Robert Leslie Ashton
Sergeant
Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps
Tientsin & Peking
Multi-story brick buildings with well-kept accommodations provided small havens for British regulars posted to Peking and Tientsin, which sat upon an otherwise dreary and large plain in Northern China (1). The intense cold in the winter was followed by the often-staggering heat of summer, which in either case was always dry and made sentry duty rather unpleasant (1). Yet despite the unfavorable weather, it was arguably one of the best and most unique postings the 1st Battalion Queen’s Royal Surrey Regiment received (1). It’s fresh drafts of soldiers gaining experience in policing administration, as they pulled guard duty throughout the respective British concessions in both cities (1). It was a rather memorable posting for Robert Ashton, being the first of note since being inducted into the regiment in 1929 and was proving more interesting than his brief apprenticeship as a fur cutter in London.
When not pulling duty well bundled in their fur hats and leather jerkin in the winter, or tropical attire in the blazing heat of the summer, the lads found opportunity to enjoy the bars and pleasures of the international sections of the cities (1). Everything was particularly cheap, and the men were encouraged to fraternize with their counterparts from Italy, America, and France (1). For those with sufficient charm, there was a significant population of Russian gals that had fled there following the Communist takeover, and who occasionally fraternized with soldiers (1). Such an enjoyable locality made it easy to forget the purpose of their posting, which the battalion was reminded of when relocated briefly for training on the Manchurian border (1). The formerly independent state of Manchuria becoming a Japanese puppet, with its hostile forces raising the nation's new flag right beside the neighboring British training camp in the mountains (1). An Officer of the Queens taking the initiative and secretly replacing it with a white flag adorned with a toilet in its center (1). Fortunately, the Japanese never discovered the culprit, and a serious potential incident was avoided (1). Aside from hostility towards British subjects in the Japanese quarter of Tientsin, the battalion was fortunate enough not to witness the horrors to come as it departed in 1934 via Hong Kong (1).
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Garrisoning India
Robert was among those to trade China for India as the battalion settled into the border city of Quetta after passing through the featureless expanse of the Sind Desert and into rocky Baluchistan (2). The posting was a bit more serious in nature, the local Pashtun peoples prone to rebellion with lawless Afghanistan being within sight. Yet the front remained relatively quiet, with the heat, sand, and steep rocky paths being the only enemy of the regiment. Once again, they were slowly lulled into a sense of ease, enjoying the unique food and interesting peoples of this corner of the Empire. Then on May 31st, 1935, Robert and the rest of the lads were abruptly awoken in their barracks as the earth began violently shaking around 3:00 am (3). When the tremors finally subsided, the soldiers emerged to find the city in ruins, the earthquake having crumbled most buildings (3). The next day the entire battalion was mobilized to help in rescue and recovery efforts, hundreds of civilians having been killed or trapped beneath the rubble (3). In a matter of a night the many new modern buildings and sprawling residential areas had been turned into mere piles of material. For Robert it was a sobering experience, helping to pile the dead-on AT carts for burial, the smell and sight being unforgettable (3).
The battalion was relocated from their traumatic posting in October of 1936, being transferred to the agricultural heartland of India in the city of Allahabad (2). Here there existed a very westernized segment of society and a large military presence, providing a relatively peaceful home for the battalion (2). Though they were called into support the local police during religious related riots at times (2). Despite the intense situations, the battalion's men always remained professional and never killed a rioter nor created resentment among the populace (2). For Robert, India proved a place of opportunity to develop new skills and to engage in occupations other than a rifleman. Earning his signaler certification and being appointed clerk for C Company under Captain Willis. The London youth taking to his work with a quiet reflectiveness, though cheerful and proving incredibly reliable. Such performance earning him the admiration of his superiors and enrollment in a bookkeeping and accounting course at a local vocational school in 1937.
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Work & Wartime
The brown-eyed veteran was finally returned to England in 1938 on reserve status, initially pursuing a civilian career as an account office manager for a chocolate importer, though he quickly switched to a job with the General Post Office, working as an officer for maintenance installation of telephone lines. The couple of years spent doing this proved fruitful but he desired a more managerial career, joining Prudential Insurance Company in 1939, though the outbreak of the Second World War made this position a brief one. Skilled in a variety of tasks, Robert was recalled from his reserve status and appointed to Corporal, returning to his beloved Queen’s Regiment. His aptitude and experience in signals stood out and resulted in an assignment to the 13th Battalion, which was formed as a training unit. The 'Old Sweat' instructing the fresh recruits in drill and signals, helping to mold them into true soldiers. This posting was followed by a more familiar position as a clerk in the United Kingdom, though his wartime service would conclude in 1943 following a discharge on compassionate grounds.
