1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Rifleman | Charles | Hugh |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Chapleau ON | Central Ontario | 1911-04-07 |
| 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 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 | 45 May 13 |
| JP-Se-1B | Yumoto | Fukushima-ken, Iwaki-gun, Yumoto-cho, Mizunoya, Japan | Joban Coal Mining Company | 45 May 13 | 45 Sep 15 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NATS 90410 | Oakland | 1945-09-29 |
Liberated Men Coming Home
These happy liberated prisoners of war who recently flew across 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, Ontario; Rfn. J. E. Glenn, Trenton, Ontario; Rfn. C. A. Wurm, Arnprior, Ontario; Rfn. M. T. Murray, Oshawa, Ontario. Back row: Sgt. E. E. Dissing, London, Ontario; Rfn. J. A. Gauthier, Flint, Michigan, USA; Rfn. D. E. Southworth, Campbellford, Ontario; Rfn. K. R. Inche, Oshawa, Ontario; Rfn. Frederick A. Cooper, Sutton West, Ontario.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-09-01 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Chapleau Ontario Canada | |||
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
CHARLES HUGH MCKEE If civilization is built on the deeds of men and women then Charles McKee helped to lay some solid bricks. Over the course of 82 years Charles touched the hearts of many people.
I was always amazed at the number of people he knew. Whenever, he visited Toronto and we went out he would meet someone. The most amazing thing, for me, was that he would remember their names regardless of how long ago he meet them. Sometimes he had not seen the person for over 30, 40 or more years. Only a person who had a lot of interest in the people they had meet could exhibit such strength.
How could someone who was born, raised and resided in Chapleau get to know so many people? It seemed like Chapleau was a spawning ground for the world stage.
During Charles younger years he spent a lot of time In active sports; tennis, baseball and running. He became an accomplished 1 miter runner finishing In the top ranks around the Sudbury districts.
Like many people he enlisted in the War. After a brief training period Charles was shipped with his regiment to defend Hong Kong. A fierce but short battle ensued. Despite Charles and his regiments valiant efforts the odds of 20 to 1 was too much and he was captured.
The next 4 years Charles spent as a forced guest In Japanese prisoner of war camps. Because of his athletic build, prowess, wit and good tuck he was able to endure a gruelling exercise of survival.
After the war Charles returned to his beloved Chapleau to re-establish his friendships and make new ones. His work at the CPA was resumed and he eventually became a conductor.
In 1949 he met my mother, Melita Sniedzinga nurse at the Chapleau Hospital were a very, very long courtship developed. Over the years Charles became a close friend and family member. In 1976 Charles retired from the CPR and eventually moved to Toronto to be with my mother.
During these years I got to know him. He was always considerate of others and had many stories about the war, CPR adventures, New York Yankees and old friends. These stories Ure always witty and showed warm feelings for all the people he knew. I can’t recall Charles ever speaking disparagingly of any one. He loved music, dancing and would whistle many tunes. He certainly enjoyed life.
Over the last 2 years Charles started another battle with far greater odds than before. On September 8, 1993 Charles last charge was made at Sunny Brook Hospital in Toronto.
Charles is survived by his wife Melita, son Ernest, daughter Joanne and sister Bernice Cresswell of Calgary. Friends called at the Morley Bedford Funeral Home, 159 Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario on Sunday, September 12. Funeral Services were held in the Chapleau on Monday, September 13th 10a.m. ln lieu of flowers donations to the Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated.
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
Charles Hugh Mc Kee- Born in Chapleau, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Father's Name: Charles Mc Kee Mother's Name: Lorretta Moyle
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.
- 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.
- 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.