1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Rifleman | Frederick | James |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Toronto ON | Central Ontario | 1920-04-30 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
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 Aug 15 | ||
| JP-To-5B | Niigata-Rinko | Niigata-ken, Nakakambara-gun, Ogata-mura, Japan | Marutsu, Rinko Coal, Shintetsu | Stevedore labor at port of Niigata (Marutsu), primarily foodstuffs; mining coal (Rinko Coal ) and labor at a foundry (Shintetsu) | 43 Sep 03 | 44 Jan 18 |
| JP-To-15B | Niigata-Tekko | Niigata-ken, Niigata City, Yamanoshita, Akiba-dori, Japan | Niigata Ironworks Company | 44 Jan 18 | 45 Sep 05 |
Transport to Japan
| Draft Number | Name of Ship | Departure Date | Arrival Date | Arrival Port | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XD4B | Manryu Maru | 43 Aug 15 | 43 Sep 01 | Osaka, Japan | Brief stopover in Taihoku (Taipei), Formosa (Taiwan); then 2 day stopover at northern point for stool tests | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-12-22 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Queensville Ontario Canada | Queensville Cemetery | ||
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
MASON, Frederick James - (Retired York Regional Police; POW Hong Kong; Member of the Sutton Legion Branch 356) On December 22, 2008 in his 89th year, at Southlake Regional Health Centre. Predeceased by his wife Irene (Smith) of 64 years. Loving father of Elaine and son-in-law Gerald Geniole and Norman and daughter- in-law Norma; grandfather to Keith Geniole (Sharon); Kristine (James Reynolds); CarrieAnne and the late Jody. Great-grandfather to Jack and Sam. Special uncle to Sylvia Mason. Fred will be fondly remembered by nieces and nephews and his many friends, veteran family, and card players. Fred's life was of service to this country. After enduring 4 years of captivity in Japan during WWII, he came home to join the Toronto Police Force. He became Chief in Southampton and Whitchurh- Stouffville and retired from York Regional Police. Visitation from M.W. Becker Funeral Home, 490 The Queensway South, Keswick 18888844486, on Saturday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral Service will be held at the Keswick United Church, 177 Church Street, Keswick on Sunday, December 28, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. Cremation to follow. Donations to the Canadian Diabetes Association or the Heart and Stroke Foundation would be appreciated by the family. www.mwbeckerfuneralhome.com
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
Fred Mason, RRC written by Tim Hodkinson and taken from the HKVCA Ontario December 2006 Newsletter
After the General Meeting on Oct. 28th in Toronto, I had the pleasure of talking with Fred Mason about his life story.
Fred was born in Toronto, in York Township, near Dufferin and Eglinton. His dad, a WW1 veteran, had his own barbershop nearby and at 17, Fred apprenticed as a barber and joined his father after 6 months at barber college. Barbering didn't appeal to Fred because of the late hours he had to work, so after finishing High School he went to work for the Dominion Bridge Steel Company (more money too). Not long after that he joined the Royal Regiment of Canada.
Although his basic training in Brantford, Ontario was supposed to be four months, it was shortened to two and he volunteered along with over a hundred other Ontario recruits to be added to the Royal Rifles of Canada, to bring them up to full strength before leaving for Hong Kong.
In fact Fred said that the train carrying the RRC westward stopped in North Bay and the cars, carrying the reinforcements, were just hooked on to continue to Vancouver.
Like many of the HK veterans, Fred spent some time in hospital after arriving home. A new wing had been added to Sunnybrook Hospital to accommodate the veterans and Fred was one of the first ten veterans to move in. A doctor and nurse, from Louisiana in the US, were brought in as the HK veterans suffered from many tropical diseases that Canadian doctors were unfamiliar with.
Along with 26 others, Fred was diagnosed with dysentery, and since they were all carriers, they were sent to a hospital in Malton, Ontario, where they were isolated. I think Fred showed some real talent for medicine when he told the doctor to give him a double dose of the dysentery medicine. However, the doctor wouldn't agree, saying that a double dose would be too much and would probably kill him.
After the 28-day treatment was over, with the exception of Fred, all of the others were cured and were sent back to Sunnybrook. Fred’s test showed that he still was carrying dysentery and, as a result, the doctor had to stay with Fred out in Malton for another 28 days. However, this time he took Fred's wise advice and gave him a double dose and everything then went well.
Fred was finally discharged in March 1946 and he went back to Dominion Bridge Steel to get his job back – the one he had left when he went to fight in the War. As a returning soldier he was legally entitled to return to that job, however the company was uncooperative and Fred looked for work elsewhere.
Not wanting an "indoor job", he made inquiries at Toronto Hydro, who would have hired him if it were not for an equipment shortage. At the suggestion of a friend, he applied to the Toronto Police where he went on to work for the next 10 years.
With his barber shop days now firmly behind him, he became the Chief of Police for the town of Southampton, on the shores of Lake Huron. Seven years later, he moved to Newmarket to start a new police force there. He hired all of the new force's 14 men and remained the Chief for seven years until the force was amalgamated into the now York Regional Police.
However, Fred wasn't interested in becoming the new Regional Chief, but he stayed on for awhile as Staff Inspector. He retired in 1975, but his legacy still lives on in York Region; Fred was the one who hired the current Chief of Police, for York Region, as a cadet, many years ago.
After retiring in 1975, he bought a resort on Lake Buckhorn, north of Peterborough. Six years later he sold it and moved to Keswick, to be closer to his daughter and the rest of the family. Fred showed his talent, for building design, by designing the floor plan for his new home, which was actually an addition built onto his daughter's house. He still lives there, but sadly, his wife, Irene, passed away in July of 2005 after 64 years of marriage.
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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