1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Rifleman | Joseph | Leo |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| West Bathhurst NB | Eastern Quebec | 1921-06-26 |
| 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 90396 | Oakland | 1945-09-29 |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967-07-25 | Not recorded | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Saint John New Brunswick Canada | St. Joseph Cemetery | ||
Gravestone Image
No other or additional related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
Obituary / Life Story
The death of Leo J. Johnson of 80 Taylor Avenue, a veteran of the Second World War, occurred Tuesday at the DVA Hospital in Saint John West.
Born in Atholville, Resigouche County, he was the son of Telesphore and Margaret (Doucet) Johnson.
He was a member of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Ironworkers, Shipbuilders and Forgers of America, and worked for many years at the Saint John Drydock and Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.
He was a member of the Holy Name Society of St. Pius X Church.
During the Second World War, he served in the Pacific, after enlisting in 1939. On Christmas day of 1941 he was taken prisoner by the Japanese and was released in September of 1945. He received the Canadian Medal for Efficient Service, and was a member of the Hong Kong prisoners-of-war association.
He is survived by his wife, the former Patricia M. Garrett; three daughters, Barbara, Margaret and Patricia, all at home; six sons, Ernest, Wayne, John, Stephen, Robert and Daniel, all at home; one brother, Hector, Hamilton, Ont.; four sisters, Mrs. Joseph Levardier, Mrs. Wilfred Parradis and Mrs. Leandre Girard, all of Quebec City, and Mrs. William Gaune, Montreal, and several nieces and nephews.
The body is resting at the Calvin Funeral Home (Fallsview) from where the funeral will be held Friday at 8:40 a.m., followed by high mass of requiem at St. Pius X Church at 9 o'clock. Interment will take place in St. Joseph's Cemetery.
Unknown newspaper clipping
The funeral of Leo J. Johnson of 80 Taylor Avenue was held this morning from the Calvin Funeral Home (Fallsview) to St. Pius X Church, where high mass of requiem was celebrated by Rev. Brian Sheehan. Pallbearers were Stuart E. Garrett, G. Hayes Doone, Bliss T. Cole, Hector J. Picot, William J. Hickie and Hector J. Johnson. Among the floral and spiritual tributes received were those from the Hong Kong boys; Saint John Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. Ltd.; the men at Dominion Bridge; patients and staff, DVA Hospital; management and staff, Graham's Restaurant; officers and members, Local No. 1472, IBEW; and chief operator, ACOS and clerks, New Brunswick Telephone Co. Ltd. Interment took place in St. Joseph's Cemetery with prayers by Father Sheehan. The last post was sounded by Malvin Small, bugler.
Unknown newspaper clipping
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
RFMN. L. JOHNSON FIRST ROYAL RIFLE BACK IN BATHURST
Citizens and Band Turn Out To Greet Young Soldier
BATHURST, Oct. 12-(Special)- Citizens of the town turned out in force today to give a great welcome to Rfmn. Leo Johnson of the Royal Rifles of Canada. Rfmn. Johnson is the first Bathurst man who served at Hong Kong and was taken prisoner to return home. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Telesphore Johnson.
The band of the Sacred Heart University added color to his homecoming as friends and relatives crowded onto the station platform to embrace him as he alighted from the train.
The Gloucester branch of the Canadian Legion was represented at the station by Provincial President A. M. MacMurray, P. S. Andrews and A. I. Tower, all members of the local executive.
Unknown newspaper clipping
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.