1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Rifleman | Lawrence | Joseph |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Blind River ON | Central Ontario | 1918-02-23 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| C | 15 Plt | |
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 | Arrival Date | Departure Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-SM-01 | Stanley | Fort Stanley, Hong Kong Island | Capture | 41 Dec 30 | ||
| HK-NP-01 | North Point | North Point, Hong Kong Island | 41 Dec 30 | 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 | N/A |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Ozark Passenger List A | SF | 1945-10-02 | evacuated from Japan via USS Ozark |
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
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-11-13 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Ottawa Ontario Canada | Pinecrest Cemetery | ||
Gravestone Image
No other or additional related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
Obituary / Life Story
(Hong Kong veteran) (Post Office-retired) In hospital on Sunday, November 13, 1983, Lawrence Joseph (Larry) Wilson, age 65 years, husband of Ethel Pegg. Dear father of Christopher (husband of Lynn Griffiths) and Catherine (wife of Chris Eritou). Grandfather of Jason, Daniel and Christopher. Dear brother of Joseph of Blind River, Bertha (Mrs. Romeo Isabel); Mrs. Lucy Solbeck; Jean (Mrs. William Hess) and Bernadette (Mrs. Ed Gaudette). Friends may call at the Kelly Funeral Home, 2313 Carling Ave. (west of Woodroffe) after 2 p.m. Tuesday. Funeral Wednesday to St. George's Church for Mass of Christian Burial. Interment Pinecrest Cemetery. In Memoriam donations to the Cardiac Unit, Ottawa Civic Hospital, 1053 Carling Ave., KIY 4E9, appreciated.
Links and Other Resources
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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.
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General Comments
Mrs. Dollard Camirand has just received a letter from her younger brother, Lawrence Wilson, mailed on June 12, 1942, from Hong Kong where he is a prisoner of war. The letter, which took a year and nine days to reach this community in Algoma, stated the writer was receiving good treatment from the Japanese.
Blind River, Ont., June 29, 1943
BLIND RIVER BOY IN TOKYO
LAWRENCE WILSON WAS CAPTURED AT HONG KONG. TELLS FAMILY HE IS SAFE
Word that Pte. Lawrence Wilson of Blind River, who was taken prisoner by the Japanese during the battle of Hong Kong over two years ago is safe in Tokyo was received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wilson, also of Blind River, through the International Red Cross.
The letter written by Lawrence Wilson to his family states that he is in good health and for his family not to worry about him. The letter was dated March of this year and word was received only yesterday. "Please do not worry about me and if I guess right I might be home by Christmas" Lawrence writes in his letter.
Mr. Thomas Wilson stated that the Red Cross keeps him posted regularly on the condition and whereabouts of his son. Lawrence enlisted in the Montreal Rifles Regiment early in 1940 and took artillery training while he was stationed in Canada. He spent only a short while in Canada before being sent overseas.
Mr. Wilson has three other sons in Canada's armed forces. They are Leo, who is now in England, George, who is in Canada, and Thomas Jr., who is taking his army training at Camp Borden. Lawrence, the youngest son, who is in Tokyo, is only 24 years of age.
Much concern was felt for Lawrence by his family since the Hong Kong battle and Mr. Thomas Wilson told The Star that they are very relieved since getting this news from their son. Lawrence worked in Blind River and in Sudbury at Frood Mines before enlisting. He is single.
The Sault Star, 06 Oct 1943, Wednesday
PRISONER IN JAPAN WRITES HOME
LAWRENCE WILSON SENDS OPTIMISTIC, ENCOURAGING LETTER FROM YOKOHAMA
BLIND RIVER, Dec. 22. - Mrs. Dolard Camirand has received a letter from her brother, Lawrence Wilson, a prisoner of war in Japan. He wrote a very optimistic and encouraging letter, winding it up with, "I hope this reaches you folks all right, and I want everyone to keep their chins up until the dark clouds roll by." Mrs. Camirand sent the letter, which came from Ottawa headquarters, to her father, Thomas Wilson, a resident of the Soo for the winter months. It is the third or fourth message from Lawrence since he was taken prisoner at Hong Kong with other Canadians.
In a message from Rifleman Peter Wing, of the Royal Canadian Rifles Corps, to his mother in Eastern Ontario, Rfmn. Wing refers to Lawrence Wilson as a pal of his. Both boys are prisoners in Yokohama.
The Sault Star, 22 Dec 1943, Wednesday
BLIND RIVER BOY SPEAKS TO HOME
TAKEN PRISONER AT HONG KONG, LAWRENCE WILSON SENDS MESSAGE
Read by the Japanese announcer, a message was broadcasted from Radio Tokyo, short wave, by Lawrence (Larry) Wilson of Blind River, Ontario, on Monday, May 1. He is the son of Mr. Lawrence Wilson, Sr., formerly of Blind River, but who moved to 616 Lennox Avenue, this city, a short time ago.
It will be three years next Christmas since Lawrence was taken prisoner at Hong Kong. He was serving as a rifleman in the Canadian Army. Prior to his enlistment, he was employed in the mines at Sudbury.
Mr. Wilson, Sr., did not know of his son's broadcast, but has been informed about it from three sources. It seems that several prisoners of war of Japan were heard over the short-wave broadcast that day. From the Department of National Defence (Army), Mr. Wilson has received a message given by Rifleman Peter Wing of Welland, Ontario, in which he mentions a Wilson boy from Blind River as feeling well. The Department said that the message was received from an unofficial source and that its authenticity could not be vouched for.
Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Kissinger of Los Angeles, California, who have a hobby and as
a gesture of good-will, undertaken to listen in quite regularly to messages of prisoners of war from Radio Tokyo, copied them, and then if possible informed families of the prisoners, have also written to Mr. Wilson. Mr. and Mrs. Kissinger stated that reception conditions prevented copying in entirely, but that Rfmn. Wilson said he was feeling fine and had received letters from home. He expressed his hopes that he could see the family soon.
Mr. Wilson received a letter from Mr. Anthony Varellas of San Francisco, California, who said that he happened to be listening to the prisoners of war broadcast and that Rfmn. Wilson had said in his message, that should anyone be listening, would they get in touch with his relatives.
Rfmn. Wilson is 26 years old. He has three brothers in the services; Pte. Leo Wilson and George Wilson, both with the Canadian Army in Italy, and Major Thomas Wilson, who is stationed at Camp Borden. Leo has been in the army for four years and George, for three years.
The Sault Star, 11 May 1944, Thursday, Page 18
Thomas Wilson of Blind River received a telegram a few days ago from the acting director of the Red Cross Enquiry Bureau in Ottawa relaying a message from Geneva Switzerland from his son, Riflemen Lawrence J. Wilson who has been a prisoner of the Japanese in Hong Kong since Christmas, 1941. The message said, "Keeping well. Wishing all a Happy New Year." Mr. Wilson has three other sons in the service, Sgmn. George J. Wilson in Italy, Pte. Leo Wilson in Holland, and Major Thomas Wilson station at Camp Borden.
The Sault Star, 06 Feb 1945, Tuesday, Page 8
Engagements
PEGG-WILSON - Mr. and Mrs. E. A Pegg wish to announce the engagement of their daughter Ethel Mary, R.N. of Toronto, to Lawrence Joseph, also of Toronto, son of Mr. Thomas Wilson and the late Mrs. Wilson of Blind River, Ont. Marriage to take place August 15 in Ottawa.
1947 Jul 01 - 1947 Jul 31
End of Report.
Report generated: 27 Apr 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.
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