Click on one of the units in the pop-up list you see when your cursor is on 'Search Garrison' to the left.
Search Garrison
These pages help you find and trace the fates of some 14,000 members of the Hong Kong Garrison of 1941, and over 4,000 non-Chinese civilians.
Please Note:.
The in-page HTML navigation allows you to jump to individual units and personal footnotes. If you are not sure which unit someone was in, please just scroll or use your browser's 'find in page' facility. Explorer 6.0 and above gives the best results, due to the software on which this site was built.
Some Indian garrison data, and some Civilian, is still missing from these pages. These will be added over time.
Instructions for Decoding Entries
Burial Records
K - Known grave. (At Stanley or Sai Wan military cemeteries unless otherwise stated). U - Unknown grave. (Commemorated in Hong Kong unless otherwise stated). UP - Unknown grave. Commemorated in Plymouth UPO - Unknown grave. Commemorated in Portsmouth UC - Unknown grave. Commemorated in Chatham UT - Unknown grave. Commemorated at Tower Hill UCWD - Unknown grave. Commemorated in the list of Civilian War Dead UX - Unknown grave. Not in CWGC records. HKJ - Hong Kong Jewish Cemetery CCC - Cape Collinson Roman Catholic Cemetery HKM - Hong Kong Muslim Cemetery HKC - Hong Kong Cemetery HKR - Hong Kong Roman Catholic Cemetery Y - Yokohama Cemetery Died 9999 - Died post-war, with year
Note: Those entries followed by a date in bold indicate that the date ascribed to the death in this book is derived from my researches, and contradicts the records of the CWGC. The date ascribed by the CWGC is that in bold. Occasionally, if the date of death is uncertain, the CWGC may have originally ascribed a range of possibilities, such as 19/25 Dec; unfortunately, in the online system at least, these have now been converted to the earliest date in the range (i.e. the 19th, in this example). Date conflicts of those who died in the fighting are provided in the text, but conflicts for those who died in captivity are in the garrison section.
Hospital Records SSH - St. Stephen’s College Relief Hospital BRH - Bowen Road Hospital STH - St. Teresa’s Hospital SAH - St. Albert’s Convent Relief Hospital HKH - Hong Kong Hotel Relief Hospital IGH - Indian General Hospital RNH - Royal Naval Hospital WMH - War Memorial Hospital UH - University Hospital CSUC - Chinese School University Compound
H - Hospitalised, cause not known S - Hospitalised, Sick W - Hospitalised, Wounded 12.23 (e.g.) - Date of Entry to Hospital
Occurrences where a hospital abbrieviation (usually BRH or STH) appears in the transportation column indicate that the individual concerned died in that hospital.
Initial Place of Internment These details are taken from the January 1942 ‘census’ of prisoners. Generally those recorded as being at North Point at this time were captured at Stanley, and those at Sham Shui Po were captured in Victoria.
Military:
NP - North Point Camp SSP - Shamshuipo Camp Argyle - Argyle Street Camp LHT - Luk Hoi Tong hotel NKH - Namking Hotel TKH - Tai Koon Hotel NAH - New Asia Hotel
Civilian: LBSRHKH - List of British Subjects residing at the Hong Kong Hotel 17.1.42 HKUSCR - Hong Kong University Staff and Civilian Refugees of British and US Nationality HKTC - Hong Kong Telephone Coy. British European Staff interned in Exchange Building NSRKH - Nursing Staff and Refugees removed from the Chinese YMCA to the Kowloon Hotel IAKH - Internees at Kowloon Hotel At 18.1.1942 LHT - List of those at the Luk Hoi Tong Boarding House MCH - Internees at Mee Chow Hotel NKH - Internees at Nam King Hotel NPH - Internees at Nam Ping Hotel NAH - Internees at New Asia Hotel ISH - Internees at Stag Hotel SWH - Internees at Sun Wah Hotel TKH - Internees at Tai Koon Hotel TFH - Internees at Tung Fong Hotel LSH - Internees at La Salle Relief Hospital MFP - Internees at Maryknoll First Aid Post SPH - Internees at St. Paul’s Hospital SPH2 - Internees at St. Paul’s Hospital (arrived from NP Camp) SPH3 - Internees at St. Paul’s Hospital (arrived from Tai Hang) WMH - Internees at War Memorial Hospital MRH - Internees at Matilda Relief Hospital MHI - Members of the Health Inspectorate MHS - Mental Hospita-l Staff PHS - Prison Hospital Staff BIS Bacteriological Institute Staff URH - British Staff at University Relief Hospital MRH2 - Patients Admitted to the Matilda Relief Hospital
Transportations to Japanese POW Camps (XD1) First transportation LM - Lisbon Maru – died (LM) - Lisbon Maru (survived) (XD3) Third transportation (XD4) Fourth transportation (XD5) Fifth transportation (XD6) Sixth transportation
Awards CGM - Conspicuous Gallantry Medal DSO - Distinguished Service Order GC - George Cross KCfBC - King’s Commendation for Brave Conduct MC - Military Cross MBE - Member of the British Empire MiD - Mentioned in Dispatches MM - Military Medal OBE - Order of the British Empire RCI - Red Cross I RCII - Red Cross II VC - Victoria Cross
Mentions in the Body of Literature (99) - Book(s) mentioning the individual indicated. See Bibliography for key.
