JEWITT, Charles Lewis

NAME                  JEWITT          Charles Lewis
RANK                  Sergeant                     99616                                                                                                                                      Canadian Army Corps of Military Staff Clerks                                                                REGIMENT         attached to Royal Rifles of Canada                                                                                          Born                     April 24, 1917 - Bluevale - Townships of Turnberry - County of Huron                          Residence           London - Ontario                                                                                                                            Died                     December 21, 1941          24 years  7 months
Memorial             Sai Wan Memorial - Sai Wan War Cemetery - Chai Wan - Victoria - Hong Kong
                            Column 27
Mother                 Mrs. Viola Jewitt - Strathroy - Ontario                                                                                    Brother                Sergeant William Jewitt serving overseas.                                                                            Sisters                 Mrs. Norah Herbert - London - Ontario                                                                                                                        Mrs. Ailene Taylor - London - Ontario
                                                                                                                                                                          Charles was born on April 24, 1917 in Bluevale - Ontario. The family would have attended Knox Presbyterian Church. He would have attended Bluevale Public School beginning in approximately 1922. He then would attended High School in Lucknow from 1931- 1936 and he left school at the age of 20. He then took a Business Course from 1936-37. Prior to his enlistment he was employed in London by Mr. Roy James who was a building contractor as a bookeeper. He worked for him for 3 years from summer of 1937-40..

Canada

Charles went across town on July 4, 1940 and enlisted into the Canadian Army and was attached to the No. 1 Detachment of the Corps of Military Staff Clerks in London - Ontario. At this time he was 5' 10" and weighed 143 pounds. He had a clear complexion with blue eyes and brown hair. He received the rank of Private. On August 2 he was placed On Command to the Thames Valley Camp and while there on August 9 achieved the rank of Sergeant. On August 15 he returns from On Command. At the beginning of September he is absorbed into the Home War Establishment of No. 1 Detachment of the Corps of Military Staff Clerks . On September 3 he is again on Command to the Thames Valley Camp and on September 15 he returns from On Command. At the beginning of October he achieves the rank of Lance Corporal. On October 17 he qualifies as a Tradesman (typist) Group "C"                                                                                                                                                                            As 1941 arrives he is promoted to Corporal. In the middle of March qualified in a shorthand exam at 60 words per minute. As April arrived he received the rank of Sergeant. On October 19 he reports to the Headquarters of the Canadian Military Staff Clerks and a day later Sergeant Jewitt is On Command to the Headquarters of "C" Force.

In the Field

He then travels west to Vancouver - British Columbia and at 9:00 pm on October 27 Force "C" embarks from Canada for overseas duty in Hong Kong. On November 23 he is attached to the British Army and the Middlesex Regiment.                                                                                                                                                              The Royal Rifles of Canada were the first Canadian military unit to go into battle during World War 2, the first Canadian regiment to fight in Asia and the first Canadian regiment to fight the Japanese. There was absolutely no thought at all by the Canadian Government in their decision to send inexperienced, ill - trained and ill - equipped troops into a danger zone. They would be fighting against a professional, very experienced and brutal foe. The decision of the Canadian Parliament was made under extreme duress from the British Government because they knew that McKenzie King was weak in all aspects of leadership. They used Canada as a puppet and the Canadian Government allowed that to take place.
The attack on Hong Kong by the Japanese forces began on December 8, 1941. The defence of Hong Kong
lasted 17 days and the Royal Rifles were part of the two Canadian battalions defending the British garrison.
There was no naval support nor was their air support. These two battalions were the least trained in the
Canadian Army with some men being in the service only 16 weeks. Neither unit was equipped with the
proper weapons or with the proper weapons and battle training. The 212 vehicles they were supposed to
receive never did arrive.
Sergeant Jewitt was in the Headquarters and as such was not assigned to an Infantry Brigade. However, it is
my understanding that each man was placed somewhere. He could have been with a signal platoon,
assigned to a Bren gun carrier, a people mover, a soldier mover or just sent here and there where the need
was. And if this was the case he could have been carrying ammunition or some other duty like that.
Hong Kong Island was full of hills and there was 3 roads running north to south, and one was the Wong Nei
Chung Gap Road which connected the urban area in the north to the south of the island. It was long known
that should the Japanese capture the Gap that the island would be cut in half. On December 18th, the Japanese landed at North Point and all companies proceeded to Braemar Hill. The 2nd Japanese battalion landed after and regrouped with them on the high ground to the west. Then they began their advance along Sir Cecil’s Ride westwards via Jardine’s Lookout. An advance Japanese party reached the Wong Nei Chong gap at 7:00 am on the 19th and there was a heavy mist. The Canadian defence force consisted of 230 soldiers from the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corp.
The Japanese attacked from 3 sides – one side took the pillboxes along Jardine’s Lookout, one side cleared
the defence positions at the Gap and the third crossed the Gap on Mount Nichoison. In the next hour there
was heavy and fierce fighting and the Japanese knocked out the armoured cars and trucks sent to help
reinforce. Even after the Japanese cleared out pillboxes, they still could not capture the whole Gap as there
were 150mm howitzers giving artillery support from Happy Valley to the Canadian defenders.
At 10:00 am after just making a decision to transfer his Headquarters, Brigadier Lawson who was the
West Brigade Commander found his Location under attack by the Japanese. He radioed he was surrounded
and that they were going outside to fight it out. Then together with his signalman and cook, they all grabbed
a weapon and rushed out to meet the threat. All were killed.
At 2 pm the Canadians ordered a counter attack was ordered for 13:30 pm.
During this day the Japanese lost 600+ men while the Canadians lost 160 out of the 230 men.
The Royal Rifles by now were exhausted and had to march long distances, much of their equipment had
been lost and they approximately 12 trucks. During the night of the 19th/20th, the Japanese were able to penetrate deeply in the area between the Canadian East and West Brigade and by the morning of the 20th they held the high ground overlooking Repulse Bay. The Royal Rifles never surrendered, and only laid down their rifles when their Commanders told them to do so.
Sergeant Jewitt lost his life during the bitter fight for Wong Nei Cong Gap. He apparently lost his life at
11 am. The Japanese had occupied the high ground around the Royal Rifles and were firing on the
Canadians with their machine guns. Sergeant Jewitt and another man were attempting to reach some high
ground when they were killed.
The Royal Rifles of Canada along with the Winnipeg Grenadiers defended Hong Kong to the very end and
was one of the few battles where Canadians fought the Japanese. Our Canadians who sailed from Canada on
October 27, 1941, many never to return to their loved ones, and those who did return home to Canada were
forever scarred by their brutal treatment from the Japanese.
This story must be told, not because it was a defeat, but because in their defeat and having fought a
complete and total hopeless battle with the inevitable outcome known, our Canadians never once waivered
until they were finally ordered to surrender.

Mrs. Jewett received the Memorial Cross in August of 1945. In the month of March 1950 the family received the medals awarded to Charles and these were the 1939-45 Star, the Pacific Star, the War Medal along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and clasp.

Charles is honoured and remembered on the Sai Wan Memorial which is located in the Sai Wan War Cemetery - Victoria - Hong Kong and on the Lucknow Cenotaph. He would be honoured and remembered on the Knox Presbyterian Church Memorial Plaque and on the Memorial Plaque of the Lucknow High School. He is honoured and remembered in the Books of Remembrance situated in the Centre Block of our Canadian Parliament and he is honoured and remembered on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial. As he was born in Bluevale and attended school there his name should be on the Wingham Cenotaph. To date that is not the case.