1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Corporal | Kenneth | Royden |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Tisdale SK | Manitoba | 1910-06-02 |
| 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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 41/12/25 | Fractured left humerus | 36 |
Hospital Information
| Name of hospital | Date of admission | Date of discharge | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-QMH | 12/25/1941 | N/A | Transferred to BMH | |
| HK-BMH | 01/20/1942 | N/A | 118(42 Sep 21) |
POW Camps
| Camp ID | Camp Name | Location | Company | Type of Work | Arrival Date | Departure Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-NP-01 | North Point | North Point, Hong Kong Island | N/A | N/A | ||
| HK-AS-01 | Argyle Street | Kowloon, Hong Kong | N/A | N/A |
Transportation SE Asia to Home
| Transport Mode | Arrival Destination | Arrival Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Gosper | Victoria | 1945-10-12 | Manila to Victoria, BC 1936 British and CDNS |
Left for Manila, Philippines on Empress of Australia. Departure date and time 45 Sep 11.
Arrival Port: Manila, Philippines. Arrival date and time 45 Sep 13.
Left for North America on USS Gosper. Departing port Manila, Philippines. Departure date and time 45 Sep 21. Sailed via Pearl Harbour, Hawaii.
Post-war Photo
6 of the 7 did not come home.
September 10, 1942 - A letter from the Flin Flon, Manitoba Royal Canadian Legion Branch #73 to the Dept. of National Defence in Ottawa, ON Canada. The legion was checking in 1942 of 7 of there members that fought in the Battle of Hong Kong.
Note: RCL was called British Empire Service League
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945-09-29 | Benign Tertian Malaria | Died En-route home | |
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Halifax Nova Scotia At sea | At Sea / Halifax Memorial | Cremation | |
Gravestone Image
Flin Flon MB Memorial
Obituary / Life Story
Memories of Kenneth Jackson (WG) by daughter Shirley Harper taken from the HKVCA Ontario December 2006 Newsletter
I have decided to start writing some of my memories of my Dad, Kenneth Jackson.
The first memory I have was when he was leaving for Jamaica. I remember being at the railroad station, he kissed me and said, "Next time I see you, you will have those front teeth" - but I never saw him again. We heard from him frequently from Jamaica. I have many pictures. He was very good at remembering birthdays and other special occasions. I have birthday cards. Then we received word that he was being sent to Hong Kong, no training for this, no ammunition, a complete disaster. I remember my grandparents being very upset. I guess my brother and I didn't realize the distance and the danger.
My mother left us when I was 5 and Morley was 3, so the three of us went to live with my grandparents in Valparaiso, Saskatchewan, very fine Scottish people, pioneers in Saskatchewan and I loved them very much. Even though loving relatives surrounded "Mo" and me, we still hoped when our Dad returned we would be a family again. That was not to be!
Then came the fateful Xmas day when Hong Kong fell to the Japanese. We sat at the radio all day. What a sad day it was. I cannot find the words to describe it. We heard from him twice while he was a prisoner of war - very short letters - but certainly not written by my Dad. They spoke of returning home and killing the fatted calf. Also how well he was being treated. The only real thing was his signature "Slow". We heard many horror stories. I never talked about them then and I still don't!
Then came the September when they were released. We received word my Dad would be arriving in Vancouver. My dear Gram and I were going to Vancouver to be there when he arrived. Two days later we received another telegram saying my dear Dad died on board ship off the coast of Manila and was buried at sea. A family friend, Roy Harper, who was to become my father-in-law, delivered the telegrams. It was very difficult for him.
Can you imagine the heartbreak? I cry just writing about it. My poor grandparents and "Mo" and I were absolutely devastated. What was to become of us without our Dad? My grandparents kept us with them. We were loved, cared for and educated and taught to be decent people. I shall be forever grateful to them, they were Jessie & Findlay Milne. My Gram lived to 96 and spent much of her last years in our home. She was always referred to as "Gramma Jessie".
Apparently, at the time of release, the Japanese gave some of the prisoners Saki, supposedly to celebrate. This took place in a hospital. My Dad had been wounded then and remained there working until their release. The Chaplain told us it was only his personality and acceptance of "things" that kept him alive. However, the Saki was poisoned. Others survived it but my Dad didn't. He was very weak.
The Chaplain told us this story and I have heard it from others since then. I have been in touch with a few people; one in particular is Leo Beard from Barrie, Ont. I read in the Barrie paper that on the 50th anniversary of the fall of Hong Kong, Leo was placing a wreath on the Cenotaph, so my son and I went down. The man who was in charge at Camp Borden came over and asked my reason for being there, so I told him and he told Leo who came over to me, took my hand and said, "Madam, I know all about your Dad". Needless to say I shed a few tears. Leo and I have placed a wreath on the Cenotaph every November 11th since then. Leo is a fine man, he had written a book of his experiences titled, "One Lucky Canadian".
War is a terrible thing. It certainly affected our lives. We had no Dad, our children missed the joy of having a grandfather and my Dad missed the joy of being a grandparent. One tries to sort things out but I was very bitter for a long time.
Links and Other Resources
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Related documentation
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General Comments
Extract from Tisdale Recorder newspaper:
... biography of Kenneth Jackson, born in Manitoba in June 1910 to Roy and Lia (Simpson) Jackson of Tisdale. Kenneth was educated in Tisdale, and then was a farmer and grain-buyer at Valparaiso. He married Isobel Milve of Valparaiso and the couple had two children, Shirley and Morley. Kenneth volunteered in September 1939, was attached to the Winnipeg Grenadiers and trained in Winnipeg. He was stationed in Jamaica during the summer of 1940, returned to Canada in 1941 on leave, then was sent to Hong Kong, wounded and taken prisoner by the Japanese on Christmas Day, 1941. He remained in Japanese hospitals and prison camps until VJ Day. After the liberation, he was sent to Manila and in September 1945 left for Canada on the VSS Gasper**. While enroute Kenneth died of malnutrition and malaria and was buried at sea in September 1945.
(submitted by Gerry Anderson on behalf of daughter, Shirley, in Dec 2016.)
** ship name should be USS Gosper (ed)
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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