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Canadians In The Battle Of Hong Kong

What is the Battle of Hong Kong? When did it start? When did it end?

Intro

The Battle of Hong Kong was one of the first wars of the Pacific War in World War II. It is also known as the Defense of Hong Kong and the Fall of Hong Kong. The Battle Of Hong Kong started on December 8, 1941 and ended on December 25, 1941. It ended on Christmas day, when Hong Kong surrendered. In the second world war, Canadians first engaged in battle while defending the British Colony of Hong Kong against a Japanese attack in December 1941. The Canadian soldiers fought even though the odds were not on their side. They fought with overwhelming odds and they showed a lot of courage. Many of the soldiers had a limited amount of military training. They had no chance of winning, but they fought until overrun by the enemy.

The Fall

Video

Here are some visual information about the Battle of Hong Kong

Visual

Newspaper

Newspaper

Map

Map

Prisoners

Prisoners

How many soldiers were in the battle? How many soldiers died? How many survived?

Topic 1

The total death toll of Canadians dead is 554 and in addition, 500 soldiers were injured. Of the 1,975 Canadians who went to Hong Kong, more than 1,050 were either killed or wounded. This was a casualty rate of more than 50%, could be one of the highest casualty rates of any Canadian battle of action in the Second World War. Those who had survived the battle had gone to prison becoming prisoners of war (POWs). Many people starved and endured torture by the Japanese captors. The Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers were ordered to prepare for service in the Pacific area. The Canadian contingent was comprised of 1,975 soldiers, which also included two medical officers, two Nursing Sisters, two officers of the Canadian Dental Corps with their assistants, three chaplains, and two Auxiliary Service Officers. The battle of Hong Kong had a great human cost, about 290 Canadian soldiers were killed in battle and about 264 more died as POWs.

Hell In Hong Kong

Video

Why did it happen? What was the aftermath of the battle?

Topic 2

The Battle of Hong Kong happened because the Japanese had wanted the area, not only Hong Kong but many other areas. The Japanese did not take the garrison by complete surprise: the defense forces were prepared. On the morning of December 8, Japan attacked Hong Kong. Japanese warplanes pounded the airport and their ground forces poured across the frontier from China and into the mainland portion of the colony. The aftermath of the battle ended with immense casualties. Even before the battle had officially ended, Canadians would endure great hardships at the hands of their Japanese captors. Canadians would be tortured and starved because they were prisoner of the Japanese.

Image 1

Image 2

How did soldiers feel in the battle? Why is the battle significant to Canada?

The Canadian soldiers felt overwhelmed by the amount of Japanese soldiers attacking them. Although they had felt overwhelmed, they still stayed courageous and fought with all their might. They knew they had no chance of victory, but they stayed confident and still fought, until they had gotten overrun by the enemy. The soldiers also had a limited amount of military training, which was also making the soldiers feel a little bit more scared of the outcome, but they are all heroes as they all fought fiercely. The Battle of Hong Kong was important to Canada because Hong Kong was the first place Canadian fought a land battle in WWII. It also brings back the memoirs of the soldiers who were captured and tortured and tormented by the Japanese.

Topic 3

A Quote By Veteran George MacDonnell:

A Quote

"Our troops were extremely courageous and behaved extremely well on the battlefield. We really didn’t have a chance that we could [successfully] defend the island. The Japanese just kept pouring troops ashore. They were outstanding, experienced soldiers. They had a very large air force that constantly strafed us and bombed us, and they also had a strong naval force that often shelled us from the ocean. So it was just a cauldron of Hell."

How did it affect Canada?

Topic 4

The Battle of Hong Kong affected Canada because of how many soldiers died and how many had gotten wounded from fighting the Japanese war force. It is important because Canadians were prisoners of the Japanese and they were abused and were starved by the Japanese. This tells us that the Canadian soldiers went through this to help defend Hong Kong, but in the end they surrendered because they could not withstand the force of the Japanese. This is important to recognize in Canada because these soldiers fought with all their might and force even though they knew they were going to lose, it is important that we acknowledge the fact that they did so much for the British. As this was the first ground war Canada did in WWII, the soldiers did all they could.

Canadians In Battle

Image

Heritage Minute

Video

The Fall Of Hong Kong

Image

Extra Information

Topic 5

By 1940, the British were fighting for survival against Germany. They realized that defending Hong Kong would be virtually impossible if the colony, and other Asian possessions, were attacked by Japan. The Japanese won because they attacked from the ground and not the sea and Hong Kong’s defenses focused on the sea more than the ground. In 1941, when Britain made a request for Canadian troops to help bolster its remote Asian colony of Hong Kong, the King government agreed to send two battalions overseas, for what it assumed would merely be garrison duty. Despite that and many other disadvantages, they still managed to put up a stiff resistance during the battle and caused considerable Japanese casualties. In November 1941, Canada sent 1975 troops to help garrison the British colony of Hong Kong. The Royal Rifles had served in Newfoundland and Saint John, New Brunswick, while the Winnipeg Grenadiers had been posted to Jamaica. Both had minimal training and war with Japan was not necessary. It was expected that the Canadians would only see garrison duty.

Newspaper Image

Bibliography

Veterans Affairs Canada. (2019, February 14). Canadians in Hong Kong. Retrieved from

https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/second-world-war/canadians-hong-kong

Why did Hong Kong fall to Japan so easily when they were invaded? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.quora.com/Why-did-Hong-Kong-fall-to-Japan-so-easily-when-they-were-invaded

Canada and the Battle of Hong Kong. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/battle-of-hong-kong

Museum, C. W. (n.d.). Hong Kong, December 1941. Retrieved from https://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/newspapers/operations/hongkong_e.html

Lui, K. (2017, January 18). World War II: Canada and the Defense of Hong Kong. Retrieved from https://time.com/4635638/battle-of-hong-kong-canada-winnipeg-grenadiers-royal-rifles/

Museum, C. W. (n.d.). Canadian War Museum - A Chronology of Canadian Military History. Retrieved from https://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/chrono/1931hong_kong_e.html

Hell in Hong Kong. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/military-war/hell-in-hong-kong

"A cauldron of hell": The story of Canada's Hong Kong veterans. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://humanrights.ca/story/a-cauldron-of-hell-the-story-of-canadas-hong-kong-veterans

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hksw.org/despatches_106_1_j.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CJJhqSXSuQ

Smith, C. S. (2016, December 23). A Doomed Battle for Hong Kong, With Only Medals Left 75 Years Later. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/23/world/canada/a-doomed-battle-for-hong-kong-with-only-medals-left-75-years-later.html

Published Online December 5, & This entry was made possible with support from. (n.d.). Battle of Hong Kong. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/battle-of-hong-kong-editorial

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cwgc.org/history-and-archives/second-world-war/campaigns/war-in-the-east/hong-kong

BATTLE OF HONG KONG & Douglas MacArthur Made General 1941 World War II Newspaper. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ebay.com/itm/BATTLE-OF-HONG-KONG-Douglas-MacArthur-Made-General-1941-World-War-II-Newspaper-/372697745358

Battle of Hong Kong. (2020, June 13). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hong_Kong

Limited, A. (n.d.). Stock Photo - 1941 front page News of the World Battle for Hong Kong and Imperial Forces advance to Benghazi. Retrieved from https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-1941-front-page-news-of-the-world-battle-for-hong-kong-and-imperial-101892335.html

Canadian Prisoners of War. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/prisoners-of-war

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzAo3oGX5To

Bibliography

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