1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Staff Sergeant | Stanley | Walter |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Lachine QC | Eastern Quebec | 1912-11-19 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| Company Quartermaster Sergeant | A | 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-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 Apr 16 |
| JP-Se-4B | Ohashi | Iwate-ken, Kamihei-gun, Katsushi-mura, Ohashi, Japan | Nippon Steel Company | 45 Apr 16 | 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
Submitted by his daughter Dale (Wright) Miller, March 2017
Decorations Received
| Image | Name of Award | Abbreviation | References | Precedence | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Military Medal | MM | 37, 38, 123 | 08 | |
Citation“Wright was Company Quartermaster-Sergeant of “A” Company, Royal Rifles of Canada, during the defence of Hong Hong, December 1941, and acted with conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty, particularly on 21st December in the Repulse Bay area. At this time he was ordered to supply ammunition to “A” Company in the forward area. While under the heaviest of machine gun and small arms fire, which had already put out of action one carrier and two lorries, he loaded the truck and proceeded to Wong Nei Chong Gap from Repulse Bay Hotel. On the way this truck was riddled with machine guns, putting it out of action. Still under fire he transferred his load to an abandoned lorry on the road and delivered his supply of ammunition to the Company thereby keeping the Company in action and enabling the remainder of the men to continue the fighting. Company Quartermaster-Sergeant Wright set a wonderful example of courage and devotion to duty during the course of the fighting” Invested February 22, 1947 by the Governor General, Viscount Alexander of Tunis. | |||||
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-12-20 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Esquimalt British Columbia Canada | Veterans' Cemetery | Yes | |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
WRIGHT-Stanley Walter, peacefully at home on December 20, 1993. Born in Ilford, England on November 19, 1912. Predeceased by his parents, Elizabeth and Walter; sister, Elsie and brother, Ernest. Survived by his loving wife and best friend, Peggy; his daughter, Dale and grandson, Sean, both of New Westminster, BC. Stan, a former member of the Royal Rifles of Canada, was a prisoner of war in Hong Kong during the Second World War. He was awarded the Military Medal for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. Stan and Peggy moved to Colwood in 1980 after 35 years in Kenogami, Quebec and three years in St. Marys, Ontario. In keeping with Stans wishes, there will be no funeral services. If friends so wish, donations may be made to their local Salvation Army Corps. Sands of Colwood, -A Tradition of Trust- 478-3821 (Published in Times-Colonist, Victoria BC)
Picture of Stan Wright 1993, age 81 Submitted by his daughter Dale (Wright) Miller, March 2017
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
Stan Wright, born in Ilford, England, arrived in Quebec in October 1913 at the age of 8 months, with his mother Elizabeth and sister Elsie aboard the Virginian to join his father Walter, a decorator/painter, who had emigrated to Canada a few months earlier to find work and establish a home for his family.
Two principles guided Stan throughout his life: be responsible, especially to your family; and if you want something, dont take -no- for an answer - work for it. After finishing high school, since there was no money for further education, Stan entered the work force. Every pay cheque was divided in half - 50% to help support the family, which by that time included a younger brother, and 50% for himself. After his fathers death, in spite of having a wife and child, Stan became the primary support for his mother and sister. He developed an interest in photography, but couldnt afford to buy the equipment he wanted, so he got a job in the camera department at Eatons department store in Montreal where he received an employee discount. He loved to golf, but fees were beyond his means, so he worked as a caddy and in the pro shop where again, he received a discount and free lessons. He loved horses, but the cost of ownership or even rental fees were out of the question, so he joined the cavalry! A few years later, he enlisted with the Royal Rifles of Canada, 22nd Regiment in Lachine.
As was the case with so many veterans, Stan never spoke directly about his time as a prisoner of war, but it affected him in many ways. One of the most obvious was the recurring attacks of dengue which plagued him throughout his life, but he also carried physical and emotional scars that appeared in more subtle ways such the inability to tolerate hunger even for a short time - issues shared by many of the Hong Kong veterans.
The steely determination that carried him through the years of hell in Hong Kong, also drove him to become a Chartered Account - by correspondence - while working full time as a bookkeeper at a paper mill. He spent the next 35 years as Mill Accountant for Price Brothers in Jonquiere and Kenogami, Quebec.
But life was not all work and no play. Stan spent as many hours as he could golfing in the summer and curling in the winter. He and his wife, Peggy, travelled throughout Canada and the United States, amassing huge numbers of photographs, all carefully captioned and neatly put in albums for posterity.
After his retirement from Price Brothers, Stan and Peg spent three years in Ontario, then moved to Colwood on Vancouver Island, British Columbia to be closer to their only daughter, Dale and her family, including their only grandchild, Sean. They enjoyed the milder climate of the west coast and spent many hours at Esquimalt Lagoon watching the ocean and feeding the gulls.
Stan died at home with Peggy at his side on December 20, 1993 at age 81. He was buried at Gods Acre, the Veterans Cemetery at Esquimalt, which just happens to be located right between the 12th and 17th holes of the Gorge Vale Golf Course - couldnt be a better place in the whole country.
Additional information for this report supplied in March 2017 by Dale Miller, daughter.
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.
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