Battle of Hong Kong
Part of the Pacific Theatre of World War II
Japanese soldiers riding horses along Queen's Road in December 1941.
Date 8 December 1941 - 25 December 1941 Location Hong Kong and proximity Result Japanese victory
Combatants
British Army Canadian Army British Indian Army Royal Hong Kong Regiment	Imperial Japanese Army
Commanders
Mark Aitchison Young Christopher Michael Maltby	Sakai Takashi
Strength
15,000 troops	50,000 troops
Casualties
4,500 killed 8,500 POWs	706 killed 1,534 wounded

The Battle of Hong Kong took place during the Pacific campaign of World War II. It began on 8 December 1941 and ended on Christmas Day with Hong Kong, then a British colony, surrendering to the control of Imperial Japan. Combatants China Allies (entered 1941):  United States  United Kingdom  Australia Free France  Netherlands  New Zealand  Canada  Soviet Union (1945) Japan  Germany (from 1941)  Manchukuo Thailand (from 1942) Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Franklin D. Roosevelt Winston Churchill John Curtin Charles de Gaulle Hirohito Hideki Tojo Kuniaki Koiso Kantaro Suzuki Campaigns and... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Image File history File links Jap_occupy_hk. ... A painting of Queens Road Central in 1865 The Japanese army marched into the City on 26 December 1941, following the fall of Hong Kong. ... is the 342nd day of the year (343rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 6 days remaining in the year. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Image File history File links Canadian_Red_Ensign. ... Canadian Forces Land Force Command (LF) is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Armed Forces. ... Image File history File links Imperial-India-Blue-Ensign. ... A group of native Indian Muslim soldiers posing for volley firing orders. ... The Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) (RHKR(V)) (Traditional Chinese: ), formed in May 1854, was a local auxiliary militia force funded entirely by the colonial government of Hong Kong. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan_(bordered). ... The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) (KyÅ«jitai: 大日本帝國陸軍, Shinjitai: , Romaji: Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun) was the official ground based armed force of Imperial Japan from 1867 to 1945. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Sir Mark Aitchison Young Sir Mark Aitchison Young (30 June 1886 – 12 May 1974, 楊慕琦) was a British administrator who became the Governor of Hong Kong during the years immediately before and after World War II. // Young was educated at Eton (secondary) and Kings College, Cambridge University. ... Image File history File links Imperial-India-Blue-Ensign. ... Major General Christopher Michael Maltby (1891–1980) 1891 Born 1911 Joined the British Indian Army; 1913–1914 Persian Gulf 1914–1918 World War I 1923–1924 Staff College, Quetta, India 1923–1924 North West Frontier, India 1925–1927 General Staff Officer Grade 2, Army... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan_(bordered). ... Takashi Sakai (酒井 隆 Sakai Takashi; October 18, 1887–September 30, 1946) was a Lieutenant General in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. He commanded the Japanese Army at the Battle of Hong Kong and was later captured and sentenced to death for war crimes. ... This article is about the actual attack. ... Combatants Malaya Command: British Army Indian Army Australian Army Royal Malay Regiment Twenty-Fifth Army: Imperial Guards 5th Division 18th Division Commanders Arthur Percival Gordon Bennett Tomoyuki Yamashita Takuma Nishimura Strength 140,000 160 aircraft 70,000 700 aircraft Casualties 5,000 killed, 50,000 prisoners of war 34,000... Combatants Empire of Japan United States Commanders Shigeyoshi Inoue Sadamichi Kajioka Shigematsu Sakaibara Winfield S. Cunningham Strength 2,500 infantry[1] 523 infantry of the 1st Marine Defense Battalion {understrength}, VMF-211, US Navy/US Army personnel, Others[2] Casualties 700-900 dead, 2 destroyers, 2 patrol boats, 20 aircraft... The Netherlands East Indies campaign was the shortlived defence of the Netherlands East Indies by Allied forces, against invasion by the Empire of Japan in 1941-42. ... The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II. Fighting in the Australian mandated Territory of New Guinea (the north-eastern part of the island of New Guinea and surrounding islands) and Dutch New Guinea, between Allied and Japanese forces, commenced with the Japanese... It has been suggested that Japanese Raids into Indian Ocean be merged into this article or section. ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders James H. Doolittle Hideki Tojo Strength 16 B-25 Mitchells Unknown number of troops and homeland defense Casualties 3 dead, 8 POWs (4 died in captivity); 5 interned in USSR all 16 B-25s About 50 dead, 400 injured Lt. ... The Solomon Islands Campaign was a large series of battles that occurred in the Pacific Theater of World War II. This was the first large-scale campaign in the War in the Pacific, and the victories achieved by the Americans in the battles of this campaign helped secure vital bases... Combatants United States Navy Royal Australian Navy Imperial Japanese Navy Commanders Frank J. Fletcher John G. Crace Shigeyoshi Inoue Takeo Takagi Strength 2 large carriers, 3 cruisers 2 large carriers, 1 light carrier, 4 cruisers Casualties 1 fleet carrier, 1 destroyer, 1 oil tanker sunk 543 killed 1 light carrier... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Chester W. Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi † Strength 3 carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft 4 carriers, 7 battleships, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier... Combatants China Allies (entered 1941):  United States  United Kingdom  Australia Free France  Netherlands  New Zealand  Canada  Soviet Union (1945) Japan  Germany (from 1941)  Manchukuo Thailand (from 1942) Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Franklin D. Roosevelt Winston Churchill John Curtin Charles de Gaulle Hirohito Hideki Tojo Kuniaki Koiso Kantaro Suzuki Campaigns and... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... is the 342nd day of the year (343rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus, at the first Christmas Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... The ensign of Imperial Japanese Navy was a prominent symbol of Imperial Japan. ...

