1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Corporal | Llewellyn | Thomas Sydney |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Drummondville QC | Eastern Quebec | 1919-11-25 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| Storesman | D | Coy HQ |
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-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Army plane C54-5569 | Hamilton Field | 1945-09-13 |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-04-10 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Orford Quebec Canada | Cherry River Cemetery | Yes | |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
November 25, 1919 - April 10, 2013 It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Llewellyn (Bill) Thomas Sidney Doull. He passed away peacefully at 93 years of age on April 10, 2013 at home with his wife of 67 years, Claire, and family present. Bill was born on November 25, 1919 in Moncton, New Brunswick to Lewellyn Edward and Mary Ethel Doull. His family moved to Drummondville, Quebec at an early age where he grew up with his 4 sisters and 2 brothers. As a child he inherited the name Bill which stuck with him for the rest of his life. Bill started working at Canadian Celanese Ltd. when he was 16. At the outbreak of WWII, he and his older brother Lloyd enlisted with the Royal Rifles of Canada. As what became known as "C" Force, the Royal Rifles and the Winnipeg Grenadiers were sent to reinforce the British enclave in Hong Kong on October 25, 1941. Vastly outnumbered, the Allied Forces fought valiantly for 17 1/2 days during the Battle of Hong Kong and Bill was taken prisoner by the Japanese on Christmas Day, 1941. He spent the next 44 months as a Prisoner of War in Hong Kong and Japan where slave labour, starvation, disease and mistreatment were the norm. The members of "C" Force were the first Canadians in battle in WWII and the survivors of the battle and the POW camps were the last ones to come home. After the war, Bill returned to Drummondville where he convalesced and continued to work at the Celanese. Then he met the love of his life, Claire Bullard. They were married on April 6, 1946 and celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary 4 days before Bill's passing. Bill and Claire started their own family and raised 3 children, Sandra, Norman and Murray. Bill was a proficient handyman, a hard worker and could fix almost anything in need of repair. Bill retired in 1976 after 41 years of service at the Celanese. He and Claire then moved to their cottage on the shores of Lovering Lake in Quebec. Bill loved to boat and fish on the lake in the summer. During the winter months he built a hut on the lake where he spent many hours ice fishing. He loved all the animals and fed the birds and chipmunks. He took great pleasure feeding the squirrels from his hands. In 1997 Bill and Claire sold their cottage and moved to Sardis, BC where he lived until his passing. During their retirement, Bill and Claire travelled extensively throughout Canada and the US in their camperized Volkswagen van. Bill continued to attend reunions with his HK comrades. He was also a member of the Royal Canadian Legion for 67 years. In June, 2012, Bill was awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his contributions to his country and community. Sandra accompanied her father to numerous medical appointments with doctors and specialists and to hospitals for tests prior to his decision to have surgery. When her father returned home from the hospital, she tirelessly stayed by his side, day and night, caring for him to make him as comfortable as possible. Claire spent countless hours at his bedside, comforting him and reminiscing about the good times in their lives. The family would like to convey special thanks to Dr. Jennifer Wilson for her attention to Bill in his last days and the family is also very grateful to the Home Care nurses and the Home Support workers. Bill is lovingly remembered by his wife, Claire Irene Doull, his children, Sandra, Norman and Murray (Lucy), his sister Helen Knowles as well as his grandchildren Joy Sutherland, Tanya Pennington (Layne), Roderick Doull, Cora Pilon (Chris) and his great grandchildren, Becky, Michael and Adam Sutherland, Gray Pennington and Kyle and Brandon Pilon along with many nephews and nieces, comrades and friends. Bill is sadly predeceased by both his parents, sisters Zaida, Jenny and Frances and by his brothers Lloyd and Leonard. Bill did not wish for a funeral service and wanted his remains cremated. His ashes will be interned at the family cemetery in Cherry River, Quebec in due course. A Celebration of Life will take place at a date and location which is yet to be determined by the family. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations may be made in loving memory of Llewellyn Thomas Sidney Doull to: Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association, PO Box 381, Winnipeg, MB R3C 2H6. Please indicate that your donation is to support the Hong Kong Veterans Memorial Wall. Alternatively, donations can be made to the Chilliwack Ostemy Association.
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.
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→ 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
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End of Report.
Report generated: 23 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.
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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.
- 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.