1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Private | Angus | |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Dartmouth NS | Manitoba | 1921-02-13 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| Bn HQ | Band | |
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 | 43 Jan 19 | ||
| JP-To-3D | Tsurumi | Yokohama-shi, Tsurumi-ku, Suyehiro-cho, 1-chome, Japan | Nippon Steel Tube - Tsurumi Shipyards | Variety of jobs related to ship building | 43 Jan 19 | 45 Apr 16 |
| JP-Se-4B | Ohashi | Iwate-ken, Kamihei-gun, Katsushi-mura, Ohashi, Japan | Nippon Steel Company | 45 Apr 16 | 45 Sep 15 |
Transport to Japan
| Draft Number | Name of Ship | Departure Date | Arrival Date | Arrival Port | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XD3A | Tatuta Maru | 43 Jan 19, left Shamsuipo Camp, 0500 hrs; left Hong Kong 1300hrs | 43 Jan 22, 0400 hrs | Nagasaki, Japan | Boarded train, arrived in Tokyo on 43 Jan 24 at 0700 hrs, boarded electric train for 10 mile ride to camp | Tony Banham |
Transportation SE Asia to Home
| Transport Mode | Arrival Destination | Arrival Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| NATS 90396 | Oakland | 1945-10-02 | Guam Passenger Manifest embarked 1945-09-30 NATS |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-05-30 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Winnipeg Manitoba Canada | Glen Lawn Memorial Gardens | Columbarium | |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
ANGUS McRITCHIE 1921-1998 Peacefully on Saturday, May 30, 1998 at Grace General Hospital, Angus McRitchie passed away.
Angus was born on February 13, 1921. A child of Scottish immigrants, he grew up in Winnipeg's West End and attended Daniel McIntyre Collegiate. He developed an early love for music, in particular drumming, and became a Canadian National Champion.
In 1939, at the age of 18, Angus joined the Army as news of World War II broke out. A member of the Winnipeg Grenadiers, he was posted to Jamaica for ló months for garrison duty, which included guarding German POW's and acclimatization for service in a tropical environment. He stayed close to his love of drumming and music by being lead drummer in both the Drum and Bugle Band and the Brass Band.
The Winnipeg Grenadiers were subsequently posted to the island of Hong Kong to act as the forward point of the allied forces in that area. Their mission was to protect Hong Kong from foreign invasion. In one of the fiercest battles of World War II these troops were put under attack in an attempt to gain control of Hong Kong Territories. These men were distinguished in this battle, but ultimately were overwhelmed and captured by Japanese troops on Christmas Day, 1941.
As a prisoner of war, he was subjected to incredible hardships and intolerable conditions. He often said that it was his sense of humour and a strong positive attitude that helped him overcome overwhelming odds against survival in the camps that he worked. The Hong Kong Veteran captives were some of the most harshly treated prisoners of any war. Following the surrender of Japan, the surviving prisoners were released after having spent 3 years and 8 months in captivity.
Angus eventually returned to Jamaica at the end of the war. It was there that he had his first exposure to bookkeeping and accounting while working for a local firm. Angus has always been known for his meticulous attention to detail and accuracy, and it was clear to many that his talents lay in the field of accounting.
In 1950, Angus returned to Canada to settle in his hometown of Winnipeg. He attended the University of Manitoba and earned his degree as a Chartered Accountant in 1956. He was employed with a local Accounting firm from this point until 1960.
At this time, the Manitoba Crop Insurance Agency was a newly formed company. Angus was hired in 1960 as their Chief Comptroller, and was instrumental in helping develop many of their current policies and procedures.
He worked for them for 23 years until his retirement.
Angus poured all of his energies into the activities of the Hong Kong Veterans Association. As Secretary Treasurer for the Manitoba chapter, he selflessly worked for veterans' recognition. His tireless efforts, in combination with other dedicated members, helped ensure continuance of rights and benefits to veterans and their widows across Canada and the United States.
He also produced and distributed the Newsletter for the Manitoba branch of Hong Kong Veterans. This Newsletter functioned as a lifeline to his extended Hong Kong "family”, and strung together all of the surviving veteran members. The Newsletter addressed their ongoing concerns and issues and was always uplifting to the members, as it was chock full of anecdotes and Angus' wry (and dry) humour. Angus was justifiably proud of his Newsletter, and of the fact that his peers acknowledged it as one of the premier publications of its type and eagerly awaited their next copy. This communiqué will be surely missed by all that had the pleasure of receiving one.
Angus leaves behind three children, Linda Hughes (Dennis), Heather Giese (Rod) and Neil McRitchie (Peggy). He also leaves grandson Michael Hughes and sister Christina "Ena" McRitchie, other relatives, along with a host of beloved friends, and the members of his extended Hong Kong “family".
Angus was predeceased by his beloved wife and partner Mari; his parents and brother Alasdair.
Memorial service will be held at All Saints Church, Broadway and Osborne on Monday, July 8, 1:30 p.m.
A private graveside interment will be held prior.
In lieu of flowers, should friends so desire, a donation may be made to the charity of their choice.
“Dad, hope we said it well."
“Sometimes the many things our voices can't find the words to say Our hearts can feel and understand.”
NEIL BARDAL INC. 949 2200 www.nbardal mb.ca
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.
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General Comments
Taken from archived newsletter HKVA June 1998. Written by Phil Doddridge
Angus, dead on May 30, was long- serving Secretary-Treasurer of the Manitoba Branch. He was probably not well known by members of the Q-M Branch, but to the Winnipeg Grenadiers, he was the link between the members of the Manitoba Branch.
Angus’ newsletter, published four times a year, kept the members informed of events and conditions that affected them.
I received Angus’ newsletter on a regular basis, and while I didn’t always agree with his editorial comments, I was always interested in reading the letter from front to back. He had announcements of upcoming events, reports of social affairs, and anything else of interest, and all of this sprinkled with jokes, puns, and witticisms.
His last letter was dated March, 1998. He will be sorely missed in Winnipeg.
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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