1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Rifleman | John | Harry |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Mount Dennis ON | Central Ontario | 1920-07-03 |
| 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
Killed in action by light machine gun fire at "Middle Gap, Black's Link". 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.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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941-12-23 | killed by LMG fire | Killed In Action | |
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Cape Collinson Road Chai Wan Hong Kong China | Sai Wan War Cemetery | VIII. G. 6. | NA |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
Son of Harry George Wills, Veteran of the First World War and the Second World War. Harry George enrolled with the 109th Battalion, CEF, service number 163166, deployed to the 84th Battalion on 18 September 1915, the 73rd Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada) on 29 June 1916, to serve in France, and the 13th Battalion on 19 April 1917. He was demobilized on 20 April 1919 in Montréal, Québec, and he was awarded the Military Medal (MM), The London Gazette, on 3 July 1919, number 31430. Harry George Wills enlisted again on 11 June 1940, service number B-28467, and served in England with the 2nd Canadian Construction Company, Royal Canadian Engineer; he was accidentally killed in England on 12 January 1942.
John Harry enrolled with the Royal Canadian Regiment, he served in Ontario before being deployed to the 1st Battalion, Royal Rifles of Canada, on 18 October 1941 to serve in Hong Kong with Force C. He had 162 days of service, including 57 overseas.
Commemorated on Page 48 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance.
Citation(s): 1939-1945 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal 1939-1945, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp.
Canadian Virtual Wart Memorial
This SAI WAN MEMORIAL honours over 2000 men of the land forces of the British Commonwealth and Empire who died in the defence of Hong Kong during the Second World War. The SAI WAN MEMORIAL is in the form of a shelter building 24 metres long and 5.5 metres wide. It stands at the entrance to Sai Wan Bay War Cemetery, outside Victoria, the capital of Hong Kong. From the semi-circular forecourt, two wide openings lead to the interior of the building. The names are inscribed on panels of Portland stone. The dedicatory inscription reads:
1939 - 1945 The officers and men whose memory is honoured here died in the defence of Hong Kong in December 1941 and in the ensuing years of captivity and have no known grave.
The northern side of the Memorial is open and four granite piers support the copper roof. From a commanding position 305 metres above sea level, it looks out over the War Cemetery where some 1,500 men lie buried, and across the water to Mainland China - a magnificent view of sea and mountains.
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.
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
John Harry Wills Date of death s/b December 23, 1941 Age: 21
Born in Toronto, Ontario Enlistment: July 15, 1941 Toronto, Ontario
Next of Kin: Nelson Babcock Relationship: Friend
In July 15/1941 John H. Wills stated his fathers name was Harry George Wills (father was alive, a painter & address unknown). Mother was deceased.
In Aug. 9/1945 Nelson Babcock (next of kin) declared that the father of John H. Wills was deceased, John H. Wills had no living relatives and had lived with the Babcock family for quite some time before he enlisted. Miss Kathleen Babcock was the beneficiary and all communication went to Nelson & Florence Babcock. Nelson Babcock also referred to John H. Wills as his future intended son in law.
Father of John H. Wills: Name: Harry George Wills Birth Date: 14 Feb 1896 Birth Place: Northampton, England Residence Place: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Death Date: 12 Jan 1942 Service Number: B28467 Force: Army Regiment: Royal Canadian Engineers Rank: Sapper Next of Kin: Elizabeth Wills (common law wife...& not the mother of John H. Wills)
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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- 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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