1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Lance Corporal | Franklyn | Charles |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Meadow Lake SK | British Columbia | 1914-11-06 |
| 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
| Date Wounded | Wound Description | References |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | N/A |
Hospital Information
| Name of hospital | Date of admission | Date of discharge | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-UNK | N/A | N/A | Transferred to BMH | |
| HK-BMH | 01/08/1942 | 01/09/1942 | 118 |
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 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 May 13 |
| JP-Se-1B | Yumoto | Fukushima-ken, Iwaki-gun, Yumoto-cho, Mizunoya, Japan | Joban Coal Mining Company | 45 May 13 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NATS 90399 | Oakland | 1945-09-20 |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-04-28 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Blue River British Columbia Canada | Blue River Cemetery | ||
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
PETCH - Franklin Charles, born November 6, 1914, passed away in Clearwater Hospital April 28, 1989. He is survived by two older brothers; William of Merritt, B.C. and Robert of Clearwater, B.C. and two younger sisters; Agnes Witges of Dawson Creek, B.C. and Alice Midgett of Meadow Lake, Sask., plus many nieces and nephews. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him. A Memorial Service was held at 1:30 - P.M., Tuesday, May 2, 1989, in the Evangelical Free Church at Blue River, B.C. Several Hong Kong and Legion veteran comrades were there to take part in the Service.
FRANKLIN CHARLES PETCH Born Nov. 6th 1914, Brenda Manitoba. Finished school in Senlac Saskatchewan Homesteaded in Meadow Lake Sask. with family
Signed up with P.P.C.L.I. in Winnipeg. Transferred to the Winnipeg Grenadiers Spent almost 4 years as a P.O.W. in Hong Kong
Upon return resided in Blue River & Kamloops Worked for Welsh Construction for 20 years. Passed away April 28 1989 at Clearwater B.C. Survived by older brothers Bill and Bob and younger sisters Agnes and Alice.
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
Mr. Frank Harding, H17667, did the eulogy. Winnipeg Grenadiers Honorary Pallbearers: Fred Wright, H17495, Maurice LaPointe, H6677, Frank Harding, H17667, Bob Block, H16659.
Eulogy – Frank Petch May 2/89
Franklin Charles Petch was born near Brenda, Man. Nov. 6,1914. At the age of 4 yrs., he moved with his family to Gainsborough, Sask., then to Westlock, Alta. During these years the family lost their mother. After her death, the family moved to Senlac, Sask. where they remained for 10 yrs. While his father & 2 older brothers worked, Frank played housemother to 2 younger sisters & a brother.
The next move came when the family took up a homestead at Meadow Lake, Sask. In his early teens, Frank went to northern Sask. to try his hand at commercial fishing. During the Hungry 30's, Frank, along with half of Canada, "rode the rails" working wherever it could be found. Working in Penticton when war broke out, Frank joined the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and was sent to Winnipeg in early 1940 for training. In the spring of '41 his leadership abilities were recognized and he was sent on an N.C.O. Instructor course at Camp Shilo, Man. He was instructing the first crop of trainees in the fall of '41 when the Wpg. Grenadiers called for men. Not wanting to spend the war as an instructor, he transferred to the W. G. & shipped out to Hong Kong, arriving on Nov. 16/1941.
The colony was attacked by the Japanese on Dec 7th & surrendered on Christmas day. All P.O.W.'s were put in a prison camp & spent 1942 building the airport in Hong Kong. January '43 Frank, and 750 other Canadians were sent to Japan to work in a shipyard in Yokohama. After the Americans bombed the shipyard in Feb '45, Frank along with 200 men were sent to (Sendai) in northern Japan.
Japan surrendered on Aug. 14. 1945 but Frank & his comrades were not found for a month. The Americans took them by train to Tokyo, then by plane to Guam. In a few weeks time, they were back to Vancouver, then to Wpg.
In Feb '46, Frank was discharged from the army as a Cpl. & moved to Blue River to be with his father & brothers. Later, his work with the railroad took him to Kamloops til he retired. He then returned to Blue River. Frank passed away in Clearwater hospital on April 28, 1989.
He is survived by 2 older brothers, William & Robert, 2 younger sisters, Agnes & Alice, and several nephews & nieces.
Delivered by Frank Harding
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.