Transcriptions:
Canada and the Defence of Hong Kong
During the Second World War. Canadian soldiers were active not only in Europe, but also in the Far East. In 1941. the British, hoping to deter hostile action by Japan, decided to reinforce their outpost in Hong Kong. To help defend the Crown Colony. Canada sent a force of 1.975, consisting of two battalions — the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Royal Rifles of Canada (from the city of Quebec); a brigade headquarters group: and various specialists details (including a signal section, two medical officers, two nursing sisters and three chaplains). They sailed from Vancouver on October 27, 1941, and arrived on November 16.
With the arrival of the Canadians, approximately 14.000 Allied troops (from Canada, the United Kingdom. Hong Kong. China and India) prepared to defend the Colony, which consisted of the island of Hong Kong and the adjacent mainland areas of Kowloon and the "New Territories". The two Canadian battalions with Britain's Middlesex Regiment formed the island brigade.
The Canadian battalions had no battle experience. They had previously served on garrison duty in Jamaica (the Grenadiers) and Newfoundland (the Royal Rifles), but had not received all the training required for front-line troops. It was felt they would have time in Hong Kong to complete it. Instead, they became the first Canadian soldiers to fight as a unit in the Second World War when Japan attacked almost simultaneously Pearl Harbor, Northern Malaya, the Philippines. Guam. Wake Island, and Hong Kong.
The Japanese attacked the Colony's mainland positions on December 8 (in North America the date was December 7) and all mainland troops withdrew to the island on the 11th. On December 18. Japan invaded Hong Kong Island. The invasion force was overwhelming in strength and backed with a heavy arsenal of artillery and air support. The Allied troops had no significant air or naval defence, and no hope of being relieved or resupplied. Despite being heavily outnumbered, Canadian soldiers performed valiantly with the rest of the Allied troops and held out for as long as possible. It was not until Christmas Day that Governor Sir Mark Young, on the advice of Major-General C M. Maltby, commander of the British troops in China, surrendered the Colony.
Canadian Casualties in the Defense of Hong Kong and its Aftermath
The seventeen and one-half days of fighting in Hong Kong ended with immense Canadian casualties: 290 killed and 493 wounded. The death toll and hardship did not end with surrender.
Even before the battle had officially ended, Canadians would endure great hardships at the hands of their Japanese captors. On December 24, the Japanese overran a makeshift hospital in Hong Kong, assaulting and murdering nurses and bayoneting wounded Canadian soldiers in their beds.
After the colony surrendered, the cruelty would continue. Those who survived the heavy fighting were imprisoned in PoW camps in Hong Kong and Japan until Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945. For nearly four years, the Canadians were subjected to systematic brutality at the hands of their captors. The PoWs were forced into backbreaking labour in construction sites, mines, shipyards and foundries, and were frequently beaten and starved They would often work 12 hours a day, subsisting on rations of 800 calories a day. 267 men died in the camps before the survivors were freed. Many of those who returned to Canada suffered serious disabilities as a result of their experiences in the PoW camps, and many died prematurely.
Of the 1,975 Canadians who sailed from Vancouver in October 1941 to Hong Kong, 557 were killed in battle or died in PoW camps and 493 were wounded. This was a casualty rate of more than 50%, arguably one of the highest casualty rates of any Canadian theatre of action (except Dieppe) in the Second World War.
A memorial has been erected at the Sai Wan Bay War Cemetery on the island of Hong Kong to honour those who died in its defence and who have no known grave. On this memorial are inscribed the names of over 2,000 people, 228 of them Canadian. Below the memorial, in the Sai Wan Bay War Cemetery, 283 soldiers of the Canadian Army are buried, including 107 who are unidentified. Twenty Canadians including one unknown are buried in Stanley Military Cemetery in the southern part of Hong Kong island.
A further 134 Canadian soldiers who fought in Hong Kong and died as prisoners-of-war in Japanese internment camps are buried at the Yokohama British Commonwealth War Cemetery, located at Hodogaya near Yokohama, Japan.
It is now definitely known that Hong Kong holds five prisoners of war from the Midland Regiment, from Lindsay and Halliburton. Still another young Lindsay soldier, Pte. A. Moir, is still listed as missing follow in the fall of Hong Kong.
Pte. Andrew Moir enlisted with the Canadian Army on 6 March 1941. He trained at Ottawa and St. John N.B. He was one of 50 who were chosen at Niagara Falls to go overseas and saw action at Hong Kong. He was killed on 25 December 1941.
Ottawa, Jan. 5,1943.
Pte. Andrew Moir official reported killed in action
The following telegram was received by Mrs. Andrew Moir yesterday.
Ottawa, Jan. 5,1943.
Mrs. Janet Moir, 133
William St. N.
Regret deeply C65625, Pte. Ander Moir now officially reported killed in action at Hong Kong. Date of death not yet reported. Further information follows when received.
This sad intelligence comes after over a year of dreadful suspense. Pte. Andrew, son of Mr. and Mrs. David Moir, was on 18 and four months old when Hong Kong fell.
Probably few families in this country are better represented in His Majesty's armed forces as two other sons and two sons-in-law are also in the service.
Pte. Dave Moir has been in England over three years. Corporal Alex Moir is in the Medical corps at Sydney, N.S. Bdr. A. Crossley, husband of Janet Moir is at Petawawa with the 56th antitank battery and Sergeant Instructor Grant Stickle, husband of Alice Moir, is stationed at Brampton, with the H. and P.E. Regiment.
Friends of the Moir family will deeply sympathize with them in the loss of their young soldier.
