Vivian Benjamin
Private, Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps
Service number: 4989
Died 21 Sep 1945
Commemorated on Sai Wan Memorial, China
Age 52
Vivian was born on 26 February 1893 in Bombay, India to Silas, who was born in Singapore and Rachel who was born in Bombay. He had an older sister Flossie and a younger brother Eric who were also born in Bombay. The family moved to England where the youngest daughter Olga was born.
In 1921, the family were living at 40 Portland Court, Portland Street in London. Silas was listed as a retired merchant. In 1919, Vivian travelled to Hong Kong from London. The 1923 jurors’ list has him as a manager at J. R. Michael & Co., a firm of agents, brokers and merchants located in the Hong Kong Hotel.
At the outbreak of war he enlisted into the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps. He was captured and spent time in a Japanese Prisoner of War camp. The two hospital ships entered Hong Kong harbour on September 2nd 1945 to embark recently liberated POWs and civilian internees from camps in Hong Kong. Vivian sadly died on board ship from Pulmonary Tuberculosis on 21 September 1945.


