![]() Most of these units were military personnel from either India or China. Along with the Canadians, the military force included the 8th and 12th Coast Regiments, the 5th Anti-Aircraft Regiment of the Royal Artillery (RA), the 1st Hong Kong Regiment, the Hong Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery, the 965th Defence Battery, RA, and the 22nd and 40th Fortress Companies, Royal Engineers. Maltby had only a total force of some 14,000 soldiers and a token number of naval and air force personnel. The ship had only just reached Manila when the war with Japan began, and the United States forces were given approval to use the Canadian equipment in the defence of the Philippines. However, the 212 vehicles assigned to the force being transported on board the freighter Don Jose never did reach Hong Kong. The Canadians arrived in Hong Kong on November 16. The Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers sailed from Vancouver on October 27, 1941, aboard the Awatea, escorted by HMCS Prince Robert. Canada was asked to provide one or two battalions for that purpose. In September 1941, however, they reversed their decision and argued that additional reinforcements would provide a military deterrent against the Japanese, and reassure Chinese leader Chiang Kai Shek that Britain was genuinely interested in defending the colony. Churchill and his army chiefs designated Hong Kong an outpost, and initially decided against sending more troops to the colony. The region is very mountainous, with a total area of about 1,060 square kilometres.īritish Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his chiefs of staff recognized that, in the event of a war with Japan, it would be impossible to hold Hong Kong. The British Crown Colony of Hong Kong consisted of Hong Kong Island and the adjacent mainland areas of Kowloon and the New Territories. There was also one military stowaway who was sent back to Canada. 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, two Auxiliary Service Officers, and a detachment of the Canadian Postal Corps. This was also a good choice because of Lawson's training and experience he was a "Permanent Force" officer and had been serving as Director of Military Training in Ottawa. Command of the Canadian force was assigned to Brigadier J.K. ![]() The Royal Rifles were a bilingual unit from the Quebec City area and, together with the Winnipeg Grenadiers, both battalions represented eastern and western regions of Canada. From a national perspective, the choice of battalions was ideal. In October 1941, the Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers were ordered to prepare for service in Those who survived the battle became prisoners of war (POWs) and many endured torture and starvation by their Japanese captors. They had virtually no chance of victory, but refused to surrender until they were overrun by the enemy. The Canadians at Hong Kong fought against overwhelming odds and displayed the courage of seasoned veterans, though most had limited military training. ![]() The French would be given an ultimatum: Sail the ships out and continue fighting alongside the British turn the ships over to the British, who would return them or compensate France for them after the war or sail them to French territory in the Caribbean to demilitarize them or turn them over to the US until the end of the war.In the Second World War, Canadian soldiers first engaged in battle while defending the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong against a Japanese attack in December 1941. Consequently, the British made two plans: Operation Grasp would seize all French ships in Britain, while Operation Catapult involved seizing all French ships in the Mediterranean, mainly at Alexandria and Mers-el-Kébir. under German and/or Italian control to demobilize," and the British had no reason to trust Hitler that would abide by the terms.Īt the time, most of France's warships were in British or British-controlled ports or in the ports of France's own overseas possessions. The Royal Navy - Britain's first line of defense against an invasion - was chiefly concerned that if the Axis acquired France's fleet, then the fourth-largest in the world, the naval balance of power could shift in the Axis' favor, especially in the Mediterranean, where Italy's fleet was already considered a large threat.įrance's armistice with Germany stated that neither Germany or Italy would confiscate the warships, but it also required all of France's warships to "collect in ports. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |