Irvin Kirwin Ray was born in St. Mary’s River, Guysborough County, on March 12, 1921. Irvin’s father, Joseph Elijah Ray, was the son of Thomas and Catherine Elizabeth (Robar) Ray, St. Mary’s River. According to the 1891 Canadian census, Thomas Ray was a native of England. Irvin’s mother, Melissa Angelina Jack, was the daughter of Jacob and Mary Elizabeth (Rudolph) Jack, Gegoggin.
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| Rifleman Irvin Kirwin Ray |
Joseph and Melissa married at Liscomb on November 15, 1917. At the time of the 1921 census, three sons resided in the Ray household—Russell (YOB c. 1915), John Alexander “Alex” (DOB May 25, 1918), and Irvin, age two months. Thomas Ray, age 54, one of Joseph’s brothers, was also living in the home.
Tragedy struck the Ray family on April 28, 1924, when 29-year-old Melissa died from peritonitis while under medical care in St. Martha’s Hospital, Antigonish. Irvin’s father Joseph and his uncle Thomas kept the family together, managing to provide for Melissa’s three young sons through challenging times. Irvin left school after Grade VI and eventually went to work in the local woods.
Within months of Canada’s entry into the Second World War, Irvin enlisted with the Halifax Rifles on February 27, 1940. A militia unit with a lengthy history of service, the Rifles became part of the Canadian Active Service Force after Canada’s declaration of war on Nazi Germany.
In mid-July 1940, Irvin was assigned to Camp Aldershot for basic training. His service file suggests that the 19-year-old was a spirited young man. During his time in Halifax, he was “placed under stoppage of pay… for Barracks Room Damage.” While at Aldershot, he was sent to “Detention Barracks” on two occasions for “attempting to break into camp” after hours.
Irvin’s actions may have played a role in his transfer to the Royal Rifles of Canada (RRC) on November 28, 1940. Henry Andrew “ Harry” Surrette, a Port Bickerton resident, was also assigned to the RRC’s ranks on the same day and likely accompanied young Irvin on the journey to Sussex, NB, where their new unit was stationed at the time. (Harry Surette’s story is available elsewhere on this blog.)
The RRC, one of Canada’s oldest regiments, traced its roots to the 8th Battalion Volunteer Militia Rifles, established in Quebec City in 1862. As a “rifle regiment,” its soldiers received the rank of “Rifleman” upon enlistment. Officially re-named the Royal Rifles of Canada on March 29, 1920, the regiment was called out for service on August 26, 1939, and placed on active duty the following month.
Shortly after Irvin’s arrival, the RRC departed for Botwood, a small town in north-central Newfoundland. While the island was still a British colony at the time of the war’s outbreak, Canada assumed responsibility for its defence in September 1939. Throughout the war, Canadian infantry, artillery, air force and naval personnel were deployed at strategic locations across the island and along the Labrador coast.
Botwood, located on the shores of Bay of Exploits, possesses a deep natural harbour. In 1920, an airfield was constructed near the town. In the late 1930s, Pan American and the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) made the facility a regular stop on their trans-Atlantic flights. Following the outbreak of war, the location became an RCAF patrol and bombing base that housed two squadrons of PBY Canso flying boats, equipped with torpedoes and depth charges.
Canadian infantry units established a garrison in the town, constructing a barracks, water system and full-scale military hospital. Soldiers were deployed at two gun batteries that defended the harbour’s entrance, and manned several anti-aircraft batteries located throughout the community. Approximately 10,000 Canadian and British personnel served at Botwood at various times during the war.
On August 18, 1941, the Royal Rifles returned to Canada. After a two-week leave, Irvin rejoined the unit in New Brunswick in mid-September. The following month, the battalion was on move again, travelling by train to British Columbia. On October 27, 1941, the RRC and Winnipeg Grenadiers boarded the vessel Awatea and departed for Hong Kong. Approximately 2,000 men were crammed aboard the ship, which was escorted by HMCS Prince Rupert as it crossed the Pacific Ocean.
At the time of the Canadians’ departure, the British colony of Hong Kong was considered a safe deployment. The two infantry units had received only minimal training, but Allied commanders did not anticipate anything more than a routine garrison assignment. In their mind, there was little likelihood that the soldiers would be involved in combat.
The Awatea arrived in Hong Kong on November 16 and Canadian personnel set about establishing defensive positions throughout the territory, in co-ordination with a third British battalion. The Royal Rifles and Winnipeg Grenadiers were assigned to Hong Kong island, where they focused on defending its southern coastline from an amphibious invasion.
A total force of 14,000 military personnel from Canada, Britain, Hong Kong and Singapore were deployed in the Hong Kong area. Indian and Chinese soldiers constituted approximately one-third of the entire force. The colony lacked significant aerial and naval defences, and relied almost exclusively on the infantry units for its security.
