1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Lance Corporal | David | Vernon |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Winnipeg MB | Manitoba | 1920-05-22 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| 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
| Date Wounded | Wound Description | References |
|---|---|---|
| 41/12/22 | N/A |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boyd Creek | flows northeast into South Seal River, Manitoba | Manitoba | 64 G/15 | 57 53' 59"; 98 51' 28" | 1986 |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941-12-22 | 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
H6056 David Boyd, the third child of David and Florence Boyd, was born May 22th, 1920 in Winnipeg Manitoba. When David was 12 his father David, the head of the electrical department of the Canadian National Railway, who lived at 995 Ingersoll Street, died of a heart attack. David's Attestation Papers indicate that he served with the Winnipeg Grenadiers (M.G.) on May 15th 1939. The official date that he was T.O.S. (taken on strength) is September 5th 1939 as a Private Regimental Number H6056 at the age of 19.
He was 5 feet 5 1/2 inches tail weighting 137 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. It lists that he had 2 years of high school, did not graduate and was currently employed as a switchboard operator.
On October 16th 1939 he was promoted to Acting Lance Corporal with the pay of rank. During Christmas of his first year with the Winnipeg Grenadiers he was given furlough from December 23rd to 28th 1939. The Winnipeg Grenadiers who were part of 'Y' Force, embarked Canada on June 9th 1940 and disembarked in Kingston Jamaica June 20th 1940. During his time in Kingston he was admitted to hospital twice, once from October 7th to November 13th 1940 and the other from June 1st to June 10th 1941. On March 5th 1941 he was awarded the C.V.S.M. & Clasp.
On August 29th 1941 'Y' Force embarked Kingston and disembarked Canada on September 9th 1941. They detrained in Winnipeg on September 11th 1941. On October 27th 1941 the Winnipeg Grenadiers embarked Vancouver as part of 'C' Force and disembarked at Hong Kong China at 9:00 am on November 16th 1941. On October 30th during the voyage David was awarded a reprimand for failing to appear at the place of parade appointed by his commanding officer. On December 8th 1941 he was awarded the 1939 - 1945 Star.
On December 21st 1941 Acting Lance Corporal David Vernon Boyd was S.O.S. (struck off strength) and presumed dead and on December22nd 1941 he was listed as killed in action. The Official Registration of Death for the Province of Manitoba list his place of death as "in the field (Hong Kong)" and cause of death as "killed in action" on December 22nd 1941.
LCpI BOYD D.V. , H6056 of THE WINNIPEG GRENADIERS died at the Wong Nei Chong Gap. on December22nd 1941, age 21 and is buried at Sai Wan Memorial, Column 25.
The following - Details: re Downey, Swanson, Boyd and others ... They were captured by the Japs and when the physically fit prisoners were taken away the wounded were left behind, including Boyd and Swanson (who were very badly wounded). Bodies found later but could not be identified.
Information from "Questionnaire of Fatal Casualties of 'C Force" (All interviews took place after the war in 1945.)
Just before dawn on the 22nd Lt Blackwood was again wounded and crawled into our shelter. With him came Cpl Boyd - wounded. Altogether, including three English soldiers and four Chinese, we had thirty wounded men in that shelter. Shortly after dawn we were told that our ammunition was exhausted. Capt Philips consulted Lt Col Walker, who gave us no hope of being allowed to live, even though we surrendered, but the only thing left for us to do, Capt Philips, wounded, bandaged and weak though he was, stepped out of the shelter to surrender.
Immediately after our surrender I was led out and searched. Through their interpreter they learned that I was a chaplain - or minister as he called me. I showed them my bible and field dressings and told them that my duties were with the wounded. I had made a complete list of our casualties in my notebook. They took it and my pencil. I asked for water for my wounded which they readily gave me, but watched closely as I gave each chap an allowance. After I had finished and I took some, the interpreter asked, "Oh, you give your men drink first?"
On my return from questioning I realized that the walking might have a chance, and said "Boys, if any of you can walk, for God's sake do so." Many of our wounded would have been, if we could have taken them out ourselves, stretcher cases, but a stretcher was found for Lt Col Walker only. Three of our Canadians, Cpl Boyd, Pte Swanson and Pte Dowsell, and one English Sgt, and one English private, were left in the shelter.
From the Diary of Capt U. Laite, M.C. D.D., Padre Hong Kong P.O.W., Dec. 1941 - Aug. 1945, Winnipeg Grenadiers
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.
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
H6056 David BOYD
Boyd had been wounded at Wong Nei Cheong Gap and had to be left behind.
Boyd was single, lived with his mother Florence May Boyd and had been a switch board operator before the war.
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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