Other (argyle) - This indicates an Other Rank imprisoned in Argyle Street as a Batman or Cook. (china) - This indicates an escapee/evader, recorded as passing through China by BAAG.
Headquarters, China Command G Admin A Q Command Royal Artillery Command Engineers Command Signals Command RASC Command Ordnance Medical Service Branch Command Barrack Officer Financial Advisor & Army Audit Staff Provost Marshall – Corps of Military Police 2nd Echelon Royal Engineers HQ Fortress Engineers 22 Fortress Company, RE 40 Fortress Company, RE RE Services D.O.R.E. Other Support Units Royal Corps of Signals, Hong Kong Signals Company Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) Royal Army Service Corps (RASC), 12 Hong Kong Company Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC) Army Educational Corps Corps of Military Police Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC), 27 Company Royal Army Dental Corps (RADC) Royal Army Pay Corps (RAPC) Queen Alexander’s Imperial Nursing Service (QAIMNS) Royal Army Chaplain’s Department
Field Company Engineers Corps Signals ASC Unit Pay Detachment Reconnaisance Unit Air Unit Field Ambulance Special Guard Company Hughes Group Fortress Signal Company Stanley Platoon Nursing Detachment Artillery Batteries Corps Artillery HQ 1st Battery 2nd Battery 3rd Battery 4th Battery 5th (AA) Battery Infantry Companies Infantry Officers Armoured Car Platoon No. 1 Company No. 2 (Scottish) Company No. 3 (Eurasian) Company No. 4 (Chinese) Company No. 5 (Portuguese) Company No. 6 (Portuguese) LAA Company No. 7 Company Unallocated HKVDC
Headquarters & Supporting Units Canadian Staff Corps of Military Staff Clerks Canadian Provost Corps Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (RCAMC) Canadian Army Dental Corps Canadian Service Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (RCCS) Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (RCASC) Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps (RCAPC) Canadian Postal Corps Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps (RCOC) Canadian Chaplains Service Canadian Auxiliary Services Unallocated Canadian Forces Winnipeg Grenadiers Royal Rifles of Canada
Headquarters & Supporting Units Indian Hospital Corps (IHC) Indian Medical Service (IMS) Royal Indian Army Service Corps Hong Kong Mule Corps, RIASC 5th Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment 2nd Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment
HMS Tamar HMS Thracian HMS Thanet HMS Scout HMS Tern HMS Robin HMS Redstart HMS Cicala HMS Moth Other Vessels APV Minnie APV Margaret APV St. Aubin APV St. Sampson APV Indira APV Henriette APV Shun Wo APV Han Wo APV Frosty APV Poseidon Ho Hsing Teh Hsing Chun Hsing
APV Perla
APV Stanley APV Britannia HMS Barlight HMS Aldgate HMS Watergate HMS Cornflower Naval Armament Tug Gatling Jeanette WD vessel Victoria WD vessel French RFA Ebonol
MTB 07 MTB 08 MTB 09 MTB 10 MTB 11 MTB 12 MTB 26 MTB 27 Royal Navy, Other Unallocated RN Unallocated RNR Unallocated RNVR Royal Marines (Tamar) Fleet Air Arm Queen Alexandra’s RN Nursing Service Merchant Navy Totally Unallocated Navy
Indian Company, Police Reserve Chinese Company, Police Reserve Auxiliary Services Auxiliary Fire Service Auxiliary Transport Service Auxiliary Medical Corps Auxiliary Nursing Service Other Auxiliary Services Others MI6 Air Raid Precautions Fire Brigade St. John’s Ambulance NAAFI
Great Britain United States of America Other Nationalities Australia Belgium Canada Denmark France Germany Holland Hungary India Iran Ireland Italy New Zealand Norway Philippines Poland Portugal Russia Switzerland Thailand Turkey
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Published Sources
(91)* 17 Days Until Christmas Leo Paul Berard
A Borrowed Place Frank Welsh
A History of the Hong Kong Cricket Club 1851-1989. Robinson, Spencer (ed)
A Matter of Honour - An Account of the Indian Army Mason, Philip.