In the early morning hours of December 7, 1941, the situation in Hong Kong changed dramatically. The Japanese attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, immediately brought the Pacific power into the war on the side of Germany and Italy. This development posed a significant security threat to British and American territories and military bases throughout the Asia - Pacific region.
When news of the Pearl Harbour attack reached Hong Kong, the entire garrison was immediately ordered to battle stations. Before day’s end, the two Canadian units left their barracks and assumed defensive positions along the island’s southern coast. The anticipated attack commenced at 8:00 am December 8, when Japanese forces destroyed the few Royal Air Force planes stationed at Kai Tak Airport on the mainland. Several hours later, Japanese infantry units crossed the colony’s northern border and engaged British troops.
By December 12, all British units had abandoned positions on the Chinese mainland and retreated to the island of Hong Kong. The following day, British commanders organized their forces into two groups. The Royal Rifles were assigned to the East Brigade, while the Winnipeg Grenadiers were attached to the West Brigade. Both were still primarily responsible for defending the island’s southern coastline.
In the ensuing days, Japanese forces commenced a heavy artillery and aerial bombardment of Hong Kong island, systematically destroying defensive positions on its northern coast. At midnight December 18, Japanese infantry units launched four simultaneous amphibious assaults along a three-kilometre stretch of its northern beaches and fanned out to the east and west.
The Royal Rifles’ “C” Company, in reserve close to the landing area, launched a counter-attack on the invaders during the early morning hours. Other RRC platoons were involved in fighting on the western side of Mount Parker, located in the island’s northeastern corner. Japanese forces located in positions along the hilly terrain inflicted significant casualties on the inexperienced Canadians.
By December 20, the invaders reached Repulse Bay on the southern coast, effectively splitting the island in two. Exhausted and lacking sufficient supplies, the remaining RRC personnel attempted to push northward over the rugged terrain, hoping to dislodge enemy forces and establish contact with their Western Brigade counterparts. Japanese units, however, held their ground against the assault. On the night of December 22/23, the RRC’s personnel received orders to retreat to the Stanley Peninsula, located on the island’s southeastern coast.
At 1:30 pm Christmas Day, in a final desperate effort to push the enemy back, the Royal Rifles’ “D” Company launched a daylight attack on Japanese forces in Stanley Village. While greatly outnumbered, the soldiers managed to enter the village and occupy several houses before a Japanese counter-attack forced them to retreat. The Company suffered 101 casualties, including 26 men killed in action.
The failed counter-attack was one of the last Canadian engagements with the enemy. At 3:15 pm December 25, 1941, British Commander Major-General Christopher Maltby and British Governor Sir Christopher Young officially surrendered to Japanese forces. A total of 290 Canadian soldiers were killed during the Battle of Hong, while another 493 were wounded and taken prisoner. A further 1,192 uninjured soldiers also became prisoners of war.
Irvin Ray was among the uninjured Riflemen taken prisoner that day. While the Geneva Convention established rules for the humane treatment of POWs, Japan was only a signatory to the agreement and never ratified it. As a result, throughout the war, the Japanese government adopted the position that it had the right to change its terms “as required.”
In the immediate aftermath of the surrender, Japanese commanders established two POW camps in Hong Kong, one on the mainland near Kowloon and the other in the northern part of the island. Structures in both camps had been severely damaged during the fighting and were poorly suited for habitation.
The Japanese made no effort to improve the conditions. Up to 175 men were crammed into buildings designed to accommodate 30 people. As beds were infested with vermin, the men slept on the concrete floors. Sanitary facilities were also woefully inadequate for the number of POWs.
As the Japanese Bushido—“the way of the warrior”—considered surrender a shameful act, POWs were considered cowards and treated with contempt. Few of the guards spoke English, forcing internees to learn basic Japanese in order to understand commands. Prisoners who failed to comply with an order were beaten.
Daily food consisted almost exclusively of rice, occasionally mixed with old vegetables or rotten meat. Portions were small, resulting in dramatic weight loss. The poor diet combined with filthy living quarters and unsanitary conditions to produce a number of illnesses in the camps. Dysentery, pellagra (caused by vitamin deficiency), diphtheria, cholera and “beriberi”—inflammation of the nerves and/or heart failure caused by a lack of vitamin B1—soon spread throughout the prison population.
To make matters worse, the men were expected to work, often in horrible conditions. Among other tasks, the Hong Kong POWs rebuilt the damaged Kai Tak Airport entirely by hand. In other locations, POWs in Japanese custody worked in mines, docks and railway yards. Perhaps the most brutal treatment was the use of POWs to build a railway through the dense jungle of Burma.
