1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Lance Sergeant | William | Robertson |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Matapedia QC | Eastern Quebec | 1920-09-26 |
| 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 | N/A |
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 Rescue | SF | a US hospital ship |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-02-23 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Campbellton New Brunswick Canada | Campbellton Rural Cemetery | Engraved | |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
William Robertson MacNaughton- Relatives and friends of William R. MacNaughton learned with deep regret of his death at his home in Tide Head, N.B. on Feb. 23, 1993. Born on the 26th of September 1920 in Dee Side, Quebec, he was the second eldest son of the late William Robertson and Lillian (Flowers) MacNaughton. Bill joined the Royal Rifles of Canada in July of 1940 and was a prisoner of war in Hong Kong and Japan. He was a member of the Hong Kong Veterans Association and the Maritime-Gaspesian branch. He was a member of the L.O.B.A., St. Andrews United Church, Tide Head, N.B. and also the Caledonian Society of Restigouche. Bill was a self-employed carpenter and enjoyed many happy years as a guide and fisherman on the Restigouche River. He is survived by his wife Myrtle, son Alan (June) MacNaughton of McLeod's, daughter Donna (Gary) Hachey of Fredericton. Grandchildren Alan and Jennifer MacNaughton and Krista and Kara Hachey. One sister, Kay MacNaughton, Hastings, Ont.; three brothers, Jack (Pierette) of Fredericton, NB.; Vernon (Faye) of Matapedia, Quebec arid Wayne (Heather) of Tide Head, N.B. Also surviving are several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by sister Dorothy and brothers Fred, Allison and Herbert. A Legion service was held on Feb. 25 at Maher's Funeral Home and was well attended by fellow comrades. Funeral service was held at St. Andrews United Church, Tide Head at 2 p.m. on Feb. 26, with Rev. R. Kraglund officiating, assisted by Rev. D. Jamer, of First United Baptist Church, Campbellton, NB. Hymns sung were 'The Lord Is My Shepherd' and 'How Great Thou Art'. Honorary pallbearers were Hong Kong Veterans. Active pallbearers were William Adams, Vaughn Christopher, Ronald Coffin, Russell Irvine, Ricky MacNaughton and Bryan MacNaughton. Interment in the Campbellton Rural Cemetery Vault for burial in the spring. Numerous floral tributes and charitable donations were received showing the high esteem in which the deceased was held. Bill had a way of instilling a sense of well-being in all of us; for that, we will always be grateful. We take strength knowing how he enjoyed life to the fullest. He gave much and asked for little and although he will be missed, he will never be forgotten.
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
General Comments
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End of Report.
Report generated: 05 Feb 2025.
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.