Gérard Gilbert Desroches b. 18 Nov 1919 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada d. 19 Dec 1941 Hong Kong: Ottawa Lowertown

1919 - 1941 (22 years)

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Name	Gérard Gilbert Desroches [1, 2, 3]
Birth	18 Nov 1919	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada [2, 3]
Gender	Male
Fact	From 1939 to 1941 [3]
	Army
Fact	From 1939 to 1945 [3]
	Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp.
Fact	1939 [3]
	P.35276
Fact	From 1939 to 1945 [3]
	Pacific Star
Fact	From 1939 to 1945 [3]
	War Medal
Religion	1939 [3]
	Catholic
Residence	1939	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada [4]
	Address: 647 St-Patrick Street
Enlisted	15 Sep 1939	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada [3]
Burial	1941	Hong Kong [3]
	Address: SAI WAN MEMORIAL Column 26
	This SAI WAN MEMORIAL honours over 2,000 men of the land forces of the British Commonwealth and Empire who died in the defence of Hong Kong during the Second World War. The SAI WAN MEMORIAL is in the form of a shelter building 24 metres long and 5.5 metres wide. It stands at the entrance to Sai Wan Bay War Cemetery, outside Victoria, the capital of Hong Kong. From the semi-circular forecourt, two wide openings lead to the interior of the building. The names are inscribed on panels of Portland stone. The dedicatory inscription reads: 1939 - 1945 The officers and men whose memory is honoured here died in the defence of Hong Kong in December 1941 and in the ensuing years of captivity and have no known grave. The northern side of the Memorial is open and four granite piers support the copper roof. From a commanding position 305 metres above sea level, it looks out over the War Cemetery where some 1,500 men lie buried, and across the water to Mainland China - a magnificent view of sea and mountains. 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. En route to Stanley the minibus will pass Sai Wan War Cemetery.
Death	19 Dec 1941	Hong Kong [3]
Burial	Aft 1941	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
	Address: 455 Chemin Montréal rd,
Obittuary	9 Jan 1943	The Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada [2]
Fact	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada [2]
	Address: 647 St-Patrick Street
Fact	Corporal [3]
Fact	Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps [2, 3]
Person ID	I127626	Lowertown
Last Modified	23 Mar 2023

Father	Israël Desroches, b. 1881 d. 6 Dec 1944, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (Age 63 years)
Mother	Dora Sabourin
Family ID	F204	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Event Map

	Birth - 18 Nov 1919 - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
	Residence - Address: 647 St-Patrick Street - 1939 - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
	Enlisted - 15 Sep 1939 - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
	Burial - Address: 455 Chemin Montréal rd, - Aft 1941 - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
	Fact - Address: 647 St-Patrick Street - - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

= Link to Google Earth

Notes

His full name is Joseph Gilbert Gérard Desroches.
Son of Israël Desroches and Théodora Sabourin of Ottawa, Ontario. Brother of Pierrette, Marcel, Germaine, Jeannette, Jacqueline and Françoise. Israël served in the First World War without having taken part in the combat, regimental number 2776922, with the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps.
Served in Ontario, Québec, Hong Kong with C Force. Had 838 days of service, including 59 overseas.
Commemorated on Page 28 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance . Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page. [3]

Sources

[S3790] Email from Paul Desroches to Daniel Landry, "Proposed Change: Family: Israël Desroches / Dora Sabourin", 18 March 2023.
[S3794] Obituary in The Ottawa Citizen, 9 January 1943 (Reliability: 3).
[S3438] Veterans Affairs Canada website "Canadian Virtual War Memorial".
The Canadian Virtual War Memorial (CVWM) Gérard Gilbert Desroches
[S3437] Ancestry website "Canada, World War II Records and Service Files of War Dead, 1939-1947 ".
Canada, World War II Records and Service Files of War Dead, 1939-1947