1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers
Red River Métis
General Information | ||
| Rank: | First Name: | Second Name: |
|---|---|---|
| Private | Malcolm | John |
| From: | Enlistment Region: | Date of Birth (y-m-d): |
| Selkirk MB | Manitoba | 1918-09-17 |
| Appointment: | Company: | Platoon: |
| A | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 41/12/25 | N/A |
Hospital Information
No record of hospital visits found.POW Camps
| Camp ID | Camp Name | Location | Company | Type of Work | Arrival Date | Departure Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HK-NP-01 | North Point | North Point, Hong Kong Island | 41 Dec 20 | 41 Dec 22 | ||
| HK-AS-01 | Argyle Street | Kowloon, Hong Kong | 41 Dec 22 | Dec 26 | ||
| 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 Aug 15 | ||
| JP-To-5B | Niigata-Rinko | Niigata-ken, Nakakambara-gun, Ogata-mura, Japan | Marutsu, Rinko Coal, Shintetsu | Stevedore labor at port of Niigata (Marutsu), primarily foodstuffs; mining coal (Rinko Coal ) and labor at a foundry (Shintetsu) | 43 Sep 02 | 45 Jul 15 |
Transport to Japan
| Draft Number | Name of Ship | Departure Date | Arrival Date | Arrival Port | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XD4B | Manryu Maru | 43 Aug 15 | 43 Sep 01 | Osaka, Japan | Brief stopover in Taihoku (Taipei), Formosa (Taiwan); then 2 day stopover at northern point for stool tests | Tony Banham |
Commemorative Feature
A map detailing the location of this feature can be found in this soldier's vault. (See Vault explanation below in the Links and Other Resources block) .
| Site Description | Location | Province | Map Reference | Lat/Long | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawes Bay | in Snyder Lake, Manitoba | Manitoba | 64 N/05 | 59 20' 35"; 101 43' 48" | 1995 |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945-07-15 | Glycol poisoning | Died while POW | |
| Cemetery Location | Cemetery | Grave Number | Gravestone Marker |
| Jido-Yuenchi-Dori Hodogaya Japan | Yokohama War Cemetery | Cdn. Sec. A. C. 3. | NA |
Gravestone Image
Obituary / Life Story
Calgarian Dies In Jap Camp
Pte. Malcolm Hawes, Winnipeg Grenadiers, died July 21 in a Japanese prison camp, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. F. C. Hawes, 1701 26th Ave. S.E., have been informed.Pte. Hawes is believed to be the only one of six Calgary soldiers taken prisoner at Hong Kong who did not survive the 44 months in Jap prison camps.
Pte. Hawes attended Col. Walker school here, and before his be enlistment worked at the Manitoba Rolling Mills in Selkirk, Manitoba. He enlisted in the Winnipeg Grenadiers Sept. 7, 1939, and spent 15 months with the regiment in Jamaica. His parents saw him briefly in October, 1941, when he passed through Calgary on his way to the West Coast from where the Grenadiers sailed to Hong Kong. Pte. Hawes' wife is Mrs. C Dora Hawes, Selkirk, Manitoba.
Research conducted as part of the HKVCA Indigenous Veterans Project for this veteran are available in our Vault. To access this research use the link displayed below under Related Documentation.
Links and Other Resources
Malcolm HAWES noted on Selkirk Manitoba ancestry
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
SON WAS POISONED
Apart from the wildly cheering crowds stood a black garbed lady, leaning on her cane as she dabbed at the tears in her eyes. She was Mrs. F. C. Hawes, 1701 26th Ave. S.E. These men were the friends of her son, Pte. Malcolm Hawes, who had died at Nigata prison camp in Japan only a month before liberation. He was captured at Hong Kong.As word of her presence spread among the returned men, dozens crowded about her telling of the boy with whom they had lived four years. One had a diary and another her son's autograph album. All had words of comfort.
He had been appointed group leader of the men because of his enthusiasm and cheerfulness, his mother was told.
After he had been poisoned, his friends wouldn't say how, the Japanese did everything possible to help. Medicines and outside doctors were brought in. He was given tins of canned milk from the meagre supply. Two days later he died, July 15.
Others in the group spoke to Mrs. Harold Parker, daughter of Mrs. Hawes. They promised also to visit Pte. Hawes' wife, Dora, in Selkirk, Manitoba.
Even as the train pulled out heads bobbed from various cars to shout encouragement to the boy's mother, who by then ignored the tears streaming down her face as she waved and called to each.
The Calgary Albertan Tuesday, Oct 09, 1945, Page 9
End of Report.
Report generated: 26 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.