1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Rifleman | Frederick | William |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Norton NB | Eastern Quebec | 1917-04-16 |
| 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
Killed in action at Wong Nei Chong Gap. 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.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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941-12-25 | Killed In Action | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Cape Collinson Road Chai Wan Hong Kong China | Sai Wan Memorial | Column 26. | NA |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
Personal information: Frederick William Pollock was born to Thomas and Ethel Pollock on April 16, 1917 in Poodiac, New Brunswick. He grew up on the family farm in Mercer Settlement. Fred worked on the family farm while his father was away helping build Camp Sussex. Fred enjoyed dancing and playing guitar during the years before he enlisted. Fred had two sisters, Marion and Viola. He also had two brothers, Lawson and Clifford. Clifford also joined the forces but did so before Fred. Fred enlisted in Sussex, New Brunswick on October 18, 1940. He was immediately taken on strength with the Royal Rifles of Canada who were from Quebec but were training in Sussex. In Sussex, he trained for a few months. 3
Military movements: A few months after Fred enlisted; he was taken on strength with the Royal Rifles of Canada and traveled from Halifax to Gander, Newfoundland. In Newfoundland he received more training and was on garrison duty in case of an attack on Canada from the east. * He was given 21 days leave starting April 18, 1941 to go visit his family. He arrived two days late on the tenth of May.
On August 18, 1941, Fred and the rest of the regiment were sent to Valcartier, Quebec for several weeks of intensive training. After the training period was over the regiment was stationed in Saint John, New Brunswick to do coast guard duty. Fred qualified for his class three driver's license on October 2 during his time in Saint John.
Once the decision was made that the Royal Rifles of Canada would be shipped off to reinforce the British colony of Hong Kong against any Japanese attack, the regiment immediately went back to Valcartier for two weeks of training and equipping for the tropics. The soldiers were not aware of their destination. They only knew that it was somewhere tropical.
On October 27, 1941 the Royal Rifles of Canada left Vancouver to go to Hong Kong aboard the cruise liner Awatea which was escorted by the HM.C.S. Prince Robert. Fred was in the C force of the regiment. The majority of C company went aboard the H.M.C.S. Prince Robert while the rest of the regiment went aboard the Awatea. On November 16, 1941, they arrived in Hong Kong. Altogether there were approximately 14,000 allied troops stationed in Hong Kong. There were troops from Canada, the U.K., Hong Kong, China, and India. The Royal Rifles of Canada along with another Canadian regiment- the Winnipeg Grenadiers, and the Middlesex Regiment (a British regiment) formed the island brigade. 10 In Hong Kong it is important to note that the Canadian battalion had no battle experience and had not received all the normal training required for front line troops.
The final days: The Japanese attack started on December 8, 1941. The regiments were taken by surprise and the Japanese air force quickly destroyed what airplanes Hong Kong had for defence. Even with no air or naval support the allied troops fought fiercely. Despite all their efforts, the remaining allied forces were forced to retreat all forces from the mainland on December 11.
Over the next couple of weeks the Japanese gained new and fresh reinforcements while the allies continued to suffer losses and be pushed back. On December 22, C company of the Royal Rifles of Canada had positioned themselves on two hills: Notting Hill and Sugar Loaf Hill. The Japanese attacked at noon. They gained the hills and also a few heavy machine guns left there by the retreating Canadians. On December 23 C company had retreated to positions across the narrowest part of the Stanley Peninsula.
At 2:30 in the morning on December 25, 1941, Brigadier Wallis gave orders that the Royal Rifles of Canada on the high ground north of Stanley Fort should prevent an enemy breakthrough. C company was led by Major Bishop to Stanley Barracks to carry out these orders. C company spent the rest of the day defending this area. They had little or no food or water, no artillery, no mortar ammunition, only a few hand grenades and some small arms ammunition. It was during this time that Frederick William Pollock was struck off strength and killed in action.
In front of them was the Japanese army which had light tanks and a seemingly continual source of fresh soldiers. Behind them was sea with the Japanese Navy in view just off the coast. Overhead was the Japanese air force with their continual bombardments. It was a desperate situation indeed. At 3:00 in the afternoon on December 25, 1941, two British officers drove out with a white flag and relayed Major- General Maltby's orders that the Allies were surrendering.
Lest We Forget: Frederick William Pollock was buried at the Sai Wan Memorial cemetery in Hong Kong along with 2000 Commonwealth soldiers who died in the battle of Hong Kong or later in captivity and have no known grave. * Fred Pollock was awarded the Pacific Star, War Medal, and 1939-45 Star. He was 24 years old when he died.
The family of Fred Pollock sent a letter of inquiry to the Department of National Defence shortly after the December 25, 1941 battle with requests of Fred's status. The Department attempted to determine if he was a prisoner of war or had been killed. These efforts were unsuccessful. In the meantime Fred's mother sent letters in 1942 to him following the Department of Defence protocol only to learn that many letters did not meet the requirements of Japanese censors. It was July 21, 1945 before a telegram was dispensed to Mrs. Ethel Pollock informing her that her son Fred "previously reported missing at Hong Kong, now for official purposes presumed killed in action, on about December 21, 1941 After four years and six months, the family officially gave up hope that Fred had survived the December 25, 1941 battle. He was one of the 290 Canadian soldiers killed during the defence of Hong Kong, from December 8 to December 25, 1941.
Bibliography: The Royal Rifles of Canada in Hong Kong: 1941-1945 (Carp, Ontario: Baird O'Keefe Publishing Inc., 2001).
Archival Reference: Military Service files of Rifleman Frederick William Pollock obtained from Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario.
Internet Sites:
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission
http://www.cwgc.org/
• Veterans Affairs Canada
http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/
Frederick William Pollock
Lest We Forget
Picture from collection of Viola Bickerton, sister of Fred Pollock
This SAI WAN MEMORIAL honours over 2000 men of the land forces of the British Commonwealth and Empire who died in the defence of Hong Kong during the Second World War. The SAI WAN MEMORIAL is in the form of a shelter building 24 metres long and 5.5 metres wide. It stands at the entrance to Sai Wan Bay War Cemetery, outside Victoria, the capital of Hong Kong. From the semi-circular forecourt, two wide openings lead to the interior of the building. The names are inscribed on panels of Portland stone. The dedicatory inscription reads:
1939 - 1945 The officers and men whose memory is honoured here died in the defence of Hong Kong in December 1941 and in the ensuing years of captivity and have no known grave.
The northern side of the Memorial is open and four granite piers support the copper roof. From a commanding position 305 metres above sea level, it looks out over the War Cemetery where some 1,500 men lie buried, and across the water to Mainland China - a magnificent view of sea and mountains.
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End of Report.
Report generated: 27 Apr 2025.
Additional Notes
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- 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.
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