1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Rifleman | Joseph Michael | Eric |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Douglastown QC | Eastern Quebec | 1922-03-09 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| A | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Ozark Passenger List C | SF | 1945-10-02 | picked up in Guam then to USA |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-03-11 | 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
Passed away peacefully at the Queensway Carleton Hospital on Wednesday, March 11, 2015 at the age of 93. Beloved husband of 58 years of the late Elizabeth Maloney. Cherished dad of Cynthia, dear uncle to Linda, Sue, Debbie, Andy and Herby. Eric was one of the last Hong Kong Veterans from World War II. His family would like to thank Jim for his care over the past many years. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, March 28 at the Kingdom Hall Fallowfield Road, at 2 p.m. Donations to the Heart Institute would be appreciated. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ottawacitizen/obituary.aspx?pid=174442712#sthash.JZJ8nUUu.dpuf
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
The following Extracted from HKVCA Ontario Region archived newsletter December 2002
Eric Maloney's family had farmed and been in the logging business since his Great-Grandffather came from Ireland in the 1840's, and settled near Douglastown, Quebec. He was born on 6 March 1922 in the farmhouse his Great-Grandfather built. Eric, the youngest in the family, had three older sisters. After leaving school at 16, Eric worked with his widowed father, whose wife had died when Eric was only 4 years old. Together they worked the farm in summer, and in the logging camp in winter. From the age of 10, Eric had been interested in cooking, hoping someday to be a chef. He gained valuable experience cooking in the lumber camp, and while working at his brother-in-law's 24-hour-a-day restaurant in the Gaspe in the summers of 1938 and 1939. It was in the Gaspe that Eric joined the Royal Rifles on 22 July, 1940. He was just 18, and though he wanted to be a chef, he didn't want to be an army cook, so he made a point of not mentioning his interest in cooking. He successfully avoided that task until, as a POW, he had to take his turn preparing what little there was to eat. On 21st November, 1940, his Regiment was sent on garrison duty to Newfoundland as "W" Force. This is where he met Betty Ebsary. When Eric left Newfoundland on 18 August 1941, Betty promised to wait for him to return for her. Eric hoped she would, and that belief helped him to cope with the ordeal of prison camp, despite never receiving any of the many letters Betty and his family were sending him.
When those surviving the Japanese camps came home, it took years to return to normal and not all were able to do so. Eric Maloney had many difficulties, but with the love of his wife and family, and his determination, he was able to adjust better 6 than many of his comrades. It took over four years before he began to feel "right" again. When he left Canada, he weighed 180 pounds. When he was liberated, he was down to 109. Soon after he was able to eat properly, his weight rose to 135, but it was over 14 years before it would go any higher. Like the majority of former Japanese POWs, Eric was in and out of hospital for periods as long as a year.
In the meantime, Eric and Betty married in his hometown, Douglastown, on August 5, 1946. To earn his living there, Eric operated the Beach Grove Restaurant, as well as his "Hong Kong Veteran Taxi" business in a building he and his cousins built. Eventually, he also ran a three-truck log-hauling operation, and sold groceries on his father's farm, located on the second Range Road. This service saved the local farmers coming into town so often. To finally realize his long-held ambition, Eric completed a Professional Chef course at McGill University in 1953. He then became one of the chefs on the famous, but isolated, DEW line in Canada's Arctic, while it was being constructed in 1954-55, and after completion, from 1959 to 1963. Eric then moved to Toronto, where he was a Chef and later Managing Chef with Scott Restaurants. In 1974, Eric relocated to Dryden, with the idea of retiring. He and Betty bought a trailer and for 18 months toured Canada. On returning to Dryden, he so missed being a chef that he worked at the Birchcliff Dining Room, and, later, at the TransCanada Restaurant. When Eric moved to Ottawa in 1987, he was soon at work as Chef for the Faculty dining room at Carleton University. Eric finally ended his career in 1991, at age 70, when his health would not permit him to continue. He was well-liked, and missed, by his co-workers, and he still finds that he misses his life as a chef. However, he continues to practice his profession by making all the daily meals at home.
Eric and Betty are still happily married, and living in Nepean, Ontario, with their daughter Cynthia. They celebrated their 55th Wedding Anniversary just weeks before Eric was interviewed by the Ottawa Citizen in August of 2001. The interview related to the last Convention of the Hong Kong Veterans in Winnipeg, which he was unable to attend. The article featured a picture of him holding the photograph taken by the Japanese for identification purposes when he was working in the coal mines and shipyards in Japan. Eric always carries that photo in his wallet as a reminder of what he and his fellow POWs had to endure.
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.