(96)* A Mountain of Light Coates, A.
(24)* A Record of the Actions of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps Major Evan
A Regiment at War – The Royal Scots Stuart McBain, Edinburgh, Pentland Press 1988
(61)* A Tear for the Dragon John Stericker, Arthur Barker, 1958
(78)* A Yen For My Thoughts G.A. Leiper, 1982
Account of the part played by the 1st Battalion the Middlesex Regiment in the defence of Hong Kong, December 1941, Journal of Middlesex Regt, Vol. VIII, No.3 (Sept 1947), and No. 4 (Dec 1947) Hedgecoe, S.F.
(4)* After The Battle Number 83 Winston G. Ramsey, 1994
After The Violent Storm Okada
(94)* An End to Tears Russell Clark
Asian Conquest Richard Summerlee 1958
(19)+ At The Going Down of the Sun Oliver Lindsay, Hamish Hamilton 1981
(90)* BAAG Edwin Ride
(113)+ Battlefields Review Number 16, November 2001
* Beneath the Shadow Bertram, James This is in fact ‘The Shadow Of A War’ under a different title.
(31)* Bondservant of the Japanese Robert B. Hammond, 1942
(64)* Bridge with Three Men Anthony Hewitt, London: Jonathan Cape, 1986
British and Indian Armies on the China Coast Farnham, 1990
(55)* "C" Force to Hong Kong – A Canadian Catastrophe Greenhous, Brereton.
Campaigns in South-East Asia 1941-42 (Official history of the Indian Armed Forces in the
Canadian Prisoners of War and Missing Personnel in the Far East Canadian Government
(6)* Captive Christmas Birch, Alan, and Cole, Hong Kong Heinemann Education Books 1979
(39)* Captive Surgeon in Hong Kong Donald Bowie
Clutch of Circumstance Bush, Lewis
China, Britain and Hong Kong 1895-1945 K.C. Chan Lau, Chinese University Press 1990
(56)* China To Me: A Partial Autobiography Hahn, Emily
Dai Toa Sensoshi Tenshi, Tokyo, Hara Shobo, 1967
(49)* Despatch Major-General C.M. Maltby: Supplement to London Gazette, 29-Jan-1948
Despatch Sir Mark Young Events in Hong Kong on 25 December 1941, Special
(28)* Desperate Siege: The Battle of Hong Kong Ted Ferguson
() Diary of a Prisoner of War in Japan Georges Verrault
(22)* Dispersal and Renewal Edited by Clifford Matthews and Oswald Cheung, HKUP 1998
(116)* Eastern Epic, Volume I Mackenzie, 1951, Chatto and Windus
Eastern Waters Eastern Winds Chambers, Gillian
(87)* Eastern Windows Western Skies Jean Gittins
(14)* Eighteen Days Colonel D.R. Bennett RAPC (The Command Pay Office Hong Kong)
(18)* Escape from the Bloodied Sun Freddie Guest, London 1956
(102)* Escape through China Bosanquet, David
(21)+ Escape to Fight On Whitehead & Bennett, Robert Hale, London 1990
(124)* Farewell Hong Kong (1941) Christopher Briggs MBE, Hesperian Press 2001
(9)* Footprints, the Memoirs of Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke, 1975
(63)* Four George Crosses Won In Hong Kong 1943-1946 John Harris
Fourteenth Punjab Regiment: a short history, 1939-1945 London, Lund Humphries
Freedom Bridge: Maryknoll in Hong Kong Surface, Bill and Jim Hart
From Jamaica to Japan Thomas S. Forsyth
From Peking to Perth Sis Briggs
(140)+ General of Fortune. The fabulous story of one-arm Sutton Charles Drage, Heinemann 1963
(114)* Grey Touched with Scarlet Jean Bowden 1959, Robert Hale Limited
(89)* Guest of Hirohito Ken Cambon, 1990
() Guest of an Emperor Martin Weedon
() Hell On Earth Dave McIntosh
High Endeavours Clark, Mile Biography of Charles Boxer’s sister, Beryl Smeeton.
