The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Signalman | John | Donald |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Vancouver BC | British Columbia | 1920-03-15 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| Despatch Rider | 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 | 44 Apr 29 | ||
| JP-Se-2B | Yoshima | Fukushima-ken, Iwaki-gun, Yoshima-mura, Kamyoshima, Japan | Furukawa Mining Company | Coal mining | 44 May 30 | 45 Sep 09 |
Transport to Japan
| Draft Number | Name of Ship | Departure Date | Arrival Date | Arrival Port | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XD6 | Naura Maru | 44 Apr 29 | 44 May 27 | Moji, Japan | Stopped over in Formosa, went through Nagasaki and Hiroshima to POW camp | Tony Banham |
Transportation SE Asia to Home
| Transport Mode | Arrival Destination | Arrival Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| NATS 50848 | Oakland | 1945-09-20 | Aircraft from Guam |
From the records of Gene Labiuk: Aircraft from Guam via, San Francisco, train then north to Victoria or Vancouver.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-05-07 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Surrey British Columbia Canada | Valley View Memorial Gardens Cemetery | Yes | |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
BEATON - John Donald, born in Vancouver, BC, March 15, 1920 to John Finlay and Francis Sherry Beaton. Don passed away in his sleep at home, on May 7, 2005, after a brief battle with lung cancer. Don grew up in Vancouver and enlisted in the Canadian Military in 1939 where he served in the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals, Winnipeg Grenadiers, as a motorcycle dispatch rider. After being captured in the battle for Hong Kong, Don spent 4 1/2 years in Japanese Prisoner of War camps. Upon his release in 1945, he returned to Vancouver and worked for the Canadian Post Office for 32 years before his retirement in 1978. He was predeceased by his first wife Josephine in 1954, his brother Allan (Eileen Gray) in 1974 and his grandson Michael in 1983. He is fondly remembered by his surviving family: Ivy his wife of 50 years, daughter Donna (Larry) Magill, Eatonville, Wash.); son Chris (Lise); grandchildren Carrie and Greg Magill, Nicole (Dan) Klassen and Emily Beaton; great-grandchild Joshua Klassen; brother Franciscan Brother Kenneth Beaton (Lumsden, Saskatchewan); sisters, Mary Paris, Kay Rankin and Claire (Basil) Plimley, numerous nieces and nephews and many dear family friends. Don and Ivy enjoyed many years of camping, fishing, traveling with family and friends in their motorhome. When not on the road they cruised to many special ports of call. The warmth and beauty of Hawaii called them back year after year. Don will be remembered as a prolific reader who loved his family and friends and enjoyed many hours of conversation with loved ones. He had a special place in his heart for each of his grandchildren and took pleasure in surprising them with gifts. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, May 13, 2005 at 2:00 pm in St. Patrick's Catholic Church, 2281 Main Street, Vancouver, B.C. in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the BC Cancer Society or to the BC Children's Hospital. VALLEY VIEW FUNERAL HOME
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
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.
- 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.