1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Rifleman | Wilbert | Ernest |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| South Durham QC | Eastern Quebec | 1916-04-25 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| Pioneer | HQ Coy | 6 Admin |
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
| Date Wounded | Wound Description | References |
|---|---|---|
| 41/12/19 | N/A | 36 |
Hospital Information
| Name of hospital | Date of admission | Date of discharge | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-SSC | N/A | N/A | Soldier was present during the massacre | Personal communication |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| admitted/NATS | SF |
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 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-09-19 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Richmond Quebec Canada | St. Annes Cemetery | Yes | |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
No other or additional related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
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
Memories of Uncle Wilbert by Claudia Villemaire November 10th 2016 as published in the Sherbrooke Record
I have added a bit of our own memories of Uncle Wilbert. We often had a visit with this rugged gentleman and although he didn't talk much about those horrific years in Japan, he was a determined individual who rarely lost an argument. This is a story of a returned POW from Hong Kong written by his niece Moana Williams - Doyle and her husband Leslie.
It was hand written and given to me to transcribe. Her request struck a chord for Mike and I. First of all Wilbert was Mike great uncle and his horrible story of the POW camps in Japan, although rarely talk about, were always almost always accounts of unbelievably torture and abuse. Uncle Wilbert became a well-known carpenter after the war and, as weird as it sounds, Mike and I have been living in a house built by him in 1964. His style of carpentry echoes his determination to safeguard the folks who would live in the sturdy homes where high winds and torrential rain has no effect whatsoever. His idea of framing a home meant extra long nails, unusually close together and foundation and footings that would probably support a small chateau or fort.
He scoffed at the diabetes that invaded his system and laughed at anyone complaining about the discomfort of a cold. "After what I went through and survived, I'll eat what I want and be very glad of it" he would insist. But his life was always troubled by memories and nightmares and recounting that time in the prisoners camp would invariably make him ill and depressed for a few days, his last years were spent socializing with many friends many of whom were also returned POW's as this region is well known for its large contingent of Royal Rifles that were part of the Canadian contingent to Japan. He especially enjoyed playing cribbage, his favorite card game. Uncle Wilbert spent his last year's at Foyer Wales Home, near Richmond. Wilbert Ernest Lester born in South Durham Quebec April 25th 1916.
Wilbert Lester enlisted in the Canadian Army on July 28th 1940. He was 24 years old.
He was a Rifleman in the Royal Rifles of Canada, E30070, CForce and serve from July 28th 1940 to November 1945. Wilbert passed away September 19th, 2003.
He was captured by the Japanese on December 25th 1941, and held as a prisoner at Camp 30 in Kawasaki then moved to Shamshuipo camp for 3 years and 260 days a total of 1355 days.
Always reluctant to talk of those horrible times he did occasionally recount some events. He described the many Parcels sent by the Red Cross but the prisoners of the Japanese were only given four or five Parcels. The Japanese kept the rest.
He also talked about the mail from home, describing how the bags were dumped outside the fence and burned in front of them. The Japanese persisted in their efforts to break the men's moral but didn't succeed. They tried everything they could think of to break down the men's Spirit, but it didn't work.
The prisoners had to be very careful as the least little negative comment could result in a prisoner being put in a box and kept there for days.
The prisoners were worked very hard, rebuilding ships that had been damaged, constructing the airstrip at the airport and many other back-breaking jobs, they're only nourishment a handful of rice twice a day, usually containing maggots, mold, worms and rat droppings. He remembered some men eating grasshoppers, bugs and rodents that came into Camp.
Many of the prisoners, including Rifleman Lester contracted beriberi, electric feet, rickets, dysentery just to name a few of the illnesses caused by the lack of vitamins.
The horrors of these men and women saw in Japan were etched in their memory forever. The torture of innocent people and children were often mentioned in his rare accounts of events and conditions. Rifleman Lester called the Japanese murderers who had no remorse for what they did. Furthermore Tokyo did not abide by the Geneva Convention.
Finally, thanks to his faith, determination and perseverance, Rifleman Lester returned home. But he was a different man.
His army medals and representation star volunteer 1939 to 1945, volunteer star, star Pacific all prove he served in the Pacific. The King George defense of England medal 1939 to 1945 and the Canadian volunteer medal 1939 to 1945 as well as the King George War medal 1939 to 1945, the overseas metal and the Hong Kong metal or some of the decorations Rifleman Lester was awarded. Submitted by his nephew and niece Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Doyle
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.
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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.
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