The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Corporal | Ernest | Arthur |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Chilliwack BC | British Columbia | 1921-00-00 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| Signals Operator | Brigade Headquarters | |
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-02 | Shamshuipo | Kowloon, Hong Kong | 42 Sep 26 | 43 Aug 15 | ||
| JP-To-5B | Niigata-Rinko | Niigata-ken, Nakakambara-gun, Ogata-mura, Japan | Marutsu, Rinko Coal, Shintetsu | Stevedore labor at port of Niigata (Marutsu), primarily foodstuffs; mining coal (Rinko Coal ) and labor at a foundry (Shintetsu) | 43 Sep 03 | 44 Jan 18 |
| JP-To-15B | Niigata-Tekko | Niigata-ken, Niigata City, Yamanoshita, Akiba-dori, Japan | Niigata Ironworks Company | 44 Jan 18 | 45 Sep 05 |
Transport to Japan
| Draft Number | Name of Ship | Departure Date | Arrival Date | Arrival Port | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XD4B | 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 A | SF | 1945-10-02 | evacuated from Japan via USS Ozark |
Caption: Members of the Quebec Royal Rifles and the Winnipeg Grenadiers were among 244 Canadian prisoners of war aboard the U.S.S. Ozark when she docked in San Francisco. Above, left to right, fron row, are: Rfn. L.A. Cunning, Gaspe, Que.; Pte. Arthur Diehl, Winnipeg; Pte. John Humicky, Winnipeg; Rfn. George LeBlanc, Quebec. Back row, left to right: Rfn. Isaac Comeau, Maltempagua, N.B.; Sgmn Jack Rose, Vancouver; Cpl. E.A. Dayton, Chilliwack, B.C.; L/Cpl. Sam DiSensi, Winnipeg; and Rfn. L.J. Cotton, Montreal.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-02-25 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Chilliwack British Columbia Canada | Chilliwack Cemeteries | ||
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
K34722 ERNEST ARTHUR DAYTON - Ernest Arthur Dayton of Kelowna, 65, died suddenly in Arizona on Feb. 25, 1987.
He leaves behind his beloved Carol; his children Cathy and Randy Gibson, Mark and Peggy Dayton and Jane Dayton. He also leaves to mourn, Laura and Frank Pells, Martin and Theresa Dayton, Daphne Dayton and Beverley Dayton. He will be particularily missed by his nieces, nephews, grandchildren and the Woodman family.
Ernie grew up in Chilliwack, was a prisoner of war in Hong Kong for four years, and lived many years in Vancouver. He was a chartered accountant, retiring to Kelowna in 1982 - a valiant person.
Memorial service to be announced later
Links and Other Resources
Read more about RCCS 'C' Force members in Burke Penny's book Beyond the Call published by HKVCA.
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
2 Jap War Criminals Charged With Maltreating Canadians Are Sentenced To Long Terms
Ottawa, Feb. 14. Two more Japanese war criminals charged with maltreatment of Canadian and other Allied prisoners-of-war have received heavy sentences from an Allied War Crimes Commission at Tokyo, army headquarters announced yesterday.
The sentences, handed down in Tokyo Tuesday, were 40 years' imprisonment for Katsuyaru Sato, former civilian guard, and 15 years for Takeo Takahashi, former medical orderly. Both men were employed at a camp near Niigata's coal docks in the Tokyo area.
Sato was charged with compelling physically unfit Allied troops to perform hard labor, and "in some cases contributing to the death of prisoners." Thirty Canadians, including a number from the Eastern Townships, and five United States Army personnel suffered at his hands. Nine died.
Takahashi, it was alleged, not only refused medical attention to Allied prisoners of war, but forced the sick, weak and undernourished to do hard labor, as a result of which numerous prisoners died of disease or were permanently disabled. It was also charged that Takahashi, for his own use, stole Red Cross supplies, medicines and other supplies intended for the benefit of Allied prisoners. The falsification of numerous death certificates also was attributed to Takahashi.
Sato was described in the charges as a ruthless taskmaster who visited his cruelty upon any prisoner who afforded him the slightest provocation. It was charged that while working the sick and weary prisoners-of-war at the Rinko coal docks in Niigata he often satisfied a sadistic urge to torture his helpless victims. Sato also is accused of stealing Red Cross supplies.
The SCAP Legal Section lists the following Canadians as included among victims of the two Japanese:
Takahashi: E. C. Harrison (deceased), Bury, Que.; Renwell Marren (deceased), Gaspe, Que; Joseph E. Maloney (deceased), Barachois, Que.; and Ernest Heuft (deceased), 473 Warsaw Ave, Winnipeg.
Sato: Sgt. Colin Pope (deceased), Cookshire, Que.; Rfn. Gabriel Guitard (deceased), Nash Creek, N.B.; Pte. Albert Boulding (deceased), Pilot Butte, Sask.; Cpl. John Moffat Gee (deceased), Birch Ridge, N.B.; Sgt. Edward Philips (deceased), Sawyerville, Que; Pte. Mike Katchen, Angus, Man.; Cpl. Thomas P. McCarron, Benjamin River, N.B.; Rfn. George Chenell, Entry Island, Que.; R.R. Wheeler, Runnymede, Que; G. H. Doucette, Botwood, Nfld;
Ernest Arthur Dayton, Chilliwack, B.C.;
William Harvey Gagne, Brighton, Ont.; J. A. Hunt, Chandler, Que.; Arthur Hilton Hunter, Winnipeg;
Herbert Wallace, Kingsbury, Que: Frederick Joseph Lavallee, St. Laurent, Man.; Pte. McLaughlin, Campbellton, N.B.; F. T. Caruso (deceased) Winnipeg; C. S. Woodward, Winnipeg; S. C. Street, Toronto; Alfred William Spier, West Kildonan, Man.; Joseph John Wolczuk, Winnipeg; Joseph Axel Winberg, Chatham Ont.; Thomas Lawrence Ward, Portage la Prairie, Man.; Robert Manchester, Winnipeg; Lloyd C. Doull, Drummondville, Que.
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.