As the war progressed, Japanese authorities relocated some of the Hong Kong POWs to camps in Japan. The first of four transfers occurred in September 1942 and continued into 1943. In total, approximately 1,100 Canadians were transferred there during the war. Conditions in these camps were very similar to those in Hong Kong—uncomfortable living quarters, lack of food, and widespread sickness.
The facilities in Japan were mainly labour camps established to support the war effort. The men were required to work long hours in conditions that were physically demanding and often unsafe. Accidents and injuries were commonplace, as was illness.
Irvin Ray was among the Hong Kong Canadian POWs transferred to Niigata 5B, located in the seaport of Niigata about 320 kilometres northwest of Tokyo. Situated on the west coast of Honshu Island adjacent to the Sea of Japan, the location was known for its cold and snowy winters. The camp opened on September 3, 1943, with the arrival of 300 POWs from Hong Kong, most of whom were Canadians.
It is not known for certain whether Irvin was part of this initial transfer, but later events suggest that he likely was. The 200 Canadians and 200 other POWs made the journey from Hong Kong in the small hold of a Japanese collier, Manryu Maru, in August 1943. Upon landing at Osaka, the Canadians travelled by train to Niigata. In early October 1943, 350 American POWs arrived in the camp.
The men were housed in a single two-storey wooden building surrounded by a small yard. Approximately 30 men were crammed into each of its 10 rooms, provided only with a cotton blanket and a hard pillow. The sole water source was one outdoor pump—no other washing facilities were available. The outdoor toilet at one end of the barracks was totally inadequate for the number of men, many of whom developed chronic dysentery. A small hut in the yard served as a cook shack.
The men’s work day commenced with roll call at 6:00 am, followed by a march to their workplace. The POWs toiled until 5:00 pm and then marched back to camp. Work assignments continued regardless weather, despite the fact that men lacked proper footwear and clothing for inclement or winter conditions.
The POWs worked in several locations around the city. One group at the Rinko Coal Yard loaded coal into small cars, then pushed them along rails mounted atop an ancient 30-foot trestle. The coal was then dumped into stockpiles or rail cars below the trestle.
A second group of POWs worked at the Shintetso Iron Foundry, a primitive and hazardous operation. The sole benefit was that the men were inside and warm during the winter months. A third group laboured as stevedores at the Marutsu Dock Yard, where they often pilfered food and other valuable commodities and then smuggled them into camp.
Medical treatment initially consisted of a Japanese Medical Corpsman who had been a dental assistant prior to the war. In late October 1943, a Royal Army Medical Corps Major, Bill Stewart, arrived in camp and established a 30-mat sick bay in a barracks room. As winter set in, many of the POWs quickly contracted pneumonia, due to the lack of warm clothing, poor diet and inappropriate shelter.
While it is estimated that only 10 % of the POWs were healthy enough for physical labour, the Japanese authorities insisted that they work regardless of their condition. Of the original 300 Canadians who arrived in Niigata, 102 died from disease, sickness, or work injuries. While there are no official statistics to support the claim, the POW death rate at Niigata was reputed to be the highest of any Japanese labour camp. Many of the survivors suffered from health issues for the remainder of their lives.
Rifleman Irvin Kirwin Ray was among the men who fell victim to the horrible conditions at Niigata. On November 13, 1943, Irvin died in Camp 5B from a combination of pneumonia and starvation. Another Canadian POW, Geoffrey Marsden, Oshawa, ON, was identified as the “witness” on his death certificate. As was the Japanese custom, Irvin was cremated and his ashes were interred in a Niigata cemetery.
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| Commemorative grave marker, Niigata Cemetery |
On February 17, 1944, Major General H. F. G. Letson wrote to Joseph Ray, informing him that Canadian military authorities “had learned of the death of your son, F29946 Rifleman Irvin Kirwin Ray, who gave his life in the service of his country in Tokyo [sic] on the 13th day of November 1943. From official information we have received, your son died of illness whilst a prisoner of war.”
A second letter from Canadian authorities, dated January 11, 1947, informed Joseph that “the remains of your son… have now been interred in… [the] Canadian section of the British Commonwealth War Cemetery at Yokohama, Japan. This is a recognized burial ground which will receive care and maintenance in perpetuity.”
Of the 1,685 men taken prisoner in Hong Kong, only 1,428 returned to Canada after the war. A total of 264 men died in Japanese POW camps, almost as many as were killed in the Japanese attack on the British colony.
Joseph Ray passed away at St. Mary’s River on September 11, 1955. His second son Alex left home at an early age and eventually established residence on Little Tancook Island, Lunenburg County. He died at Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital, Lunenburg, on January 12, 2006. Joseph’s oldest son Russell remained in the Sherbrooke area throughout his life. The date and place of his death are unknown.
Special thanks to Kelly Kaiser, Sherbrooke, NS, who provided information about Irvin Ray's family circumstances.