(38)* History of RAF Kai Tak Alderson, G.L.D., 1972
(127) History of the IMS (xxxx)
Hong Kong, December 1941 – July 1942 A.D. Blackburn, Journal HKBRAS Vol. 29, 1989
Hong Kong: Before, During and After the War Key, M.F. 1945
(29)* Hong Kong Aftermath Wenzell Brown
(69)* Hong Kong Boy Clive & Dorothy Himsworth, 1999
(1)* Hong Kong Eclipse G.B. Endacott Oxford University Press 1978
(34) Hong Kong Escape R.B. Goodwin OBE, Arthur Barker Ltd., 1953
(125)* Hong Kong Farewell Eddie Gosano 1997
(71)* Hong Kong Full Circle Kennedy, Alexander
(35)* Hong Kong Holiday Emily Hahn, 1946
(65)* Hong Kong Incident Phyllis Harrop , 1943
(132)+ Hong Kong Invaded! A ’97 Nightmare Gillian Bickley, HKUP 2001
(32)* Hong Kong Surgeon Li Shu-Fan, Victor Gollancz Ltd., 1964
Hong Kong Then and Now South China Morning Post
(93)* Hostages to Fortune Tim Carew
(95)* I Escaped From Hong Kong Jan Marsman, 1942
(115) I Was a Hell Camp Prisoner Wright, Robert
I Was at Stanley Gittins, Jean
(88)* In Enemy Hands: Canadian Prisoners of War 1939-45 Danocks, Daniel G.
(41)+ In Oriente Fidelis Starling, P.H.
(97)* Indian Cavalryman Freddie Guest
(108) Japan and the Indian National Army T.R. Sareen
(59)* Jesuits under Fire in the Siege of Hong Kong Fr. T. Ryan, London, 1944
(16)* Kai Tak: A History of Aviation in Hong Kong Peter Pigott, Government Printer
(106)* Living With Japanese Terence Kelly
(141)+ Long Night’s Jouney into Day Charles G. Roland, WLU, 2001
Looking at Stars
Lyemun Barracks, 140 Years of Military History Bruce, Philip, 1987
Matilda: Her Life and Legacy Smith, Joyce Stevens with Joyce Savidge
(54)* Minutes of the Annual Conference of the Methodist Church held in Manchester July 1942
(107)* No Reason Why: The Canadian Hong Kong Tragedy – An Examination Carl Vincent, Ontario, Canada’s Wing 1981
(36) Nobody Said NOT to Go Cuthbertson, Ken.
Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War: Six Years of War, Ottawa, Cloutier, 1955. Ch XIV, pp 437-91, notes, pp. 590-4
Official History of the Indian Armed Forces in the Second World War 1939-45: Campaigns in S.E. Asia (Combined InterServices Historical Section, India and Pakistan, Orient Longman, 1960)
Out of the Shadows W.A.B. Douglas, B. Greenhous 1977
(109) Passport to Eternity Ralph Goodwin
(48)* Prisoner of the Japs Gwen Dew, Heinemann
(51)* Prisoner of the Turnip Heads Wright-Nooth, George
(45)* Quiet Heroines: Nurses of the Second World War Brenda McBryde, 1985
(117) Road to Inamura Bush, Lewis
(101)* Royal Rifles of Canada Arthur Penney
(7)* Ruins of War Ko Tim Keung & Jason Wordie, Joint Publishing (H.K.) Co. Ltd. 1996
(99)* Seared in My Memory Bernie Jesse / Norm Park
Season of Escape (novel) Ford
(42)* Season of Storms Robert L. Gandt
(5) Second to None Phillip Bruce, Hong Kong, Oxford University Press 1991
Shadow Lights of Shamshuipo McNaughton, Staff Sergeant H. P.
