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B-68226
Rifleman
Frederick Arthur Cooper
1919/10/02 - Born Ontario, Canada
Royal Rifles of Canada
1st Battalion
‘C’ Company
Service
1941 - In the Autumn the British government accepted the Canadian Government's offer, to send two infantry battalions (1,975 personnel) to reinforce the Hong Kong garrison.
‘C’ Force was formed comprising of the Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers
1941 - Members of 'C' Force from the East travelled across Canada by Canadian National Railways picking up reinforcements enroute. Stops included Valcartier, Montreal, Ottawa, Armstrong ON, Capreol ON, Winnipeg, Melville SK, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Jasper, and Vancouver.
1941/10/27 - Arrived Vancouver at 0800 hrs.
1941/10/27 - ‘C’ Force did not have their full equipment as the freighter ‘Don Jose’, was carrying all their vehicles and was diverted to Manila when war began. , sailed from Vancouver aboard the Awatea accompanied by Prince Robert. Awatea was a New Zealand Liner and the Prince Robert was a converted cruiser.
1942/11/16 - Arrived Hong Kong where all of ‘C’ Force was quartered at Nanking Barracks, Sham Shui Po Camp, in Kowloon.
When the Japanese attacked Hong Kong, ‘C’ Force fought with heavy losses in the Battle for Hong Kong.
1941/12/25 - Hong Kong Surrendered
Japanese PoW
1941/12/26 - Captured Hong Kong - ‘We had been held up in a Pill Box at the base of Sugar Loaf Mountain. The Lieutenant of Hong Kong regiment and 2 Japanese Guards had been looking for us, (there were four of us, Alan Harper, & Ken Campbell, myself and 1 other soldier) The Lieutenant asked us to put our guns down, as they were now prisoners of the Japanese.’
1941/12/26 - Fort Stanley
1941/12/30 - North Point, Hong Kong Island
1942/09/26 - Shamshuipo - Kowloon, Hong Kong
1943/01/19 - Transported in Tatsuta Maru with 1200 PoWs (663 Canadians) to Japan. This was the third draft from Hong Kong to Japan and the first draft of Canadians. The ship was so overcrowded there was no room to lay down on the journey.
1943/01/22 - Arrived Nagasaki, Japan.
1943//01/24 - Boarded train bound for Tokyo
1943/01/24 - Tokyo 14D - Tsurumi PoW Camp
PoW No. 1435
Worked for Nippon Steel Tube - Tsurumi Shipyards
1945/05/13 - Transported with 163 Canadians to Sendai 1B - Yumoto POW Camp
Worked for Joban Coal Mining Company
1945/09/02 - Liberated
Travelled home from Yokohama, Japan aboard the battleship USS Wisconsin to the Island of Guam. From Guam flew to Hawaii then to Oakland by boat. Onto San Francisco by train. From San Francisco to Vancouver, arriving 1954/10/03.
Left Vancouver by train arriving at Union Station, Toronto 1945/10/08.
Died
Age 99
4th January 2019
At his home in Keswick, Ontario
Obituary of Frederick Cooper
1919-2019
Died peacefully at his home in Keswick, on Friday, January 4, 2019 at the age of 99 years. Frederick, beloved husband of the late Delilah. Dear father of Bill and his wife Suzanne, Gord and his wife Carol, Lois and her husband John Leppan, Ron, Darlene and her husband Phil Comartin, and Dianne and her husband Eric Day. Loving grandfather of ten and great grandfather of ten. Fondly remembered by his extended family and many friends.
Information
Tony Banham
Roger Mansell
Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association
KEW:- WO 361/1983, WO 361/1970,
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