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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Henry Andrew Surette

In memory of:

Rifleman Henry Andrew Surette

December 25, 1941
St. Stephen’s Hospital, Hong Kong

Military Service


Service Number:

F/40743

Age:

33

Force:

Army

Unit:

Royal Rifles of Canada, R.C.I.C.

Citation(s):

1939-1945 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal 1939-1945, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp.

Additional Information


Born:

June 2, 1908
Round Hill, Nova Scotia

Enlistment:

June 10, 1940
Aldershot, Nova Scotia

Foster son of John Samuel Taylor and Nancy Kaiser, of Port Bickerton, Nova Scotia. Husband of Marie Esther Noseworthy, of St. John's East, Newfoundland. He had a first wedding with Dola Marie Josey, with whom he had three children, Victor Austen, Henry Freddie, Percy Samuel Surette.

Enrolled with the West Nova Scotia Regiment, he served in Nova Scotia, in New Brunswick, he was then deployed to the 1st Battalion, Royal Rifles of Canada, on 29 November 1940 to serve in Newfoundland with Force W, again in New Brunswick, and in Hong Kong with Force C. He had 567 days of service, including 59 overseas.

Commemorated on Page 46 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Burial Information


Cemetery:

SAI WAN WAR CEMETERY
Victoria, Hong Kong

Grave Reference:

VIII. F. 11.

Location:

SAI WAN WAR CEMETERY is in the north-east of the island of Hong Kong, in the Chai Wan area, about 11 kilometres from the centre of Victoria, the capital of Hong Kong. At the entrance to the cemetery on Cape Collinson Road stands the memorial to those who died in Hong Kong and have no known grave. From it, the cemetery slopes down towards the sea and originally, the view towards the main land was magnificent. The easiest way to reach the cemetery is by the mass transit railway (MTR) Hong Kong line to Chai Wan Terminus. From the Terminus one can either walk up to the cemetery following Chai Wan Road to the roundabout, turning west into Wan Tsui Road, then south east up Lin Shing Road which leads to Cape Collinson Road. The CWGC road direction sign is fixed to a wall facing down Lin Shing Road. The Cape Collinson area has many cemeteries. Walking up this narrow one way traffic road, one will pass the Catholic Cemetery situated on the hillside to the left of the road, and the Hong Kong Military Cemetery on the right. SAI WAN WAR CEMETERY is about half way up Cape Collinson Road and faces the Muslim and Buddhist cemeteries. One can also get a taxi from Chai Wan Terminus and follow the same route. Alternatively one can board a public light bus, Route No. 16M, which runs from Chai Wan MTR Terminus to Stanley where the CWGC has another cemetery, the Stanley Military Cemetery. En route to Stanley the minibus will pass Sai Wan War Cemetery, stopping only on request.

Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Digital Collection

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  • Grave Marker– Rifleman HENRY ANDREW SURETTE is one 283 Canadian soldiers, 107 of whom are unidentified, who are buried at Sai Wan War Cemetery in Hong Kong.  He was one of 290 Canadian soldiers who were killed during the defense of Hong Kong, from December 8th to December 25th, 1941.
  • Newspaper Clipping– Rifleman HENRY ANDREW SURETTE was reported to have been Killed in Action in the Canadian Army's 242nd overseas casualty list of the war published in the Globe and Mail on January 8th, 1943.
  • Canada and the Defence of Hong Kong– Source: Veterans Affairs Canada.
  • Canadian Casuatlies in the Defence of Hong Kong– Source: Veterans Affairs Canada.
  • Photo of Henry A Surette
  • Original Grave Marker– Early Grave Marker for HA Surette
  • Photo of Henry Andrew Surette– Submitted for the project, Operation: Picture Me

Learn more about the Canadian Virtual War Memorial

To learn more please visit our help page. If you have questions or comments regarding the information contained in this registry, email or call us. For inquiries regarding the names and information found in the RCMP Honour Roll, please email the RCMP.

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