The Valour and the Horror

Personal Experiences: Bob Manchester

On September 3, l939, at age 24, Bob Manchester was the 27th man to enlist full-time with the Winnipeg Grenadiers. Trained at Fort Island Barracks, Manitoba, he served garrison duty in Jamaica in l940-4l, where he earned his sergeant stripes.

He went to Hong Kong with D Company, l5th Platoon, where he was wounded in the arm on December 22, l94l, and taken prisoner on December 23.

He was interned at North Point and Shamshuipo Camps from January l942 until August l943. Then, with 376 other Canadians, he was sent to Niigata, where he was forced to work in the steel foundry and unload coal and steel ingots from ships for the remainder of the war.

Hong Kong & Macau

As part of the Canadian contingent with the War Crimes Commission, he was sent back to Japan in l946, where he helped track down and identify camp guards who had mistreated prisoners.

The following year he served as a welfare officer of the city of Winnipeg, and in l948 attended the University of British Columbia, under the returning verteran college credits program, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work. He worked for the Federal Department of Health and Welfare out of Victoria, B.C., and eventually became Chief of Federal Welfare Services for the province. He retired in December, l979. He continues to make his home in Victoria.

Before appearing in The Valour and the Horror, Manchester had returned to Japan in l975 and l985 on Hong Kong Veterans Association pilgrimages.