1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Rifleman | Gordon | Donald |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Scotstown QC | Eastern Quebec | 1912-05-07 |
| 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 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Rixey | SF | 1945-10-11 |
2 FROM MONTREAL ARRIVE IN FRISCO
70 Repatriated Canadians Reach U.S. Aboard the U.S.S. Rixey
San Francisco, October 12. The following Canadians were among 70 repatriated Canadian prisoners of war who landed here yesterday aboard U.S.S. Rixey; Rfmn. D. M. Adams, Matapedia, Que.; Rfmn. A. Blanchard, Val d'Amour, N.B.; Rfmn. R. A. Boudreau, Glen Levit, N.B.; Rfmn. C. Cochrane, New Richmond, Que.; Rfmn. E. Daigle, West Bathurst, N.B.; Rfmn. J. A. Dempsey, Jacquet River, N.B.; Cpl. W. A. Dobb. Sherbrooke; Rfmn. A. Driscoll, Durkan Centre, N.B.; Rfmn. E. F. Francis, Dartmount, N.S.; Rfmn. G. Grimshaw, Montreal; Rfmn. J. H. Hand, Chapleau, Que.; Rfmn. S. D. Henderson, Richmond, Que.; Rfmn. J. I. Hotton, Gaspe, Que.; Rfmn. G. T. Hutchinson, Norton, N.B.; Rfmn. R. Keays, Broadlands, Que.; Ffmn. J. W. Killoran, Belledume River, N.B. Rfmn. A. D. Lapointe, Kirkland Lake, Ont.; L. Cpl. E. G. Ladds, Noranda, Que.; Rfmn. A. MacDonald, Wyers Brook, N.B.; Cpl. M. Moores, Matapedia, Que.; Rfmn. E. Olson, Bury, Que.; Rfmn. G. P. Pentland, Escuminac, Que.; Rfmn. D. B. Rees, St. John's, Nfld.; Rfmn. F. Robertson, Maria East, Que.; Cpl. A. T. Robson, Kenogami, Que.; Rfmn. R. Tremblay, Preval, Que.; Cpl. L. G. Wood, Lake Megantic, Que.; Sgt. J. C. MacMillan, Campbellton, N.B.; Cpl. Leo Ross, Cookshire, Que.; Rfmn. B. E. Boulanger, Perce, Que.; Rfmn. C. I. Meredith. New Richmond, Que.; Rfmn. H. E. Glendenning, South Bathurst, N.B., Rfmn. Gordon MacIver, Scotstown, Que.; Rfmn. R. A. McLaughlin, Campbellton, N.B.; L. Cpl. G. A. Lachance, Montreal; Sgt. C. H. Kerrigan, Aroostock, N.B.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956-07-04 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Scotstown Quebec Canada | Riverview Cemetery | ||
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
SCOTSTOWN-The community was shocked and saddened on the morning of July 5th, when it became known that Gordon MacIver had passed away from a heart attack.
Mr. MacIver had spent the day working at the school house which is being repaired and in the early evening he had helped load a truck with paper at the Legion Hall. While watching a T.V. program during the evening, he was suddenly taken ill and passed away before the doctor's arrival.
He had been prisoner of war at Hong Kong for four years and had not been in good health since, but kept busy at odd jobs all the time. He vas of a quiet reserved manner but possessed a sincere nature and humorous disposition, a favorite with old and young alike.
Mr. MacIver was born In Victoria District, Milan, on May 7th, 1912, the second son of the late Neil D. and Daisy, (MacDonald), MacIver, one of a family of four children Annie, Mrs. Frank Ingham, Russell and Christeen, Mrs. John Matheson. Surviving are his mother, two sisters, a brother and three nephews, Dan Ingham, of Lennoxville and lan and David Matheson of Scotstown. His father and two nephews, Douglas Neil Ingham and Robert Matheson, predeceased him.
The funeral service was held from the home on Saturday, July 7th. Rev. I. D. MacIver of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church officiating. Mr. Henry Mouland was soloist and Mrs. Kenneth A. MacDonald organist. The services an were attended by many relatives, friends and Veterans of the first and second World Wars.
The remains, borne by six Hong Kong Veterans, Murray Nicholson of Drummondville, Ralph Coleman, Glen Coleman, Murdo MacArthur, Cecil MacAulay and Raymond Smith, all of Scotstown, passed through a cordon of Veterans lining both sides of the street from the house, his Comrades of the Hong Kong War headed by Col. Wells Bishop followed immediately after the mourners the other veterans and members of the Ladies' Auxiliary falling in line behind them.
Interment was in Riverview Cemetery where military honors were accorded their departed comrade under the supervision of Comrade Leslie Irving, president of the local branch of the Legion. The Last Post was sounded by Fred Buck followed by two minutes of silence and the Reveille.
Among the profusion of flowers was a pillow from the Hong Kong Veteran's Association, a Wreath from Br. 210 Canadian Legion, B.E.S.L. and Ladies' Auxiliary, Spray from the Local Union 2676, and Huntingville W.C.T.U.
Among the relatives attending were Mrs. M. A. MacDonald, Mrs. Beatrice Mouge, West Newton, Mass.; Mr. Winston MacDonald and son Robert MacDonald, Weymouth. Mass.; Mrs. John MacDonald, Portland, Me.; Mrs. Margaret Emond and Mr. Angus MacRae, Maxwell, Ont.; Neil MacDonald Sr., Neil Jr., Douglas and Ella MacDonald, Albert Mines; Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ingham and Mr. and Mrs. Dan Ingham, Lennoxville; Miss Agnes MacDonald, Quebec City; Mrs. John Graham and Miss Marion MacDonald, Sherbrooke; Mrs. Leo MacIver, Mr. Robert Nelson. and Mrs. Charles Buckland, Newport, Vt.; and Mr. and Mrs. Fred Chivers, of Montreal.
Unknown newspaper clipping
Links and Other Resources
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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
No comments found.
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.