1st Bn The Royal Rifles of Canada
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Malcolm | Thomas Gordon |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Bury QC | Eastern Quebec | 1897-11-21 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| Company Commander | HQ Coy | Coy HQ |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 41/12/21 | Compound fracture of left forearm believed caused by shrapnel | 36 |
Hospital Information
| Name of hospital | Date of admission | Date of discharge | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-BMH | N/A | N/A | Known to in hospital on 42 Aug 10 | 26 |
| HK-QMH | N/A | N/A | Healing the wound |
POW Camps
| Camp ID | Camp Name | Location | Company | Type of Work | Arrival Date | Departure Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-SM-01 | Stanley | Fort Stanley, Hong Kong Island | Capture | 41 Dec 30 | ||
| HK-NP-01 | North Point | North Point, Hong Kong Island | 41 Dec 30 | 42 Sep 26 | ||
| HK-SA-02 | Shamshuipo | Kowloon, Hong Kong | 42 Sep 26 | 43 Aug 19 | ||
| HK-AS-02 | Argyle Street | Kowloon, Hong Kong | 43 Aug 19 | 44 May 11 | ||
| HK-SA-02 | Shamshuipo | Kowloon, Hong Kong | 44 May 11 | 45 Sep 10 |
Transportation SE Asia to Home
| Transport Mode | Arrival Destination | Arrival Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
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.
Decorations Received
| Image | Name of Award | Abbreviation | References | Precedence | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Mentioned-in-Despatches | MiD | 37, 38, 123 | 13 | Citation not found |
 | Distinguished Conduct Medal | DCM | 07 | Citation not found | |
 | Efficiency Decoration | ED | 12 | Citation not found |
Other Military or Public Service
Malcolm MacAulay also served in WW1 with the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles and won the D.C.M. for distinguished conduct at Passchendale Ridge in 1917.
Death and Cemetery Information
| Date of Death (y-m-d) | Cause of Death | Death Class | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-04-01 | Post War | ||
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Sarasota Florida USA | Pine Shores Memorial Garden Cemetery | ||
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
Sarasota, Florida
Lt. Col. Thomas Gordon MacAulay died at his home in Bay Village, Sarasota, Florida on Sunday, April 1, 1984.
He leaves to mourn his loss, his wife Evelyn May Sherman; a son Gordon and his wife Gayle of Ottawa; a daughter-in-law Marion of Beckley, West Virginia; a daughter Dawn and her husband Blythe Broughton of Kingston; a sister, Margaret Chesbrough of Boonton, N.J.; 16 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a son, Dr. Malcolm G.S. MacAulay of Beckley, West Virginia in 1974; brothers, Ernest of Bishopton in 1982 and Jackson of Quebec in 1946, and sister, Edith of New York in 1951.
Col. MacAulay was the second son of the late John MacAulay and his wife Harriet Bishop, and was born in East Dudswell, November 21, 1897.
He enlisted with the 117 Eastern Townships Battalion in 1915, transferred to the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles and served with them in France and Belgium. He was presented with the D.C.M. for distinguished conduct in the field of Passchendale Ridge in 1917. He was wounded at Merricourt in 1918 and spent time in hospital in England. He came back to Canada in 1919 and later settled in East Angus where he worked for the Brompton Pulp and Paper Mill.
He married the former Evelyn May Sherman on July 11, 1923 and they celebrated their 60th anniversary in 1983. In 1927, he moved to the Anglo Canadian Pulp and Paper Company in Quebec where he remained until his retirement in 1963, when he moved to Sarasota, Florida.
Col. MacAulay was very active in the militia. In 1921, he was appointed lieutenant in the 7th Hussars. The next year, he was promoted to captain and in 1923, to major, commanding the Scotstown Squadron. In 1932, he was made Brigade Major of the 4 Mounted Brigade. He was promoted to Lt. Col. and became Officer Commanding the amalgamated 7/XIth Hussars in 1936.
When WWII broke out, the 7/XIth Hussars amalgamated with the Royal Rifles of Canada and Col. MacAulay was made Company Commander of Headquarters Company reverting to the rank of major. The Royal Rifles were dispatched to Hong Kong in 1941 where he was mentioned in dispatches for efficient services during the siege of the island. The servicemen were captured by the Japanese forces, resulting in four years as a prisoner of war. He served two terms as honorary Lt. Col., one with the 7/XIth Hussars and the second with the Sherbrooke Hussars.
Tom MacAulay was active in Chalmers Wesley United Church, Quebec and an elder for several years. He continued his involvement with church activities at Pine Shores Presbyterian Church, Sarasota, where he was also an elder for several years. He was a member for 60 years of the Friendship Lodge No. 66, A.F. & A.M. GRQ Masons.
A large Memorial Service was held at Bay Village Chapel on Wednesday, April 4 with relatives, resident Masons and many friends attending, including son Gordon, daughter Dawn Broughton, cousin Brig. Gen. Ross Bishop and his wife of Dunedin, Florida, fellow officer, Capt. Fred Royal and his wife of Burlington, Ontario, Ruth Sherman and Betty and Mac Dunsmore of Wells Beach, Maine. Favourite hymns of the deceased were sung and the service was conducted by a close friend, Rev. J. Thomas Young, senior minister at Pine Shores Presbyterian Church. The ashes were buried in the Prayer Garden at Pine Shores Presbyterian Church. Col. MacAulay will be mourned by a large circle of relatives and friends.
Among the floral tributes was a beautiful wreath from the Brothers of the Royal Rifles of Canada and the Hong Kong Veterans Association.
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
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.