1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Private | James | Ridge |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Winnipeg MB | Manitoba | 1922-09-01 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| C | ||
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 Dec 15 | ||
| JP-Os-3B | Oeyama | Kyoto-fu, Yosa-gun, Yoshizu-mura, Sutsu, Japan | Nippon Yakin Nickel Mine & Refinery | Mining nickel & work at the refinery | 44 Jan 06 | 45 Sep 10 |
Transport to Japan
| Draft Number | Name of Ship | Departure Date | Arrival Date | Arrival Port | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XD5B | SS Soong Cheong / Toyama Maru | 43 Dec 15 | 44 Jan 04 | Moji, Japan | Arrived at Takao, Formosa, 43 Dec 20; Transferred to Toyama Maru, 43 Dec 30, went to Oeyama | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-09-06 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Kakabeka Falls Ontario Canada | O'Connor Cemetery | ||
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
Ridge (Reg) James Riddoch passed away on Monday, September 6th, 2010 at St. Joseph's Hospice at the age of 88. He was born in Rosa, Manitoba on September 1st, 1922 to the late George and Christina Riddoch. His early years were spent on the family farm in Meadows and then in Winnipeg. During WWII he joined the Winnipeg Grenadiers in January 1940. His regiment was captured by the Japanese in Hong Kong on Christmas Day, 1941, and he became a prisoner of war for 3 years and 8 months. In 1946 he moved to Fort William where he worked in construction for many years as a heavy equipment operator. Later he worked as a salesman for Lakehead Motors until he retired in 1986. In 1970 he married Svea (Swea) Eady and they especially enjoyed living on their 4 acres on Rosslyn Road. He attended First Church United; was a member of the Hong Kong Veterans Association, Norrskenet, and past member of the Legion and Moose; volunteered for Meals on Wheels for over 20 years. Reg is survived by his son, Les Riddoch (Maria); daughters Carolyn Yarema (Richard), and Marlene. Step-son Robert Eady (Carol); step-daughters Linda Hutchison (Dave) and Beverley Goble; daughter-in-law Coral Eady; 14 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren; his brother Gordon Riddoch (Mona); sister-in-law Freda Riddock; many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents; wife Svea; brothers Vic and Earl; sister Dora McCollum; step-son Clarence Eady. According to Reg's wishes, cremation has taken place. Funeral services will be held on Monday, September 13th, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at Wesley United Church - 130 N. Brodie Street. A private family interment will take place at a later date at O'Connor Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Northern Cancer Fund, St. Joseph's Hospice or a charity of your choice. Newspaper Article from the Chronicle Journal. "Life and Times"
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
Sept. 1, 1922-Sept. 6, 2010 Ridge (Reg) Riddoch
It's a distinct honour for me to lead you in remembering a dear friend, Reg Riddoch. I had his and Svea's wedding in the spring of 1970 - my first wedding at First Church. Then, and through the years afterward, we were able to talk about his experience in the war, when he was sent to Hong Kong and where his sergeant major, Jack Osborne, sacrificed his life for his men.
Jack had fallen on a hand grenade that had landed in their bunker, because too much time had elapsed for anyone to throw it back out at the enemy. Jack was later awarded the posthumous Victoria Cross for his bravery and sacrifice. You see, I had known Jack. Jack had married a young woman from our little rural community and as a youngster I used to play with Jack Osborne's son. When my wife June and I were in Hong Kong in 1988 and visited the allied cemetery, we located Jack Osborne's grave. As a consequence, almost every time Reg and I had a few minutes together, the conversation came around to Hong Kong.
Reg joined up with the Winnipeg Grenadiers on Jan. 22, 1940 at the age of 17 1/2, only five months after war was declared. For 16 months he served with his regiment, guarding German prisoners of war in Jamaica. In August 1941, he was back in Canada for two weeks' leave before being sent to Hong Kong in in Southeast Asia - just off mainland China.
They landed there on Nov. 23, 1941. That was a strategic British colony in the region. Fifteen days later, Hong Kong was attacked by a Japanese army of 50,000. British forces there totalled 10,000. This happened only one day after Pearl Harbour was attacked.
Seventeen days later, the fighting ended and at 19 years of age, Reg became a prisoner of war, and that was his lot for 1,355 days — three years and eight months. For two of those years he was located in the Hong Kong area and after that he was at a place called Oeyama in the vicinity of Japan itself.
From then until the end of the war and the dropping of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he worked loading hopper cars with coal shipped from the Philippines. The meals were mainly of rice, three times daily, with the occasional dried fish or seaweed. They drank green tea of course. During those year's Reg had his share of illness - malaria, diphtheria, beri beri and dysentery. In October of 1945 he was back in Canada, and in January 1946 he was discharged.
I mention all that about Reg because he was still a very young man, and experiences like that leave a major impact on one. But I never heard him talk about post-traumatic syndrome. Being ordered around by armed guards, living with bed bugs and lice, eating a very meagre and inadequate diet, he must have wondered if he would see Canada again. Think of the Christmases and other special days, how they all must have felt! But he made it through!
Not long after his return, he and his Mother and Dad moved to Fort William… His knowledge of the product and his integrity engaged people in such a way that he was very successful. He did well. He took it all "one day at a time."
Reg and Svea loved their location on Rosslyn Road, where they had their special dogs, Tammy, Blackie and Mandy. He was proud of his yard and his apple tree which he had moved there from Norah Street - with the aid of some big equipment. In spite of moving the tree at what some considered an inappropriate time, it still bore fruit that year. And speaking of equipment, his little tractor gave him much pleasure in their big lawn. And of course he had to have a pickup truck - every big equipment operator had to have a pickup truck! And, Reg's car had the best of care, and heaven help any one driving his 'vehicle' - just ask Bob!
Reg enjoyed many simple pleasures in life: -taking his grandson Rob camping and having outdoor breakfast with pancakes and boiled eggs -eating rice - whether as part of a main course or in pudding. (This was one of the things he learned while a prisoner of war — that rice was really good) -having a meal that included turnips and/or roast pork -having a pineapple deluxe pizza -Saskatoon pie -soup and sandwich at the bowing alley -going to Joey's for fish and chips -driving people on errands -delivering for Meals on Wheels -western music -walking in the Terry Fox walk/run -marching with the veterans on November 11 -- he never missed it -and, oh yes, he liked to go to the casino occasionally, prefacing the action with the justifying comment: "You can't accumulate if you don't speculate!"
Reg was truly a special guy, who at a very young age put his life on the line for freedom and democracy. He was a good friend and fellow citizen who enjoyed people and the simple things of life. Reg was just Reg! He loved life, but he was prepared to take that journey we all must take. He was prepared to meet his Maker.
So I say, "We love you Reg. We have been wonderfully blessed by you."
THE CHRONICLE-JOURNAL
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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