1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Sergeant | (attached) | |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Gander NF | Newfoundland | 1935-04-15 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| Mascot (dog) | HQ Coy | 5 Pioneer |
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
Killed in action at Lye Mun Gap. 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.Decorations Received
| Image | Name of Award | Abbreviation | References | Precedence | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Dickin Medal | DM | 121 | 10 | |
Dickin Medal InformationFor saving the lives of Canadian infantrymen during the Battle of Lye Mun on Hong Kong Island in December 1941. On 3 documented occasions (Pal aka) Gander, the Newfoundland mascot of the Royal Rifles of Canada, engaged the enemy as his regiment joined the Winnipeg Grenadiers, members of Battalion Headquarters 'C' Force and other Commonwealth troops in their courageous defence of the Island. Twice Gander's attacks halted the enemy's advance and protected groups of wounded soldiers. In a final act of bravery the war dog was killed in action gathering a grenade. Without Gander's intervention many more lives would have been lost in the assault.Gander aka Pal, is the first dog in fifty-five years to be awarded the Dickin Medal, and the only dog, from Canada to receive the award. | |||||
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941-12-19 | Killed by grenade saving companions | Killed In Action | |
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
He Was a Hero
This Courageous Newfoundland Dog fearlessly helps defend Hong Kong and his fellow Canadian Soldiers from the invading Japanese Army during WWII.
Over the last 6 years I have been reading and writing about SGT Gander and his trials and tribulations he endured throughout his brief life.
Gander was born April 15, 1935 in Botwood Newfoundland and 3 years later was the Father of 10 pups. Became a family pet of the Rod Hayden Family in Gander.
Pal was the typical Newfoundland Dog. While playing with the neighborhood kids, Pal accidently scratched Joan Chafe's face and because of Pal's size, it was thought he was too big to play with and might hurt one of the kids again. He was given to the Royal Rifles to be their Mascot. The Royal Rifles, in honor of the community he came from, changed his name to Gander. Because of his size and talents, Gander was assigned to the Military Police division of the unit and was given the rank of Sergeant.
On October 27, 1941 the Royal Rifles and the Winnipeg Grenadiers combined forces and became "C - Force" and were reassigned to Hong Kong to help the British defend Hong Kong from the Japanese Army.
The Battle of Hong Kong began 5 hours after the invasion of Pearl Harbor and the Canadian Force battled the Ferocious Japanese for 17 days till laying down their weapons on Christmas Day 1941.
During the battle, SGT Gander proved to be a formidable force in military action and heroically fought till his death protecting his fellow Canadian Soldiers. SGT Gander for his Bravery above and beyond was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal 59 years after his Gallant Actions October 27, 2000. The Dickin Medal is the Animal's Victoria Cross, which in the US is compared to the Congressional Medal of Honor.
August 15, 2009 was the day that "C - Force" was Honored and Remembered by Canada with the unveiling of the Battle of Hong Kong Memorial Wall in Ottawa. Every member of the unit was listed on the Wall and to a man all of the Hong Kong Veteran's made it a point that ALL the Soldier's would have their names on the Wall and SGT Gander's name is on that Memorial Wall also.
Submitted by JP Bear February 2021
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
A Dog Named GANDER
This book is dedicated to the 2,000 Canadian soldiers of "C-Force" who, in the face of an imminent Japanese threat, were sent to reinforce the far distant British Crown Colony of Hong Kong in October of 1941.
It is also dedicated to their mascot who was an unusual and heroic Newfoundland dog named Gander, who fought bravely until, in a final act of heroism on the battlefield of Hong Kong, gave up his life for his comrades.
The Story of brave Gander and the Canadian defenders of Hong Kong is not about how they were defeated by vastly superior Japanese forces, but how together, in their gallant defence of the island, they showed the world the mettle of which they were made.
40 Pages, Photos - Size 11" x 8.5". Also available in French.
Order from HKVCA: Soft cover. $20.00 plus postage. Mail cheque payable to HKVCA, P.O. Box 381, Winnipeg, MB R3C 2H6.
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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