With his 13 years of military service having officially ended, the wiry-built Englishman immediately sought to capitalize on wartime prices by opening a green-grocers in London in 1944, servicing customers despite the robot bombings. Following this, he and his beloved wife, Theresa, purchasing a small holding in Sussex where they gardened, cut timber, and raised poultry. However, their land was limited and the postwar economy began to stagnate. Such conditions convinced the couple to immigrate with their two children to Canada in 1948, arriving in Ontario in search of farmland. For a brief period, they worked for a wealthy gentleman in Kitchener, eventually purchasing 50 acres near Milverton, Ontario. In short order the farm was teeming with planted crops, 300 chickens, and even a few pigs. Yet despite the successful farm venture, it still proved difficult to make a decent living, Robert also taking on general handyman and bricklayer jobs. For a time, he even worked for Universal Sheet Metal Company, helping to install air conditioners in a new hospital in Stratford. Such work was exhausting, and the 37-year-old became frustrated that he hadn’t the education to pursue managerial work, his army experience being discounted by prospective employers. As such he sought to return to the military, petitioning the Canadian army to accept him in 1949 despite being several years over the maximum enlistment age.
Given his wealth of miliary experience, desired career path, and the recommendations given from his past officers in the United Kingdom, the Royal Canadian Signals accepted his application and Robert returned to active duty. Per his request, he was enrolled in various clerk and accounting courses, eventually receiving a promotion to Sergeant and attachment to the Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps after a variety of positions in Ontario. The solid pay enabled him to provide a good life for his lovely family, though his persistent desire for adventure proved insatiable despite his devouring of travel literature, once again separating him from his family when he volunteered to go to Southeast Asia well posted to Vancouver.
Canadians in Southeast Asia
Crowded cities greeted the veteran Sergeant as he arrived in the unfamiliar nation of Japan, taking up his accounting duties with the Canadian Army in March 1954. His time there would be brief, passing through the recovering nation, which seemed to have benefitted from the military activity in it’s once fire bombed and rubble strewn cities. From here he joined the third and final major rotation of Canadian forces to Korea (4). His accounting and payroll duties encompassing the Queen Own Rifles, Royal Highlanders, Canadian Guards, and supporting elements (4). Korea proved a world apart from developed Japan, most cities and villages in horrible condition following the conflict which had just ended. The once contested trenches and shell holes having only recently been abandoned, bearing testament to the struggle over the parallel. Posted within the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade, Robert saw to his duties with success, timely and accurate payment of course being important to even the average private who sat at the front watching over the contested border. After a few months of managing the books for the rotation, he was withdrawn with them in the fall, only a handful of Canadian elements remaining in country (4).
Following his peacekeeping mission, Robert returned to postings across Canada, being awarded the Canadian Forces Decoration in 1955 before his discharge a year later. For a long period he remained in Canada, though he and Theresa chose to retire to California in 1972. During their move she inadvertently tossed his medals and service records in the garbage incinerator, destroying any record of his military career. This proved inconvenient a year later when he sought to join the local legion but had no proof of service. Fortunately, a letter composed to the Canadian government resulted in the replacement of his medals which were a humble representation of his lengthy service. |
Sources:
(1) The Queens Rejoin China Station 1930, The Queen's Royal Surrey Regimental Association, https://www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/1661to1966/hongkong_china/queens-rejoins-china-station.html
(2) Allahabad, The Queen's Royal Surrey Regimental Association, https://www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/reg_in_india/india44_1.shtml
(3) Captain Henry Barker, The Northwest Frontier, The Queen's Royal Surrey Regimental Association, https://www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/video/03_nw_frontier/nw_frontier.shtml
(4) 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade, Canadiansoldiers.com, https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/organization/fieldforces/25brigade.htm
(1) The Queens Rejoin China Station 1930, The Queen's Royal Surrey Regimental Association, https://www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/1661to1966/hongkong_china/queens-rejoins-china-station.html
(2) Allahabad, The Queen's Royal Surrey Regimental Association, https://www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/reg_in_india/india44_1.shtml
(3) Captain Henry Barker, The Northwest Frontier, The Queen's Royal Surrey Regimental Association, https://www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/video/03_nw_frontier/nw_frontier.shtml
(4) 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade, Canadiansoldiers.com, https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/organization/fieldforces/25brigade.htm