1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Sergeant | Robert | John |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Toronto ON | Central Ontario | 1921-10-19 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| Platoon Sergeant | C | 14 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
| Date Wounded | Wound Description | References |
|---|---|---|
| 41/12/16 | mortar - one wounded; hand grenade both legs | 36 |
Hospital Information
| Name of hospital | Date of admission | Date of discharge | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-UNK | N/A | N/A |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
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
Other Military 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-02-06 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
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
CLAYTON: Robert John "Flash" October 19 1921-February 6, 2015. We woke this morning to know that you are gone. On Friday, February 6 at 7:00 am Bob passed peacefully at Sunnybrook Hospital K Wing. He has worn many hats, Husband, Dad, Grandpa, GG Bob, Brother, Uncle, Soldier and Comrade. He wore them all so well. You are a true hero to many! Bob was born in Toronto the eldest of 8 children. Joined the army in 1939 and was captured by the Japanese December 25, 1941. Bob came home to marry the love of his life, Jessica, in September 1946 all this and his wondrous life was just beginning. Bob and Jessie have been married for 68 years. "I love my Jessie" he has been heard to say from time to time. Bob and Jessie were blessed with two daughters, Veronica (Rickie) and Janet Elaine (predeceased). They have a favourite son-in-law Dr. Bruce Edey. Bob was a devoted Grandpa to Christine, Lance and Jennifer and the proudest GG Bob to Kristin, Jake and Carter. He leaves behind sister, Shirley (John) and Brothers Harley (Helen) and Lorne, predeceased by Sister Audrey and Brothers Ron, Wilfred and Howard. He was Uncle Bob to many nieces and nephews related and gathered and all were loved. Bob was a Sargent in the Royal Rifles, Royal Canadian Regiment and was a Lifetime member of the Hong Kong Veteran's Association and a Japanese POW survivor. Bob was honored with a lifetime membership to the Royal Canadian Legion Brechin- Mara Branch 488 where he served many years as a sgt at arms for the branch. Bob was never happier than when he was carrying a baby over his shoulder or enjoying the great outdoors. He inspired many people to be more than they thought they could be. One remarkable man with so many accomplishments, the biggest of all was the respect and love he received from those whose lives he touched. What a gift he was to all those who loved him. Heaven is a happier place this morning. Jan- I'm sending Dad to you. God speed Pop. There will be several celebrations of Bob's great life in the near future. Please contact Mangan Funeral Home in Beaverton for further information http://www.manganfuneralhome.com/ The love, care, respect and devotion of the staff of K 3 East is truly worthy of any great soldier. Please honor Bob's memory by donating to Sunny brook Hospital K3 East https://donate.sunnybrook.ca/ or 416-480-4483 . Online condolences are welcomed at www.manganfuneralhome.com Love ya, Pop, Love ya, R.J.
Links and Other Resources
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
→ Related documentation for information published in this report, such as birth information, discharge papers, press clippings and census documents may be available via shared resources in our HKVCA Vault. It is organized with folders named using regimental numbers. Use the first letter of the individual's service number to choose the correct folder, then scroll to the specific sub-folder displaying the service number of your interest.
General Comments
CLAYTON, Robert J. “Flash” Flash was born on October 19, 1921 in Toronto, ON. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Army on September 1, 1939 and served with the Queen's York Rangers, the Royal Canadian Regiment and the Royal Rifles of Canada in Hong Kong and Japan. He suffered grenade and rifle wounds during the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong and was wounded again when his ambulance was attacked by Japanese mortar fire. Robert was a slave labourer in a Hong Kong prisoner of war camp and was shipped to work at the Yokohama, Japan shipyards in the "Hell Ship" Tatsu Maru, then to a coal mine in Sendai Japan. He was liberated in August 1945 and was discharged on May 4, 1946. Out of his six years and eight months of active service, three years and eight months were spent in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. Flash has been a member of Brechin-Mara Legion Branch 488 for 41 years.
End of Report.
Report generated: 26 Nov 2024.
Additional Notes
(These will not be visible on the printed copy)
- Service numbers for officers 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.