1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Corporal | John | Robert |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Winnipeg MB | Manitoba | 1920-09-10 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| Section Commander | D | |
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.Commemorative Feature
A map detailing the location of this feature can be found in this soldier's vault. (See Vault explanation below in the Links and Other Resources block) .
| Site Description | Location | Province | Map Reference | Lat/Long | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelso Lake | northeast of Reindeer Lake, Manitoba | Manitoba | 64 K/10 | 58 36' 55"; 100 57' 45" | 1979 |
Other Military 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941-12-19 | Killed In Action | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Cape Collinson Road Chai Wan Hong Kong China | Sai Wan Memorial | Column 25. | NA |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
H6038 John KELSO - born in Winnipeg, Manitoba Enlistment: September 5, 1939 Winnipeg, Manitoba. Son of John Long Kelso and Mary Kelso, of 75 Lipton Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Brother of H6499 Henry KELSO who died on December 19, 1941 while serving the Winnipeg Grenadiers. Both attended Principal Sparling and Daniel McINtrye schools. Both brothers were involved with church work and sports.
At the outbreak of the Second World War the two brothers, Henry and John Robert Kelso, enlisted with the Winnipeg Grenadiers. John was also a gifted cartoonist and with sponsorship from T. Eaton Company was to have attended a prestigious art school in Chicago following the war. A few months into training the brothers along with the Winnipeg Grenadiers were posted to garrison duty in Bermuda and Jamaica. It is there, while stationed in the Caribbean, that John sketched 40 cartoons of military life that you can search for in the HKVCA Gallery.
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.
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
→ Related documentation for information published in this report, such as birth information, discharge papers, press clippings and census documents may be available via shared resources in our HKVCA Vault. It is organized with folders named using regimental numbers. Use the first letter of the individual's service number to choose the correct folder, then scroll to the specific sub-folder displaying the service number of your interest.
General Comments
Assisting on the red Cross assembly line at right in the Lombard garage where grenadier women this morning took their turn at the packing and wrapping prisoner-of-war boxes is Mrs. John Kelso, 257 Manitoba Avenue in the top picture. Mrs. Kelso received word Wednesday her two sons, acting Corporal Henry and John were killed at Hong Kong. Her only comment was the work must go on no matter what happens. Her husband is patrol Sergeant Kelso of the city police department.
Sgt. J. L. Kelso, Of City Police Force, Dies
SGT. JOHN L. KELSO, 55, of the Winnipeg City Police, died in Misericordia hospital this morning after a long illness.One of the most popular police officers at the station, Sgt. Kelso had been regarded as an efficient police officer since he started with the force in May, 1914.
Slightly more than a year ago he and Mrs. Kelso were notified that two of their sons, Harry and Jack, were killed at Hong Kong.
Since then both Sgt. and Mrs. Kelso had worked untiringly for the Hong Kong Prisoners of War relief.
One of the biggest jobs for the group was completed by the sergeant. The Ladies' Aid had made a quilt with the crest of the Winnipeg Grenadiers in the centre. The cover of the quilt was composed of small triangular squares upon which Sgt. Kelso had written with indelible ink the names of every Grenadier who served at Hong Kong.
This quilt was offered in a draw recently, the proceeds going to the Ladies' Aid of the Winnipeg Grenadiers. It had been displayed in many downtown shop windows. News of Sgt. Kelso's death was received with deep regret by fellow officers at the police station.
A veteran of the First Great War, Sgt. Kelso served with the 5th Field Artillery overseas. Besides his widow he is survived by one son and four daughters, at home. 728 Lipton St. Funeral arrangements have not been completed.
End of Report.
Report generated: 16 Dec 2024.
Additional Notes
(These will not be visible on the printed copy)
- Service numbers for officers 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.