The Brutal Battle of Hong KongEvery battle has a beginning segment, a middle segment, and an end. The beginning is defined by the preparations, the build-up, and the unpleasant waiting. The middle segment represents the entirety of the battle, the attack, the combat, and the endurance of pain and terror. The end joins the finished battle with the aftermath, the gathering of thoughts, the decided number of casualties and the decision of who really won that endeavor. From the arrival of Canadian soldiers on November 16th, to the end of the fight on December 25th of 1941, the Battle of Hong Kong had these very segments. Canada’s perspective of butting heads with Japan also included their casualties, their losses, and their heroic acts. Unfortunately, the Allies and their courage were no match for their opposition.
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The Build-Up
Suspicions of an attack on Hong Kong were in the air for months, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was planning the first move. The reason that the Canadians joined was because of Churchill and his decision to move. Among the Allies, they were asked to help, sending The Royal Rifles of Canada and The Winnipeg Grenadiers. They departed Vancouver on October 27th and arrived in Hong Kong on November 16th aboard the Awatea, where they were escorted by the HMCS Prince Robert. Canada was of course, not alone in the fight; around ten other units were with them, mostly military personnel from India or China. As they waited for the attack, Canadian troops that were defending the mainland would train for weeks to adapt to their surroundings for when they would fight. On December 7th, a report that Japan was drawing near, was received. This message was quite possibly underestimated, but everyone was sent to their stations anyway. Fifteen hours before the attack, the entire defence force was in position. The next day, the Japanese 38th Division attacked Hong Kong.
The morning of December 8th, Japan swept over and wiped out the colony’s small airfield with shells and pushed back the defending troops on the mainland with overwhelming speed. The next target was the nearly-empty camp at Sham Shui Po, where two Canadian men were wounded, becoming the first Canadian casualties in Hong Kong. Then, mainland troops were pushed back to the “Gin Drinkers Line”(The mainland’s 18 kilometer long, line of defence) long before they had anticipated. The next day brought the overtaking of Shing Mun Redoubt, an area of great strategic significance. The Japanese attacked in the dark, bombarding the defenders and leaving with victory after a time of fierce fighting. The Allies had underestimated Japan’s abilities, and their low expectations had brought Sham Shui Po into enemy hands. December 10th, a company from The Winnipeg Grenadiers was brought to the mainland to assist. The next day, their participation in combat was one of the country’s first during World War Two. By now, the “Gin Drinkers Line” was exhausted by Japanese troops until it could no longer be defended. Mainland defenders were ordered to withdraw from their stations, evacuating on December 11th. On December 13th, the first Japanese “request” to surrender was rejected, and the battle raged on. After five days of battle, Kowloon and the mainland were taken by Japan. Defending was a huge struggle, water supply was low, and they were getting tired, but they did the best they could to prolong the battle into their own victory.
A Sorrowful End for the Allies
December 25th, 1941 was the day of surrender to the Japanese. 290 soldiers died in the war and 493 were wounded. However, for many of the Canadian soldiers, the war did not end on that day. Many, who had been taken to Prisoner of War camps, remained in camps until over 3 and ½ years after the war was officially over. The Canadian forces lost over 550 of the 1,975 soldiers that went to fight for the freedom of Hong Kong. The Canadian men and women that went over to Hong Kong, to fight, endured incredible bombardment of warfare, horrible abuse by captors, and many lost their lives. The fight that they went to endure seemed to be destined for failure, as the Japanese completely overtook the Island of Hong Kong. They fought bravely and will be remembered. There are memorials in Hong Kong with the names of the Canadians that died there. To this day, there is also a British Memorial in Japan honoring the many Prisoners of War. The families of the many Canadians that fought will never forget the affects of that war. The battle of Hong Kong will always serve as a reminder of the incredible pain and loss that war brings to every nation that is represented. |
Hong Kong Veteran-Sergeant Major John Osborn, VC
Sergeant Major J.R Osborn was a valiant soldier who fought heroically in Hong Kong during World War Two. He was born in England in 1899, and fought in the Royal Navy during the first World War. Later, he moved to Canada to farm in Saskatchewan.
Starting his journey in the war, he joined the Winnipeg Grenadiers in 1933 and was called to duty on September 3rd, 1939. In 1941, when the Grenadiers were called to fight in Hong Kong, Osborn had the option to stay behind, or to join the troops. His decision was made, and he joined the Winnipeg Grenadiers to go abroad and defend. On December 19th 1941, during the battle against Japanese troops, Osborn and his fellow soldiers were being pelted with grenades in a trench near Mount Butler. While this was happening, Osborn would pick up grenades and throw them back. Then, a grenade landed near him and he could not dispose of it fast enough, so he warned men to back away and then jumped onto the weapon. His sudden death saved the lives of many others. Bringing him an honorable award for is act of immense bravery. After this, the forty-two year-old John Osborn received the Victoria Cross, a highly respectable award in the military. This achievement also gave him a title of the second oldest soldier to receive the Victoria Cross. Although there is no identified grave, his name appears on the Sai Wan Memorial in Hong Kong and his medal is also displayed in the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. This brave soldier was a true hero with an unforgetable story and his acts will be remembered forever. |
Works Cited
Bercuson, David J. "Sergeant Major John Osborn, VC." The Canadian Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2016.
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"Canadians in Hong Kong." Veterans Affairs Canada. N.p., 2014. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.
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"The Winnipeg Grenadiers | Wikiwand." Wikiwand. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.
Brereton Greenhous "Canada and the Battle of Hong Kong" The Canadian Encyclopedia. Eds. . Toronto: Historica Canada, 2006. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.
"Canadians in Hong Kong." Veterans Affairs Canada. N.p., 2014. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.
Chor, Louis Wing-yip. "The Battle for Hong Kong, 1941. Part I." The Battle for Hong Kong, 1941. Part I. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.
"Traffic in the Wanchai District of Hong Kong, 1940s." Traffic in the Wanchai District of Hong Kong, 1940s. N.p., 1970. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.
"Pacific War The Battle of Hong Kong." Pacific War The Battle of Hong Kong. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.
"The Winnipeg Grenadiers | Wikiwand." Wikiwand. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.