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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Aksel George Andersen Sannes

In memory of:

Corporal Aksel George Andersen Sannes

December 22, 1941
Palm Villa, Hong Kong

Military Service


Service Number:

E/30324

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:

July 2, 1908
Skien, Norway

Enlistment:

September 2, 1940
Matapédia, Quebec

Son of Jørgen Anderson Sannes and Hanna Gundersen, of Skien, Norway. Husband of Hazel Leona Kerr, of Campbellton, New Brunswick. She was the widow of James Keays and mother of five Keays children.

Aksel served in Québec, in Newfoundland with Force W, in Hong Kong with Force C. Promoted Corporal on 1 November 1941 on board HMCS Prince Robert (F56). He had 477 days of service, including 56 overseas.

He is inscribed as Corporal Aksel George “Anderson” Sannes on page 43 of the Book of Remembrance.

Commemorated on Page 43 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. E. 22.

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– Lance Corporal AKSEL GEORGE ANDERSON SANNES 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 killed during the defense of Hong Kong, from December 8th to December 25th, 1941.
  • Newspaper Clipping– Lance Corporal AKSEL GEORGE ANDERSON SANNES 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 8, 1943.
  • Canada and the Defence of Hong Kong– Source: Veterans Affairs Canada.
  • Canadian Casuatlies in the Defence of Hong Kong– Source: Veterans Affairs Canada.

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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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