The Royal Canadian Army Service Corps
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Corporal | Albert | |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Montreal QC | Eastern Quebec | 1906-11-16 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| Brigade Headquarters | ||
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 bayonet at "The Ridge". 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941-12-19 | Killed in action, bayoneted, Believed 41 Dec 22 (41 Dec 19) | Killed In Action | |
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Cape Collinson Road Chai Wan Hong Kong China | Sai Wan Memorial | Column 27. | NA |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
Twins' Father Killed at Hong Kong, Mother Receives Word Year Later
There is a woman in Montreal today who has waited more than a year for news of her husband who participated in the tragic defence of Hong Kong. She has finally received word that he was killed in action, although details are unknown. The twin daughters who were born after he left Canada will now never know the father who laughingly told his wife before he left, "if it's twins, cable me at once!"
The young wife who has received the heartbreaking news after months of anxious waiting is Mrs. Albert Jackson, of 4253 Lasalle boulevard, Verdun. Her husband, Pte. Albert Jackson, told her of his decision to join the army only after he had been accepted. She took his news philosophically and as most a wives in these war-torn times, never let him know her fear for his safety.
She saw him off on the train October 20, 1941, little knowing it a would be the last time she was to be with him.
Interviewed yesterday at her modest home in Verdun, the young mother seemed to have reconciled herself to her loss. "When no news of him came through; when the others received letters from prisoners, I was sure Albert was dead. It was horrible at first, but one gets used to everything in time. I have the children to think of. I must do my best for them," she said smiling down at her baby girl who was trying to put the foot of a doll in her mouth while she perched precariously on mother's lap.
Kenneth, her four-year-old son, has decided to be the man of the family. He says proudly. "My daddy was in Hong Kong. He is killed, you know."
To the reporter's question of what he was going to do when he grew up, the blond, curly-headed youngster replied, "I'm going to the city hall." "What are you going to do there?" "Oh, nothing," he replied nonchalantly.
There were vestiges of Santa Claus' visit strewn around the living room floor and Kenneth played happily with with his toy tanks and trucks, a soldier's cap perched on his young head. Scamp, Albert Jackson's dog, roamed through the rooms of the four-roomed flat as if he felt the loss of the master he has not seen in so long.
Unknown newspaper clipping
From Kathy Jackson, Feb 2018: My grandfather, Cpl. Albert Jackson, perished on “the Ridge” somewhere between December 18 and 22nd 1941.
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.
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General Comments
Albert JACKSON - Promoted to Corporal 16/12/1941. Born in Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa.
Next of Kin 1945: Edna May Cavanner Relationship: Common-Law-Wife
Facebook April 2018 from granddaughter Kathy Jackson- My dad was only 3 when his father was killed and barely remembers him. Dad is 80 now. The one thing I will mention is that my grandmother, Edna Mae, whom he did eventually legally marry before going to Hong Kong, was pregnant with twin girls. The twins were born in late October. We don't know if he ever knew of their birth before he was killed, as my grandmother did not receive any letters acknowledging the fact that she had given birth to twins - which no one was aware of at that time. All anyone knew was that she was expecting another child.
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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