1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Rifleman | Joseph | Arnold |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Marysville NB | Eastern Quebec | 1918-04-27 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| D | 18 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
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-Fu-5B | Omine | Kawasaki-machi, Fukuoka pref., Kyushu Island, Japan | Furukawa Industries Omine | Coal mining | 43 Jan 23 | 45 Sep 22 |
Transport to Japan
| Draft Number | Name of Ship | Departure Date | Arrival Date | Arrival Port | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XD3B | Tatuta Maru | 43 Jan 19, left Shamsuipo Camp, 0500 hrs; left Hong Kong 1300hrs | 43 Jan 22, 0400 hrs | Nagasaki, Japan | Tony Banham |
Transportation SE Asia to Home
| Transport Mode | Arrival Destination | Arrival Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Glory | Esquimalt, BC | 1945-10-27 | Manila to Esquimalt, BC 37 CDNs sick and 119 fit |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-12-09 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Belledune New Brunswick Canada | St. John Evangelist Cemetery | Yes | |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
The death of Arnold Carrier of Belledune occured at the Bathurst Regional Hospital Sunday,Dec.20,2009 at the age of 91.Born in Marysville NB.,he was the son of the late Leo Carrier & the late Harriet (Hickey). He is survived by his wife Norma(Culligan),Daughters; Donna Carmichael(Robert) of Sussex,Patsy LaPointe(Reggie) of Belledune,Brenda Carrier of Belledune,Sandra Carrier of Niagara Falls & Molly Carrier of Sussex,Grandsons;Christopher Carrier,Bob,Aaron & Darren Carmichael,Scott,Adam & Chad LaPointe,Grandaughters;Tammy Walsh & Robin Carrier,eleven Great grandchildren,Half brothers;Louis,Ronnie,Gary & John Carrier,Half sisters;May Doyle,Theresa Carrier & Bella Carrier.He was pre-deceased by his daughter Jeannie,Brothers;Godfrey,Garfield,Merle,Lyle & Truman as well as his sisters Freda,Cornelia,& Vivian. His funeral will be held from St.John Evangelist Church,Belledune Wednesday Dec.23,2009 at 11AM with visitation at the church Monday from 7-9, Tuesday from 2-4 & 7-9 as well as Wednesday from 10 until time of Funeral at 11.Legion members Branch 77 Durham are asked to assemble at the Church at 10:45 for a legion service following the funeral.Funeral arrangements are in the care of MacMillans Funeral Home,Black Point.
Links and Other Resources
Joseph Courier's (Carrier) story. Note that there was a name change post-war.
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
Arnold married my Mom in 1950. Prior to marriage he was 4 years and 4 years in hospitals. I think one out west, London Ontario and Sussex NB. He injuries from being a POW was his Lungs. He said he quit smoking and drinking after one of his Doctors told him if he continued he would not live to see the age of 35. So he quit. He married in 1950, First daughter Donna in 1951, Second daughter 1952....Genie.....She died in 1953.....third daughter Me...Patsy 1954, fourth daughter Brenda 1955...she passed away January 2016. Fifth daughter Sandra 1959 & sixth daughter Molly...born 1963. Mom was 11 years younger than Dad. She just turned 89 April 29th. Dad died on December 20, 2009 from cancer...he was 91. He lived a good healthy life and only slowed down 3 months before passing. He was a good husband, father, grandfather and 'great grand father. At the time of his death he was the last one of his family. His father married and had 8 more children which 6 are still living. Dad came back to his home after the war which was Belledune NB where he lived until his death. Dad careers were Taxi driving, Warren for Forestry & School bus Driver.
Submitted by FB Patsy Carrier-Lapointe 2018
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.