1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Private | James | Simpson Anderson |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Headingly MB | Manitoba | 1913-04-20 |
| 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
| Date Wounded | Wound Description | References |
|---|---|---|
| 41/12/23 | N/A |
Hospital Information
| Name of hospital | Date of admission | Date of discharge | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-WMH | 12/23/1941 | N/A | ||
| HK-BMH | 08/07/1942 | 08/21/1942 | 118 |
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 | 41 Dec 20 | 41 Dec 22 | ||
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-02-08 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| St Francois Xavier Manitoba Canada | Roman Catholic Cemetery | Yes | |
Gravestone Image
Headstone in St. Francois Xavier Manitoba
Obituary / Life Story
JAMES SIMPSON ANDERSON HOUSTON - Peacefully, on February 8, 2001 at Deer Lodge Hospital, surrounded by family, James Simpson Anderson Houston passed away at the age of 87. Jim was predeceased by his first wife, Leah, in 1986 and his brothers William and Tom. Jim leaves, to cherish his memory, his wife, Elizabeth; his children, Jim (Sheila), June Miller (Tom). Robert (Leona), and Patrick, seven grandchildren, Richard and Scott Miller, Kelly, Lorie, Brett, Derrick and Carrie Houston, two great-grandchildren, Briar and Brooke; sisters Marion, Jean, Janette, and brother Jack (Gwen). Jim was born April 20, 1913, and was raised in the St. James area. He joined the Winnipeg Grenadiers in 1939 and served overseas until his return in 1945. He was a proud member of the Hong Kong Veterans Association. Upon returning from Hong Kong, Jim operated a market garden in the St. Francois Xavier area, until 1954, when he joined the correctional staff at Headingly Goal until his retirement as farm manager in 1976. Jim was an active member of the St. Francois Xavier Community. He was a 4H leader, school trustee, president of the Community Club and in his early retirement years, worked part-time for the R.M. of St. Francois Xavier. He enjoyed traveling, fishing, curling, and golfing. The family wishes to extend their gratitude and deepest appreciation to the staff at Deer Lodge for their compassion and loving care. Jim will be lovingly remembered and sadly missed by all who knew him. In lieu of flowers, donations in Jims memory to Deer Lodge Hospital, St. Francois Xavier Roman Catholic building fund or St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Church would be deeply appreciated. Service will be held on Thursday, February 15 at 11:00 am at St. Francois Xavier Roman Catholic Church, St. Francois Xavier, MB. Interment will follow the service. Father Roland Tessier presiding. Pallbearers will be Rich and Scott Miller, Derrick, Kelly, Brett Houston, and Ronald Breland. A celebration of Jim's life will be held at Deer Lodge Centre, the date and time to be announced at a later date. REST IN PEACE.Arrangements entrusted to: CHAPEL LAWN FUNERAL HOME CEMETERY AND CREMATORIUM 885-9715
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
H6734 James HOUSTON - In Uniform
Jim was born in Winnipeg on April 20, 1913. All four brothers and one of two sisters, Jean (Houston) Daniel, served and returned from World War II. Jim was raised in St. Francis, Manitoba. He married Leah Breland in his hometown before enlisting on September 30, 1939 in Winnipeg with the Winnipeg Rifles. They had a son and a daughter, twins, before Jim was deployed to Jamaica in 1940, then Hong Kong in November 1941. With surrender, Christmas Day, 1941, Jim was POW mines and shipyards for four years. He suffered from disease, including beriberi, and injuries, torture and beatings, like crow bar across back for putting extra rice in rations. With liberation, Jim returned to Canada. Rehabilitated, he was discharged in June 1946. Jim received three medals: Volunteer, War, and Defence, and two stars, 1939-1945 WWII, and Pacific. Two more sons were born. Jim, assisted by VLA, set up a Market Garden in St. Francis. Retiring in 1974, predeceased in 1986, he remarried, later suffered a stroke, and then passed away in 2001. Manitoba MSRB Volume 12, Page 85
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.