1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Private | Stanley | Ernest |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Manson MB | Manitoba | 1920-01-09 |
| 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 Aug 15 | ||
| JP-Os-3B | Oeyama | Kyoto-fu, Yosa-gun, Yoshizu-mura, Sutsu, Japan | Nippon Yakin Nickel Mine & Refinery | Mining nickel & work at the refinery | 43 Sep 01 | 45 Sep 02 |
Transport to Japan
| Draft Number | Name of Ship | Departure Date | Arrival Date | Arrival Port | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XD4A | Manryu Maru | 43 Aug 15 | 43 Sep 01 | Osaka, Japan | Brief stopover in Taihoku (Taipei), Formosa (Taiwan); then 2 day stopover at northern point for stool tests | Tony Banham |
Transportation SE Asia to Home
| Transport Mode | Arrival Destination | Arrival Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Ozark Passenger List C | SF | 1945-10-02 | picked up in Guam then to USA |
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
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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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-12-26 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Saint John New Brunswick Canada | Cedar Hill Cemetery | ||
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
From Marvin Millis, brother: Stan was named Ernest Stanley at birth, but was always known as Stan by the family, relatives, and the townspeople of Manson (MB). So, when he joined the Grenadiers, he reversed the order of his given names. I have a photocopy of Stan's obituary - excerpts given below: The death of Ernest Stanley Millis, 91 Heron St., Saint John occurred on Dec. 26, 1993 at St Joseph's Hospital, Saint John. He was 73. Born in Manson, Manitoba, Jan. 9, 1920, he was the son of Hilda (Switzer) and Edward Henry Millis. He served with the Winnipeg Grenadiers in Hong Kong during World War II and was a former member of the Royal Canadian Legion. Funeral arrangements were in the care of Fitzpatrick's Funeral Service Ltd. of Saint John. The funeral was held at Fitzpatrick's Funeral Home on Dec. 29 1993, officiated by Rev. David J. Barrett. Interment was in the Field of Honour in Cedar Hill Cemetery. I believe that this obituary appeared in the local newspaper at Elkhorn, MB, or else at Moosomin, SK. The following is what I remember of Stan ca. 1952 and 1953, when I was about age 11 and 12: Stan lived in Oak Lake, MB and married a local girl named Laura (surname not known to me). Stan was experiencing severe headaches, and the local MD's diagnosis was that he had a brain tumor. The doctor referred Stan to Deer Lodge (DVA) Hospital, where the tumor was successfully removed. I heard that, during the operation, Stan's temperature reached 110 F ! Afterward he had trouble remembering names of individuals when referring to them in conversation. Stan did mention to me a little of the brutal treatment he suffered in the POW camps. I saw him only briefly about three times back then. I came to Vancouver in 1956, and thereafter had very little contact with my brothers and sisters, until mom's passing in 1982. I don't know what happened between Stan and his first wife, or when he relocated to Saint John. At some point he married one Evelyn (Jackson) - noted in the obituary. (Above received via email in Feb 2013)
Links and Other Resources
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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
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.
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- 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.
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