pte J.P. Clark, Winnipeg; Cpl T.W. Dwyer, Port Arthur, Ont. Top Row: Pte Emile Van Raes, St. Boniface, Man; Pter J. Zohara, Moson Man; Pte W.J. Saunders, Chester, N.S.; Cpl Stanley Edgar, Winnipeg. (Canadian Army Photo)

(Copied from Facebook in Dec 2022) Standing in the back row from left to right is Guy Sirois, Algee Pelletier, and James Jessop. The man in the front holding the sword is Albert Jessop who is the twin brother of James.

This is a large photo (1600px) copied from the Memory Project website (from George MacDonell's book - One Soldier's Story). If you need more photo detail, you should view this image at the Memory Project, as the original is over twice the width of what you're viewing. This was taken at the Ohashi Prison Camp around 15 September, 1945. George MacDonell is in the top row, 4th from the left. Another soldier who's been identified is Ernest Ladds, second row, left, sitting. If you can identify any other soldiers in this photo please contact webmaster@hkvca.ca.