OTTAWA, TODAY – Mr. Stéphane Ouellette, President and Chief Executive Officer, Merchant Navy Commemorative Theme Project (MNCTP), joined members of the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association (HKVCA) in remembering the Battle of Hong Kong.

On December 8, 1941, on the same morning that Pearl Harbor was bombed, the Empire of Japan launched an attack on Hong Kong (a then British Colony) in Southern China. In addition to Pearl Harbor and Hong Kong, Northern Malaya, the Philippines, Guam, and Wake Island were also invaded during December 1941.

The Battle of Hong Kong lasted for 17 perilous days and nights with no relief or rest. “C” Force to Hong Kong (the military designation for the Canadian contingent), was the first Canadian unit to see action in the Second World War. These brave defenders fought with fierce tenacity. All this despite the facts that: they were without Air, Naval, and Artillery support; they were hopelessly outnumbered by battle experienced Japanese divisions; and, they did not receive reinforcements or additional supplies.

CSM John Osborn, the first Canadian to be awarded the Victoria Cross in the Second World War, was picking–up several grenades, and was rapidly tossing them back to the enemy. When a grenade fell in a location where CSM Osborn was unable to retrieve it in time, he shouted a warning as he shoved one man aside, throwing himself on the grenade, which exploded and killed him instantly. When the battle finally ended, the remaining soldiers were placed in a Prison of War (POW) camp for nearly 4 years. During this time, POWs were forced to work as slave labourers, subjected to daily torture and starvation.

When victory of the War in the Pacific was achieved on August 14, 1945, several months passed before our Canadian soldiers were able to begin the long journey home. Many were subsequently hospitalized for durations ranging from weeks to years, often suffering from lifelong physical and psychological disabilities (today this disability is known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and many regrettably died young.

Approximately 290 Canadian soldiers perished and 500 were wounded during the Battle of Hong Kong, and 264 died in POW camps. Of the 1,975 Canadians that served in Hong Kong, more than 1,050 were either killed or wounded. With over a 50% casualty rate, these Canadian soldiers suffered one of the highest losses of all Canadian theatres of action during the Second World War. These statistics do not include losses experienced by Chinese and Indian soldiers, accounting for 35% of the entire fighting force. In addition, contemporary research on the Battle of Hong Kong, for instance, focuses predominantly on Canadian and British military history, and overlooks the contributions of nations such as China and India. China was the first country to enter what was to become the Second World War, and was an ally to the United States and the British Empire from shortly after Pearl Harbor in 1941, to the Japanese surrender in 1945. China’s overall losses during the Second World War included over 14 million people. Up to 100 million became refugees during the 1937 to 1945 conflict with Japan.