1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Rifleman | Alfred | Joseph |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Sydney NS | New Brunswick | 1921-10-15 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| Ambulance Driver | HQ Coy | |
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
| Date Wounded | Wound Description | References |
|---|---|---|
| 41/12/19 | forehead and right hand | 17(121) |
Hospital Information
| Name of hospital | Date of admission | Date of discharge | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-SSC | N/A | N/A |
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 Aug 15 | ||
| JP-To-5B | Niigata-Rinko | Niigata-ken, Nakakambara-gun, Ogata-mura, Japan | Marutsu, Rinko Coal, Shintetsu | Stevedore labor at port of Niigata (Marutsu), primarily foodstuffs; mining coal (Rinko Coal ) and labor at a foundry (Shintetsu) | 43 Sep 03 | 45 Sep 05 |
Transport to Japan
| Draft Number | Name of Ship | Departure Date | Arrival Date | Arrival Port | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XD4B | Manryu Maru | 43 Aug 15 | 43 Sep 01 | Osaka, Japan | Brief stopover in Taihoku (Taipei), Formosa (Taiwan); then 2 day stopover at northern point for stool tests | Tony Banham |
Transportation SE Asia to Home
| Transport Mode | Arrival Destination | Arrival Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Ozark Passenger List A | SF | 1945-10-02 | evacuated from Japan via USS Ozark |
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
Attending the unveiling of the Hong Kong Memorial Wall in August 2009
Other Military or Public Service
After his return to Canada, Alfred remained in the Canadian Army. He served in the Korean War in 1953 and did a six-month stint at the Canadian military base in Soest, Germany. He was also stationed in Brockville ON, then at Camp Petawawa, and finally at CFB London. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Regiment band until he retired from the military in 1971 with the rank of Staff Sergeant. During that time he played French horn, and also managed the band’s library putting his musical skills to good use.
Death and Cemetery Information
| Date of Death (y-m-d) | Cause of Death | Death Class | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-07-12 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Toronto Ontario Canada | Park Lawn Cemetery | Cremation | Yes |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
BABIN, Alfred Joseph - On July 12, 2014 - beloved husband, father, grandfather and great- grandfather, passed away peacefully at the age of 92. For 68 years Alfred was the devoted husband of his beloved Teeny (Christina), who passed away just a month ago. Loving mother to Michael (Dawn) of Toronto and Paul (Lynne) of Morpeth. Fondly remembered and loved by grandchildren Shelley (Charles), Julie, Carolyn, Sheldon (Laurie) and Ryan Babin, and great- granddaughters Elizabeth and Audrey Todd and Lily and Ryla Babin. Predeceased by dear sisters Eva and Loretta and dear brothers Arthur and Alderice. Babin, as he preferred to be called, was born in Moncton, NB. He joined the Army in 1939 and in fall of 1941 was sent to Hong Kong to help defend against the invading Japanese Imperial Army. Captured on December 25, 1941, he endured nearly 4 years as a POW under brutal and inhuman conditions. After liberation he stayed in the Army as a musician in military bands, and retired honourably in 1971. Babin had a sharp mind and a quick wit, and was a gentle and generous man despite the hardships he endured in the war. He was an enthusiastic participant in family gatherings, always bringing stories, mementos or pictures to share about his childhood, wartime, his travels with the military band or his marriage to his beloved Teeny. Babin loved a good meal in a restaurant (especially if they served crème brûlé), had an impressive grasp of current events, and was an adopter of new technology, recently taking up emailing with his children and grandchildren. He was adored by his family and his presence at the dinner table will be greatly missed. Family and friends will be received at the Turner & Porter Butler Chapel, 4933 Dundas St. W., Etobicoke (between Kipling and Islington Aves.) on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 for a service in the Chapel at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association (www.hkvca.ca) or to your preferred charity. We Will Remember Them
Links and Other Resources
Alfred Babin's web site: link
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
After retirement from the military in 1971, Alfred worked for some years in a music store in London ON as a sales assistant and repairer of musical instruments before becoming fully retired.
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.
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.