1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Rifleman | Clifford | Edward |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Matapedia QC | Eastern Quebec | 1923-05-03 |
| 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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NATS 90400 | Oakland | 1945-09-30 |
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
Dad and Mom's wedding picture. November 7, 1946. Submitted by daughter Muriel.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-08-03 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Ajax Ontario Canada | Pine Ridge Memorial Gardens Cemetery | ||
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
McDAVID, Clifford Edward Japanese Prisoner of War 1941-1945 This wonderful man passed away peacefully on August 3, 2008. Born on May 3, 1923 in Matapedia, Quebec. Beloved husband to Etta for 62 years. Loving father to daughters Muriel, Vedra (Bill Shaw). Dear grandfather of Deborah (Predrag Pesikan) and Robert. Great-grandfather to Sommer and Christian Clifford. Predeceased by son John (April 2008), brothers Wesley (WW 11 France), George (UN Peace Mission Egypt), Alex, and Maxwell, as well as sisters Dorothy, Grace and Joan. Survived by his stepmother Gertie, sisters Isobel, Maisie, and Gloria, and brothers Milton and Lorne and their spouses. Adored uncle to many nieces, nephews and wonderful friend to all. Such a wise man in so many ways and generous beyond compare. A fond farewell to all his Hong Kong Veteran comrades. He will be remembered by those remaining as he had remembered those who went ahead to wait for his homecoming to be together once again. Family and friends are invited to visit Jerrett Funeral Home, Vaughan Chapel 8088 Yonge St., Thornhill on Tuesday August 5, from 7-9 p.m. Funeral service will take place on Wednesday August 6th at 11 a.m. A special thank you to the loving caregivers at Hill House Hospice. In lieu of flowers, donations to Hill House Hospice, 36 Wright St., Richmond Hill, Ontario, L4C 4A1 will enable them to care for others as they did for this marvelous man.
The reason for the horse and They're Off on the gravestone was because my brother John, who passed away 4 months before Dad, as well as Mom and Dad all loved going to the horse races. Over the years we celebrated so many family birthdays, anniversaries etc. at Woodbine Race Track. Dad's 75th birthday and Dad and Mom's 60th Wedding Anniversary are extra special memories.
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
Clifford McDavid was born May 3, 1923 at home on McDavid’s Mountain, Matapedia, Quebec. His mother and father were Price and Doris McDavid, and he had four sisters and four brothers. Cliff attended school in Quebec, and became active in the North Shore Militia in Cambellton, N.B. in 1940. Twice a week, after finishing his farm chores, he traveled to town to attend the militia meetings. When the Royal Rifles of Canada began recruiting nearby, he was quick to join, so quick that he forgot to tell the militia group that he had done so, and they considered him A.W.O.L. till it was discovered that he had been recruited by the Royal Rifles. Training with the Royal Rifles took place at Val Cartier, P.Q.; Sussex, N.B.; Botwood, Nfld.; Gander, Nfld.; and St. John’s, Nfld. For a brief period, Cliff served as a guard for the Lieut. Governor at the Citadel in Quebec City, but it wasn’t long before he was shipped to Hong Kong as a member of “C” Force in October of 1941.
Following the Battle of Hong Kong, those who escaped death on the battlefield became prisoners-of-war, and Cliff was among those sent to Japan to work as slave labour in the shipyards of Yokohama and the coal mines of Sindawan. Cliff weighed just 130 pounds when the war ended, and, following a long journey from Tokyo to Honolulu to San Francisco and Vancouver, he was able to regain some of his weight he had lost. Once back in Canada, he spent fourteen days in a military hospital, and was then able to return home to Matapedia in October of 1945.
Clifford was discharged from the army on March 26, 1946 to begin a new chapter of his life. He returned to farm work, and married Etta, someone he’d known from childhood, on November 7, 1946. With few job opportunities locally, Cliff moved alone to Toronto in September of 1948 to find a home and a job. He was joined by Etta in October, along with their first child, Muriel. Cliff started working with Swifts Canada Meats in 1949, and in the years that followed, two other children were born; John in 1950, and Vedra in 1952.
Clifford retired from Swifts in 1981. For years he and Etta and the family enjoyed their cottage and winter trips to Florida. They have two grandchildren, Robert and Deborah and two great-grandchildren Sommer 5, and Christian Clifford 1; the latter being named after his great-grandfather. Etta and Clifford now reside in Thornhill closely surrounded by family and friends, and just recently celebrated 60 years of marriage. They continue to enjoy relatively good health and enjoy family outings as well as the many activities of the local Seniors Centre.
In November, 2006, Clifford was one of four veterans honoured by the Town of Markham at its Remembrance Day Ceremony by special presentations recognizing each individual veteran, and his contribution to the peaceful society we now enjoy
Taken from the December 2007 issue of the ON newsletter written by daughter Muriel McDavid.The following information is taken from a family history book by George Russell in 2000 for the Irvine Family of the Mann Settlement. calvary@sgci.com. WWII Royal Rifles of Canada: Out of the 962 members of this Regiment, 30 were part of the Irvine clan- served in Hong Kong- survivors became Japanese POW's- 10 died.
Clifford Edward McDavid- born May 3, 1923. Clifford served with the RRC in Hong Kong. He became a Japanese POW in Hong Kong Sham Shu Po camp and others. He worked at Swiss Canada meat plant, retiring October 9, 1981. He had 3 children.
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.