1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Rifleman | John | Angus |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Blacklands NB | Eastern Quebec | 1911-04-28 |
| 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 Dec 15 | ||
| JP-Os-11B | Narumi | Aichi-ken, Aichi-gun, Narumi-machi, Arimatsu Mura 114-3 | Nippon Rolling Stock Company and Daido Electric Steel Company | Men employed as slaves for Daido Electric Steel Company and made wheels at the Nippon Wheel (Vehicle) Mfg. | 44 Jan 06 | 45 Sep 04 |
Transport to Japan
| Draft Number | Name of Ship | Departure Date | Arrival Date | Arrival Port | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XD5A | SS Soong Cheong / Toyama Maru | 43 Dec 15 | 44 Jan 04 | Moji, Japan | Arrived at Takao, Formosa, 43 Dec 20; Transferred to Toyama Maru, 43 Dec 30, went to Narumi | Tony Banham |
Transportation SE Asia to Home
| Transport Mode | Arrival Destination | Arrival Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| flew from Toyko Bay,Guam,to Hawaii,then to USA | Oakland, California | 1945-09-00 | 1 of 10 first back to Canada due to only 10 seats/done by letter of last name |
Military and civilian officials at Vancouver welcomed the first 10 liberated Canadian soldiers to return home from Japan - men captured in the battle of Hong Kong. Tired but very happy to be home, they posed with officials for a photograph on the station platform. Mayor J.W. Cornett and Alderman H.L. Corey greeted them on behalf of Vancouver, Lieutenant-Governor W.C. Woodward on behalf of the provincial government, and Brigadier J.H.W. Landon, for Pacific Command Headquarters. In the picture, left to right, standing, are: Pte. Bert Comeau, Gaspe, Que.; Cpl. J.M. Blacquiere, Summerside, PEI; Mayor Cornett; Rflmn. John Baskin, Blackland, N.B.; Rflmn. Floyd Babcock, Broadlands Que.; Cpl. J.L. Campbell, Elmvale, Ont.; Pte. A.J.B. Briard, Gaspe, Que.; Alderman Corey; Lt. Governor Woodward and Brigadier Landon. Kneeling, left to right, are: Cpl. Mel Carter, Toronto; Pte. Ernest Buck, St. Jerome Province, Que.; Pte. E.B. Arseneau, Fort Frances, Ont, and Pte. Harold Atkinson, Winnipeg.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-00-00 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| New Mills New Brunswick Canada | New Mills Cemetery | ||
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
My grandfather was John Angus Baskin and my grandmother was Mary Cora Diamond. Daddy had 3 brothers and 2 sisters. They were in order if birth Forest, John, Robert, Mary, Edward, and Caroline. My Dad was Eddie. He died when he was 46 years old of a heart attack. They were brought up by Mrs Hamilton cause granddad died and I guess grandma remarried so I heard.
-Joyce Baskin
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
TWO N. B. SOLDIERS ARE ALMOST HOME
L.-Cpl. Joseph Blacquiere and Rifleman John Baskin - Tough in Jap Camps.
Their faces tanned and looking in good health and spirits, two New Brunswickers stepped off the train here this morning with grim memories of four years in a Japanese prison camp behind them.
Lance Corporal Joseph Blacquiere who is going to meet his wife at Nauwigewauk, was with the Royal Rifles when that regiment was overwhelmed at Hong Kong at Christmas 1941. His fellow New Brunswicker, Rifleman John Baskin of Blacklands, N. B., was with the same unit, although the two soldiers spent their internment years at different camps.
Have Little to Say
Both soldiers were reluctant to say much of their treatment in the Jap hands, although there was a grim undertone in their voices when they described it as "pretty tough going, and something we'll take a while to forget". They mentioned nothing of actual cruelties perpetrated on them while in prison, although their diet of oddments of rice, weak soup and the occasional meat did little more than keep body and soul together.
Letter Two Years Old
Just before he was released, Blacquiere received a letter from his wife, Annie, that was written in 1943, and Baskin had but four letters in the four years of prison life. Mrs. Blacquiere talked to her husband at San Francisco by long distance phone on Tuesday of last week when he arrived. She herself had just arrived back from overseas where she had been in the nursing service. The Blacquieres will go on to Summerside, P. E. I., where Lance Corporal Blacquiere's father resides.
Has Not Seen One Son
Baskin, a farmer at Blacklands, before joining up five years ago, is going home to see two children, one of whom he hardly remembers, and the other he has not seen. Both boys, one was born after Baskin had been posted overseas. Mrs. Vivian Baskin is his wife. Rfmn. Baskin enlisted in military district No. 5, Quebec, and was posted to the Royal Rifles when that unit was detailed for duty in Hong Kong. One of the most thrilling parts of their trip home was the first long lap of their journey when they were flown from the Pacific Area to San Francisco. Deluged with enthusiastic welcomes at every point on their way across Canada, they were eager to get away on the final leg of the trip from Montreal to New Brunswick.
Ref: Special Dispatch to The Daily Gleaner, Montreal, Sept. 18.
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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