Background

Britain first began to consider Japan a threat in 1922 with the ending of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. This risk increased with the expansion of the Sino-Japanese War. On October 21, 1938 the Japanese occupied Guangzhou and Hong Kong was effectively surrounded. Various British Defence studies had already concluded that Hong Kong would be impossible to defend in the event of a Japanese attack but in the mid-1930s work had begun on new defences including the Gin Drinkers' Line. By 1940, the British had determined to reduce the Hong Kong Garrison to a symbolic scale only. However, Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham, the Commander-in-Chief of the British Far East Command argued that limited reinforcements could allow the garrison to delay a Japanese attack, gaining time elsewhere. Winston Churchill and his army chiefs designated Hong Kong an outpost, and initially decided against sending more troops to the colony. 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. Canada was asked to provide one or two battalions for that purpose. In Autumn 1941, the British government accepted an offer by the Canadian Government to send two infantry battalions and a brigade headquarters (1,975 personnel) to reinforce the Hong Kong garrison. C Force, as it was known, arrived on 16 November. It did not have all of its equipment as a ship carrying its vehicles was diverted to Manila at the outbreak of war. The Canadian battalions were the Royal Rifles of Canada from Quebec and Winnipeg Grenadiers from Manitoba. The Royal Rifles only served in Newfoundland and Saint John, New Brunswick prior to their duty in Hong Kong, and the Winnipeg Grenadiers had been posted to Jamaica. As a result, many of the Canadian soldiers had never fired a rifle before arriving in Hong Kong. The first Anglo-Japanese Alliance was signed in London on January 30, 1902 by Lord Lansdowne (British foreign secretary) and Hayashi Tadasu (Japanese minister in London). ... Combatants China Japan Commanders Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Cheng, Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren, Xue Yue, Bai Chongxi, Mao Zedong, Peng Dehuai Hirohito, Hideki Tojo, Kotohito Kanin, Matsui Iwane, Hajime Sugiyama, Shunroku Hata, Toshizo Nishio, Yasuji Okamura, Umezu Yoshijiro, Fumimaro Konoe Strength 58,600,000 4,100,000... October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 71 days remaining. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Guangzhou is the capital and the sub-provincial city of Guangdong Province in the southern part of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Gin Drinkers Line (醉酒灣防線) or Gin Drinkers Line was a British military defence line against Japanese invasion in Hong Kong, 1941. ... The Hong Kong Garrison was a British and Commonwealth force that protected Hong Kong . ... Air Chief Marshal Sir Henry Robert Moore Brooke-Popham (1878-1953) 1898 Commissioned, Oxfordshire Light Infantry 1898-1912 service with Oxfordshire Light Infantry 1911 Gained the 108th Pilot’s Licence issued in Britain 1912-1918 Royal Flying Corps 1914-1918 World War I 1915 Commander, 3 Sqn Royal Flying... Commander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced sink) is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces of a state. ... The Far East Command was a British military command which had 2 distinct periods. ... Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can) (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. ... Chiang Kai-shek (October 31, 1887–April 5, 1975) was a Chinese military and political leader who assumed the leadership of the Kuomintang (KMT) after the death of Sun Yat-sen in 1925. ... The graves of Pvt J. Maltese of the Winnipeg Grenadiers and Rifleman A. M. Moir of the Royal Rifles of Canada. ... November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... The Winnipeg Grenadiers was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces formed in 1908. ... For other uses, see Newfoundland (disambiguation). ... Saint John[3] is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick and the oldest incorporated city in Canada. ...

