1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Rifleman | Angus | Frank |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| South Bathurst NB | Eastern Quebec | 1921-04-14 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| C | 13 Plt | |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 41/12/25 | About 1700 hrs wounded by shell burst, 2000 hrs by a bullet | 36 |
Hospital Information
| Name of hospital | Date of admission | Date of discharge | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-SSC | 12/25/1941 | 03/14/1942 | Hospitalized because of wounds | Personal Diary |
| N/A | 10/02/1942 | 01/10/1943 | in hospital because of diptheria. Discharged isolation hospital | |
| N/A | 09/02/1943 | 11/01/1943 | ||
| N/A | 12/15/1943 | N/A | ||
| N/A | 03/15/1944 | 04/01/1944 | Back in hospital because of dysentry, discharged to isolation hospital |
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-SA-01 | Shamshuipo | Kowloon, Hong Kong | 42 Mar 14 | 42 Apr 20 | ||
| HK-NP-01 | North Point | North Point, Hong Kong Island | 42 Sep 26 | 42 Sep 26 | ||
| HK-SA-02 | Shamshuipo | Kowloon, Hong Kong | 42 Sep 26 | 43 Aug 15 | ||
| JP-To-5B | Niigata-Rinko | Niigata-ken, Nakakambara-gun, Ogata-mura, Japan | Marutsu, Rinko Coal, Shintetsu | Stevedore labor at port of Niigata (Marutsu), primarily foodstuffs; mining coal (Rinko Coal ) and labor at a foundry (Shintetsu) | 43 Sep 03 | 44 Jan 18 |
| JP-To-15B | Niigata-Tekko | Niigata-ken, Niigata City, Yamanoshita, Akiba-dori, Japan | Niigata Ironworks Company | 44 Jan 18 | 45 Sep 05 |
Transport to Japan
| Draft Number | Name of Ship | Departure Date | Arrival Date | Arrival Port | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XD4B | Manryu Maru | 43 Aug 15 | 43 Sep 01 | Osaka, Japan | Brief stopover in Taihoku (Taipei), Formosa (Taiwan); then 2 day stopover at northern point for stool tests | Tony Banham |
Transportation SE Asia to Home
| Transport Mode | Arrival Destination | Arrival Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Ozark Passenger List A | SF | 1945-10-02 | evacuated from Japan via USS Ozark |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963-10-16 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Bathurst New Brunswick Canada | Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus Cemetery | ||
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
REMEMBERING… by niece Dorothy (Wilbur) Constable
My family lived in Bathurst, New Brunswick. My father grew up in rural Big River, south of Bathurst. He and his two brothers, Clarence E30485 and Angus WILBUR E30489, fished in summer, worked in lumbering in winter, and were woods and river guides. Their family farm was at the edge of a great salmon fishing river. It created their character and was a steady influence on their lives.
A neighbour was Herman J. Good, World War 1 Victoria Cross recipient. He undoubtedly was an inspiration and incentive as my uncles journeyed to Gaspé, Québec in 1940 to enlist with The Royal Rifles of Canada. Many men from the north shore of New Brunswick did likewise. Clarence and Angus were ages 26 and 19, respectively. My uncles travelled the breadth of Canada in their training and eventual departure in the fall of 1941 on HMCS Prince Robert “for what the sailors called the South Seas”.
We, as children, learned the history and experiences of soldiers in the Battle of Hong Kong. We knew of the atrocities experienced by the POWs, but not from my uncle. He did not speak of it. These brave men were our heroes. They became our personal family war story.
Years later a folded, pencilled-in scribbler was found among Angus's possessions. A journal he managed to keep from his captors contained periodic entries of his life. He listed camps in Hong Kong where he had been stationed: Sham Shui Po, Lye Mun and Stanley. Prison camps were North Point, Sham Shui Po (formerly the barracks), and Niigatta in Japan where the prisoners had been sent on a labour draft in 1943. Time was spent in hospitals with little medication available. Each precious Red Cross parcel was a highlight. Its contents were noted indicating how many men shared each parcel.
Sept. 6/43 the boys started to work at coal yard and docks and foundries”.
January 17, 1943 a single lone entry reads, "Brother died in General Hospital". Few words - but filled with longing, sadness, grief and hopelessness. How could he possibly express the unbelievable life of a POW? Would he ever see home and loved ones? Would he ever again go fly-fishing for salmon on his beloved Big River??
April 14/44 My third birthday since I am a Prisoner of war 23 years old today”.
Sept. 7/44 A free pack of hair tobacco for a year with rinko”. (Rinko Coal)
January 17, 2014, my husband and I visited Uncle Clarence’s grave. It was seventy years to the day since his death and one hundred years since his birth. Hong Kong was a far distant world. As a child, I little thought I would ever kneel at his grave. I recall a framed photo sent to the family, a grave marker with a simple wooden cross marking the final resting place of my uncle. Today, a grey stone gravemarker indicates his place of burial.
I was invited to share my reaction and impression of a recent visit to Sai Wan Cemetery. My initial reaction as I gazed in disbelief at the large, never-ending sloping hill of grey stone was one of serenity and peace. Quiet and calm permeated the area. Birds chirped. Butterflies fluttered freely. I reflected on the horrors, malnutrition and brutality experienced by these young men. I contemplated their endurance for almost four years as a POW.
This battle took more than one uncle from our lives. It deprived my family of any future paternal cousins and extended family. Angus returned from Hong Kong and worked in mining exploration. Although he never spoke of his experience there was a haunted look and air of sorrow about him. He quietly bore the pain of a POW in his short, young life.
Angus died, a single man, age 42…less than 20 years after his homecoming.
Soldiers of the Battle of Hong Kong were the first Canadians in battle in the Second World War. They were said to be the worst treated of all Canadian POWs in history. 557 soldiers of The Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers were never to return home.
The entrance wall of Sai Wan War Cemetery in Hong Kong states, “THEIR NAME LIVETH FOREVERMORE.”
’C’ Force Family Connections:
- Brother of E30485 Clarence Wilbur
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.