Individual Report: E30726 Roger CYR

Rank:	First Name:	Second Name:
General Information
Rifleman	Roger	Napoleon
From:	Enlistment Region:	Date of Birth (y-m-d):
New Richmond QC	Eastern Quebec	1922-03-06
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

US Fleet Hospital #111 - Guam September 1945- picture of Gilberl Wurm, Robert Nixon, Roger Cyr, Bill Standlea, Wm. MacKennon, Eugene Litz.

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
2001-05-26		Post War
Cemetery Location	Cemetery	Grave Number	Gravestone Marker
Ottawa Ontario Canada	Hope Cemetery		Yes

Gravestone Image

Obituary / Life Story

C.D. 1922-2001 After a long and hard-fought battle against cancer and surrounded by his loving family, Jean Napoleon ROGER Cyr passed away on May 26, 2001 at the Ottawa General Hospital. He is survived by and will be deeply missed by his loving wife Loretta (nee Gallen) of 53 years and by his children, the Reverend Terrence Cyr, O.Carm. (Niagara Falls, Ont.), Carole Kreye (Edmonton, AB), Gary Cyr (Port Stanley, Ont.), Leisa Connelly (Ottawa, Ont.) and Michele Fleming (Russell, Ont.) He will also be deeply missed by his sons-in-law, Allen Kreye, Dr. Paul Connelly and Craig Fleming and by his daughter-in-law, Christine Cyr. Cherishing the memory of a deeply devoted grandfather will be his ten grandchildren: Bobbie-Marie Widders, Trina Widders, Andrea Cyr, Krista Cyr, Melissa Cyr, Emily Cyr, Elizabeth Cyr, Katelyn Fleming, Scott Fleming and Isabel Fleming. He is also survived by his loving sisters, Charlotte Lepage, Lorraine Lawlis, Gilberthe Bujold, Pearl Leblanc, Louise Cyr and by his brother Raynald Cyr. Roger Cyr was born on March 6, 1922 in New Richmond, Quebec, the son of Wilfrid and Bernadette Cyr. While Roger made his chief mark on life as husband and father, he will also be remembered for his many, many years in the public service of Canada. He served in the Canadian Army during the Second World War and was captured at the Battle of Hong Kong and served as a prisoner of war for nearly 4 years. Following the war he continued to serve in the Army rising to the rank of regimental sergeant-major of the Royal Rifles of Canada. Later he served in the Naval Reserves rising to the rank of lieutenant-commander. Following several years in private industry he joined the Civil Service first serving in the Department of Transport (Air Services Branch) in Montreal and Moncton. He then transferred to the Post Office Department from which he retired in 1983 in the position of Director-General of Personnel. Following his retirement he continued his active involvement in public life by being a tireless and zealous promoter of veterans' rights while serving as National President of the Hong Kong Veterans' Association. He was also very active in the Royal Canadian Legion in which he served in all of the major leadership positions at the local branch level. In recognition of his untiring service to veterans he was given the unheard of honor of standing with the Governor-General to take the salute during the Remembrance Day ceremonies at the National Cenotaph in Ottawa on November 11, 1998. Friends may visit at the St. Laurent Chapel of Hulse, Playfair & McGarry, 1200 Ogilvie Road (at Aviation Parkway) on Tuesday, May 29, 2001 from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Mass of the Resurrection (Funeral Mass) will be held at Divine Infant Roman Catholic Church, 6658 Bilberry Drive, (Orleans) on Wednesday, May 30, 2001 at 10 a.m. Interment to follow at Hope Cemetery. His family, his relatives, his many, many friends, and his comrade-in-arms all join together in thanking God for the gift of his life. At the request of the family that instead of flowers donations in his memory may be given to the Huntington Society of Canada. Ottawa Citizen, May 28, 2001

Links and Other Resources

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General Comments

Ed. The following is as given to me in Roger's own words. Taken from archived HKVCA newsletter Wasureru-Nai June 2000, Volume 4 Number 1

J.N. Roger Cyr Ottawa, Ontario 14 February 2000

I was born in New Richmond, Que. on March 6, 1922. When I was nine months old my parents emigrated to the U.S. where the family resided for seven years before returning to Canada. I was raised in a typical Gaspé area family with Acadian roots going back to 1660 when the first of the Cyr clan settle in what is now Nova Scotia. My memories of my teenage years are those of a young lad living during the tail-end of the depression era with all of its economic drawbacks affecting family livelihood and instilling in me a strong desire to leave the village and seek fame and fortune elsewhere. Then WW 11 happened and afforded me that very opportunity, i.e. getting away. Along with fifty-three other young men from the area, I joined the army (Royal Rifles of Canada) in late 1940. After basic training, I served in Newfoundland and was then shipped overseas arriving in Hong Kong the latter part of November 1941. The rest of my war years are part of Canadian military history.

February 1 1946, the day I was discharged from the Army in Lauzon, Quebec (across the river from Quebec City), was one of those cold snowy winter days in that area of the Province of Quebec.. Going through the "demob" office and getting all the paperwork signed off was indeed quite an exhilarating experience in itself. I suppose the one item leading to a sense of euphoria on that day, was the notion that "at last I'm free of the shackles of the military, and, I now can do what I like, rather than be told what to do."

Blessed ignorance is what it was. After a few beers in the nearest tavern I, along with a few comrades, boarded the train bound for the Gaspé Coast and what we perceived to be a rosy future.. After a few weeks home, with money running out, it became a matter of priority to find a job.. Other than some jobs in the forest cutting pulpwood, there was nothing available for a person like me who had little or no education, sickly, of small physique and with a lack of motivation to try and ' fit in'.

This is when I decided to utilize the Veterans Affairs counselling services available to veterans. I will never forget my very first interview with a Mr. Vezina. He began asking what I thought I was qualified to do. My reply, "…work in the woods or on the farm". Digging into my file he noted my medical profile and said " Mr. Cyr, forget about working in the woods or the farm. According to the medical opinions contained in your file, you better opt for some sort of office work." His counsel completely devastated me, since I had barely completed a sixth grade education when I joined the Army in 1940.

I then began a series of further counseling sessions with a number of Veterans Affairs officers which resulted in my being strongly advised to return to school, which I did. Following studies in business administration I found employment with a number of firms and gathered knowledge and experience in office management. While still in school, I met Loretta who became my wife and the mother of our five children.

Let me say at this point, that without her support, understanding and willingness to put up with a sickly person and turning herself into a care provider, I would have gotten nowhere. I owe Loretta more than I will ever be able to repay.

In 1946 I was offered a cost accountant position with Gaspé Copper Mines in Murdochville. Que. After a few months on the job, was given the job of Personnel Manager and remained in that position until I was offered the position of Regional Director of Personnel for the Air Services Branch of the then Department of Transport.

After an eight year stay with them, both in Dorval QC and Moncton NB, I was transferred to the Post Office Department (before it became a Crown Corporation) to head the Human Resources program for the Province of Quebec. While with them I was "borrowed" by the federal Treasury Board to do a stint as a "labour negotiator" in connection with the introduction of collective bargaining in the federal public service.

Subsequent to this, I was returned to my home Department (Post Office) and transferred to Ottawa as Director, Human Resources Management for Canada. This is where I was when retired on August 3, 1983 after having been told by the medical profession that I had cancer and that my time on this planet was more or less problematic.

Well, this is seventeen years later, and I still have cancer and have undergone every conceivable form of treatment with the result that I'm still around.

Throughout the years it has been a source of tremendous satisfaction to me that I was able to be of service to my comrades by participating in the formation and management of the affairs of the Hong Kong Veterans Association of Canada. If I had to do it all over again would probably work twice as hard because the rewards were so satisfying. I remember very well those years immediately after the end of the war, while holding a part time job with the Canadian Pension Commission in Quebec city, talking to all of our boys coming in for the medical assessments of their war-related disabilities, and I noted that a common thread ran through their feelings. This was "I wonder if I can get anywhere with Government authorities, after all I'm a rather small fry in the general scheme of things and in their eyes, just another WWII veteran seeking a handout." Among those H.K. veterans coming through the Pensions Office, a number of them started talking about forming an Association with the express purpose of going to the Government with Group claims rather than individuals attempting, too often with negative results, to further their own requests up through government bureaucracy.

At that time, very few people in the medical profession had any knowledge of the effects of four years as prisoners of war under the harshest of treatment. Persistence became the operative word among the group heading the many, many briefs presented to Government Authorities. Looking at this with the benefit of 20/20 vision in hindsight, if we H.K. vets finally received what we always believed to be our just due, it all started with the vision this Group had as to what was needed to come to the aid of their comrades, in helping them to get adequate pension and medical care benefits.

The early years, encompassing the spade work associated with the building and putting into place of those elements necessary to assure continuity, I would be remiss in not mentioning Jack Price, Lionel Hurd, Wells Bishop, Colin Standish, Charlie Brady, Maurice Davignon, Everett Denison, Lloyd Doull, Oswald Clark, Cliff Royea, Lawrence Rattie, Harold Englehart, et al. I will always be grateful for the opportunity of having worked alongside such devoted comrades. A common desire to help surviving Hong Kong veterans and their kin, motivated each and everyone involved with the creation of the Quebec/Maritimes Branch of the Hong Kong veterans Association of Canada. Our Branch is still going strong, thanks to the devotion of all members of the Branch's Executive. While this building work was going on in the Quebec/Maritimes area of our Country, a number of our western based H.K. comrades were doing about the same thing. They in fact formed the Manitoba Branch, The BC Branch and the Northern/Southern Alberta Branches. I would also like to mention the yeoman work done by H.K. vets in what became the Ontario Branch. John Stroud, who is still President, Ontario Branch, along with the late Chuck Clarke, literally hounded Ottawa bureaucrats into acknowledging the existence of our newly emerging "Hong Kong Veterans' Association".

In writing this I could not help but recall all those comrades who, after the war found themselves with the " what do I do now" dilemma, sat down, grabbed the bull by the horns, and carved a place for themselves and contributed greatly to the development of this society of ours. It has been my great and good fortune, over the years, in having met wives and children of comrades, which reinforced my view as to how really well our "boys" had done with their lives.

To our children, grandchildren and those who follow, remember that your Dads, Grandfathers or forbearers found ways out of adversity and succeeded. Be proud of their accomplishments. Lastly I would salute the children and grandchildren and kin of H.K. vets who saw it to for commemorative association. I cannot think of a better tribute to the memory of all of our departed comrades.

Very sincerely yours, J.N. Roger Cyr

This veteran was interviewed by Veterans Affairs. To view, visit the VAC Video Gallery page and use the search tool. Note: VAC moves pages around constantly, so you may have to work to find the video. Currently the best way to access the Hong Kong veteran interviews is to select the "Heroes Remember" category, then use the advanced search option and click on the "Hong Kong" campaign option.

End of Report.

Report generated: 27 Apr 2025.

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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.
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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