The Valour and the Horror

World War Two, Second World War, W.W.II.

Synopsis

In 1941, Japan was intent on the expansion of its empire. The Imperial Japanese army began its campaign with a sweep through China, leaving a path of destruction and terror in its wake.

Canadian prisoners of war at Liberation of Hong Kong

The seemingly invincible Japanese troops moved south towards the Chinese border with the British colony of Hong Kong. In early 1941, Winston Churchill said privately that there was not the slightest chance of holding Hong Kong or of relieving it if the Japanese attacked. Eventually his military persuaded him that it was worth at least a symbolic attempt to hold Hong Kong. But rather than risk more of their own troops, the British decided to ask Canada to take on the job.

The first Canadian troops designated for the job were these The Winnipeg Grenadiers, assigned to garrison duty in another British colony: Jamaica. Incredibly, Canada answered England's call without making an independent assessment of the peril, accepting the mother country's assurance that the men would not be in harm's way. The Grenadiers had a lot of time to polish their baseball game, but few of them had ever thrown a grenade. Some had never even fired a rifle. Because of their lack of training, they were officially classified by the Canadian defence department as "unfit for combat".

Back in Canada, the Grenadiers were joined by another unit with the same classification: The Royal Rifles, of Canada.

For security reasons, the 2,000 soldiers had no idea where they were being shipped, or what threat they would face.

Canadians troops off to war 1939

At the border with the rest of China the curtain was about to rise on a tragedy. British ntelligence estimated that there were only 5,000 Japanese soldiers in position to threaten Hong Kong. In fact, there were ten times that many-- 50,000 battled-hardened veterans of the Imperial Japanese army assembling on the border. The five-year land campaign in China gave them precious experience. Superior weapons and training gave them confidence. The Emperor gave them a cause.

In the early morning hours of Sunday, December 7, the Japanese high command ordered its forces into action across Asia. At 7:50 a.m. came the surprise attack on the American forces in Pearl Harbour. Overshadowed and often forgotten are the other Japanese attacks in the hours after Pearl Harbour-- the Philippines, Malaya, and then Hong Kong.

At the Chinese border, Japanese ground troops crossed easily into Hong Kong territory. Soon there was an artillery duel with the retreating British. Under cover of artillery, the Japanese began a forty kilometer trek towards the Gin Drinker's line. The British calculated it would take a week - But twelve hours later, a Japanese patrol led by an enterprising officer reached the British position.

The Gin Drinker's line was supposed to hold out for weeks. The Japanese took it in a few hours. The precious northern reservoir was now controlled by the Imperial Japanese army, the colony's water supply in peril.

The momentum of the battle was now with the Japanese, and soon they were on the outskirts of Kowloon, the mainland part of Hong Kong. The Winnipeg Grenadiers joined other defenders, fighting a rear guard action.

Canadian troops commandeered the last ferry, but a 21-year-old Manitoba farm boy missed the boat. John Grey, the eldest of seven children, was captured by the Japanese, and executed. He became the first Canadian infantryman to die in combat in the Second World War. Shortly after the evacuation, the Japanese commanders paraded through the city of Kowloon with some of their other prisoners. And then most of the commanders turned the town over to their soldiers. All Chinese women were declared to be prostitutes and free. The raping and pillaging began.