1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Private | Claude | Melvin |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Winnipeg MB | Manitoba | 1919-03-08 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| 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
No wounds recorded.Hospital Information
No record of hospital visits found.POW Camps
| Camp ID | Camp Name | Location | Company | Type of Work | Arrival Date | Departure Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-SA-01 | Shamshuipo | Kowloon, Hong Kong | Capture | 42 Jan 22 | ||
| HK-NP-02 | North Point | North Point, Hong Kong Island | 42 Jan 22 | 42 Sep 26 | ||
| HK-SA-02 | Shamshuipo | Kowloon, Hong Kong | 42 Sep 26 | 45 Sep 10 |
Transportation SE Asia to Home
| Transport Mode | Arrival Destination | Arrival Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Admiral Hugh Rodman | Vancouver, BC | 1945-10-07 | Manilla to Vancouver, BC |
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
No other or additional related information found. Please submit documents to us using the contact link at the top of this page.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-03-27 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Maple Ridge British Columbia Canada | Maple Ridge Cemetery | ||
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
Our Dad was born March 8th, 1919 in Wellwood, Manitoba. His parents, David & Isabella (Ferguson) emigrated from County Ayre, Scotland in 1910. He was the last survivor of the six children David and Isabella (Bela) had; Jack, Bill, Winifred, David and Harold. David and Bela moved the family to Vancouver after WWII and finished out their lives there. Dad joined the Canadian Army in 1939 as a private in the Winnipeg Grenadiers and ended up being posted to Hong Kong with 'C' Company in late 1941. When Hong Kong was attacked by the Japanese December 8th Dad fought valiantly alongside his friends and comrades until being forced to surrender December 26. After 3+ years as a POW, surviving barbaric treatment and conditions Dad, along with the other surviving prisoners, was liberated in August 1945. Despite the physical and emotional injuries he suffered during that time Dad never gave up or in. These strong traits carried on throughout his later work for the Department of Veterans Affairs and his home life. After returning from Hong Kong Dad was a patient in Shaughnessy Hospital in Vancouver recovering from his POW treatment. It was there that he met and fell in love with his Army nurse, his soon-to-be wife, June Sargent from Toronto. Despite having lost most of his eyesight as a result of his POW treatment he was able to provide a safe and stable home for his family in the Vancouver area. He always had a smile or joke for whoever was within range. Dad developed a close group of caring friends including his long time fishing buddy, Walt Goresky and old neighbourhood pal, Don Wood. Over the years Dad loved fishing, curling, bowling, and cribbage and just enjoyed having a good old 'bull session with his many friends at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 88 in Maple Ridge. Dad is now at rest; he died at 9:17 PM Sunday March 27, 2011 at his care home in Maple Ridge, BC. Claude and June had three children: Russell (Gerry) of Lethbridge, Alberta; Denis (Yolanda) of Victoria, BC and Donna (Brent) of Maple Ridge, BC. His kids gave him six grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren who all so loved Grandpa Corbett. We miss him already. He was a good man who did his best. Service: 11AM on Tuesday the 5th of April. Location: Garden Hill Funeral Chapel 11765-224th Street, Maple Ridge BC V2X 6A5. Parking is in the rear of the building. Tea reception will be at the funeral home. Instead of flowers, donations to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind would be appreciated.
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
No comments found.
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.