Private Max Berger 1919-1941 Royal Canadian Army Supply Corps.

For Remembrance Day this year I decided to remember the only soldier from Sarnia to fight and die in the first Canadian ground action of the war the Battle fro Hong Kong December 1941 seventy years ago. Max was in the Royal Canadian Army Supply Corps. but was fighting on the front lines as infantry when he died.

Max was born in Sarnia, Ontario on November 6th 1919 and lived at 167 Davis Street with his parents Morris and Regina, also know as Pearl, and sister Laura. The Bergers were a Jewish family and Morris was born in Geszterid, Hungary about 1862 and had arrived in New York in 1902 and emigrated to Sarnia in 1914 after living in New York and Michigan, his brother Joseph lived in Port Huron in 1914 so that is probably where he moved from. He was a shoemaker by trade who operated out of his house. Max grew up in Sarnia and was an alumnus of S.C.I.T.S. After graduation he worked for Maidment's Taxi and his death certificate listed his profession as electrician.

Max joined the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps and by 1941 had ended up in a small unit that was part of the Canadian Army's Hong King Brigade's headquarters unit. The Hong Kong Brigade arrived in Hong Kong on November 18, 1941 just weeks before the Japanese attack on December 8th 1941. They spent the early part of the battle delivering supplies to frontline units with a dwindling pool of motor transport including local taxis.

When it became impossible to continue this activity Max's unit became part of an adhoc unit of Royal Canadian and Royal Army Service Corps. troops who joined another scratch force made up of Royal Canadian and Royal Army Ordinance troops who were holding the north end of what was called the Ridge position.

The Ridge position was the only link between the two main British positons and when it was lost the Allied formations would be split into two. The fighting for the position was fierce and faced with overwhelming odds On December 18th the British forces tried to pull back. It took them two tries and they succeeded the second time. It was during this confused situation that Berger and Corporal Albert Jackson also of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps died along with Royal Canadian Army Ordinance troops Corporal G.G. Desroches, Staff Sergeant G. Jackman and Private F.C. McGuire sometime between December 19th and 22nd.

Max Berger was not listed as Missing in Action until October 1942 and was not declared Killed in Action until January 1943 over a year after falling on the battlefield. His parents lived in Sarnia after the war, Morris his father died in the early 1950's and his mother disappeared from records around 1960.