1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Rifleman | James | Alexander |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Newcastle NB | Eastern Quebec | 1923-05-20 |
| 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 Red Hill. 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941-12-26 | Killed In Action | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Cape Collinson Road Chai Wan Hong Kong China | Sai Wan Memorial | Column 24. | NA |
Gravestone Image
E30747 Alexander DORAN in Miramichi NB
Obituary / Life Story
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.
Received from Gary Silliker, researcher from Miramachi Region in February 2018
Rifleman Alexander Doran was initially listed as “missing”on 21 December, 1941, during the Battle of Hong Kong; it was later determined that he was killed in action on Christmas Day. In early July, 1941, eighteen- year-old Alexander “the Alley” Doran left Father Murdoch's camp, in Bartibog, and travelled to Rimouski, Quebec, to enlist in the Royal Rifles of Canada. At the time of his enlistment he stated that he had been born in Millerton on 20 May, 1922 (he lied, he was really born in 1923) ; he was the son of William and Mary Doran of Newcastle; and he had worked for 3 years as a “bottler” for Gallivan’s Beverages in Newcastle.
Alexander had only been in the army for 5 months when he was killed in action at Red Hill on the island of Hong Kong. The body of 18-year-old Rifleman Alexander Doran, of Newcastle, was never recovered and he is commemorated on Panel 24 of the Sai Wan Memorial, Hong Kong, China. He is also commemorated on the Newcastle cenotaph and on the Harkins High School plaque of war dead now located at Miramichi Valley High School. Alexander Street in Newcastle is named in his memory.
As a young teenager Alex used to help out, and oftened stayed for weeks, at Father Murdoch's camp on the Bartibog. In Murdoch's 1952 book “Far Away Place,” in the last chapter, he wrote: 'Alexander Doran although not yet eighteen had enlisted and without much training left for Hong Kong. Brave lad, he was killed in action. He was utterly fearless. When I received the news I guessed he had been in the very front line. It was in his blood to be a soldier.'
(Cpl Eugene Boyd Matchett of Sunny Corner, son of Hiram and Catherine Matchett, who served in the Winnipeg Grenadiers, was taken prisoner that day. He would survive 45 brutal months as a POW of the Imperial Japanese Army).
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.
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- 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
His full name is James Alexander Doran. Son of William Joseph Doran and Mary Wilson of Newcastle, New Brunswick. Brother of Gunner Joseph Leo Doran, who did not see action in WWII. Served in New Brunswick, Québec, Hong Kong with "C" Force. He had 157 days of service, including 60 overseas.
His sacrifice is also commemorated on the cenotaph at Harkins High School in Miramichi, New Brunswick.
Citation(s): 1939-1945 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal 1939-1945, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp.
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
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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