(83)* Small Man of Nanataki Nolan, Liam
Soldiers All McNair, Shirley
(110)* Stanley: Behind Barbed Wire Jean Gittins
(10)* Story of the 2/14th Punjab Regiment (D.C.O.) (Brownlow’s) In Hong Kong Capt. Macmillan
(80)* Strange Harmony William Sewell, 1946
(67)* Sui Geng – The Hong Kong Marine Police 1841-1950 Iain Ward, HKUPress 1991
Surviving the Slaughter Crowe, Jean Margaret “Legion Magazine”, Vol 55, No. 7 Dec 1980
The Army Medical Services, Vol II F.A.E. Crew 1957
(66)* The Banknote That Never Was Francis Braun, 1980
(77)* The Bitter End in Hong Kong Benjamin A. Proulx
The British War Crimes Trials in the Far East R. John Pritchard
The Buccaneers Brian Cooper
(33)* The Code of Love Andro Linklater
(11)* The Defence of Hong Kong Lt.-Colonel R.J.L. Penfold, R.A. (The Gunner, Dec 1946)
(3)+ The Fall of Hong Kong Tim Carew, Pan Books, 1960
(20)+ The First of Foot, The History of The Royal Scots, A. Muir, Edinburgh 1961
(8)+ The Guns and Gunners of Hong Kong Denis Rollo, Gunners’ Roll of Hong Kong 1992
(52)* The Hidden Years Luff, John 1967
The Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club Spaeth, Anthony
(2)* The Lasting Honour Oliver Lindsay, London, Hamish Hamilton 1978
(17)+ The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge’s Own) 1919-52 P.K. Kemp, Aldershot, 1956
The Overseas-Indian Community in Hong Kong Vaid, K.N.
The Pacific: Then and Now Bahrenburg, Bruce
The Port of Hong Kong Chiu, T.N.
(58) The Quest of Noel Croucher England, Vaudine.
The Royal Artillery Commemoration Book Anon
The Royal Corps of Signals Nadler
(103)* The Royal Hong Kong Police (1841-1945) Crisswel, Colin and Watson, Hong Kong Macmillan 1982
(15) The Royal Navy in Hong Kong since 1841 Kathleen Harland, Maritime Books
(100)* The Royal Rifles of Canada in Hong Kong Garneau, Grant
(37)* The Shadow of a War James Bertram 1947
() The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru G.C. Hamilton, Green Pagoda Press, 1966
(70)* The Story of Government House Katherine Mattock, 1978
(85)* The Story of the Royal Army Service Corps 1939-45 1955
The Thistle and the Jade: 150 Years of Jardine Mathieson Keswick, M. 1982
(79) The Valour and the Horror Weisbord, Merrily and Merilyn Simonds Mohr.
The Volunteer: Journal of the Royal Hong Kong Defence Corps
(62)* The War Against Japan: Official History of the Second World War (HMSO London 1957-61) Vol I, Chapters V11-IX, pages 107-56 cover Hong Kong. Appendix 6 gives the Japanese Order of Battle.
(53)* The Women of Stanley Bernice Archer
This Soldier's Story George MacDonell
(30)* Through Japanese Barbed Wire Gwen Priestwood, 1944
(86)* Turbans and Traders White, Barbara-Sue, 1994
(57)* Twilight in Hong Kong Field, Ellen, 1960
(126)* Two-Gun Cohen Daniel Levy, St. Martin’s Press, 1997
(60)* Underground from Hong Kong Proulx, Benjamin, 1943
(81)* Unfading Honour: The Story Of The Indian Army Elliott, Major-General J.G. 1964
University of Hong Kong: The First 50 Years Harrison, Brian (ed.), 1962
Victoria Barracks 1842-1979 D.H. Oxley, Hong Kong, British Forces Hong Kong 1979
Vol IX: History: The Corps of Royal Engineers Pakenham-Walsh, Maj General R P
Wayfoong: The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Collis, M. 1965
(111)+ We Flee From Hong Kong Lan, Alice Y. and Betty M. Hu
(50)* Where Life and Death Hold Hands William Allister
Whereon the Wild Thyme Blows Marshall, J.F.
(68)* White Ensign - Red Dragon Commodore P.J. Melson