Overview of the battle

The Japanese attack began shortly after 8 am on 8 December 1941 (Hong Kong local time), less than eight hours after the Attack on Pearl Harbor. British, Canadian and Indian forces, commanded by Major-General Maltby supported by the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Forces, resisted the Japanese invasion by the 38th Division, commanded by Lieutenant General Sakai Takashi, but were outnumbered three to one (Japanese: 52,000 / Allied: 14,000) and lacked their opponents' recent combat experience. is the 342nd day of the year (343rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Hong Kong Time (abbreviation: HKT) is the time in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... This article is about the actual attack. ... This article is about the town of Maltby in England. ... Takashi Sakai (酒井 隆 Sakai Takashi; October 18, 1887–September 30, 1946) was a Lieutenant General in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. He commanded the Japanese Army at the Battle of Hong Kong and was later captured and sentenced to death for war crimes. ...

The Japanese achieved air superiority on the first day of battle as two of the three Vickers Vildebeest torpedo-reconnaissance aircraft and the two Supermarine Walrus amphibious planes of the RAF Station, which were the only military planes at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport, were destroyed by 12 Japanese bombers. The attack also destroyed several civil aircraft including all but two of the aircraft used by the Air Unit of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corp. The RAF and Air Unit personnel from then fought on as ground troops. British naval vessels were ordered to leave Hong Kong for Singapore. Air superiority is the dominance in the air power of one side air forces of another side during a military campaign. ... The Vickers Vildebeest was a very large 2- to 3-seat single-engined biplane acting as a light bomber, torpedo bomber and in the army cooperation role. ... The Supermarine Walrus was a reconnaissance amphibian designed by R. J. Mitchell and operated by the Fleet Air Arm. ... An amphibious or amphibian aircraft is an aircraft that can land on either land or water. ... Kai Tak Airport (Traditional Chinese: ) was the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998. ...

Map showing the Japanese lines of attack.

The Commonwealth forces decided against holding the Sham Chun River, which was quickly forded by the Japanese using temporary bridges, and instead established three battalions in the Gin Drinkers' Line across the hills. These defences were rapidly breached at the Shing Mun Redoubt early on 10 December 1941. The evacuation from Kowloon started on December 11, 1941 under aerial bombardment and artillery barrage. As much as possible, military and harbour facilities were demolished before the withdrawal. By December 13, the Rajputs of the British Indian Army, the last Commonwealth troops on the mainland, had retreated to Hong Kong Island. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1314x1500, 270 KB) Drawn by Jerry Crimson Mann 16:10, 22 July 2005 (UTC). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1314x1500, 270 KB) Drawn by Jerry Crimson Mann 16:10, 22 July 2005 (UTC). ... Sham Chun River (also Shenzhen River, Shenzhen He) (Chinese: 深圳河; Cantonese IPA: ; Jyutping: sam1 zan3 ho4; Hanyu Pinyin: Shēnzhèn Hé), together with the Sha Tau Kok River, serves as the natural border between Hong Kong and mainland China. ... Gin Drinkers Line (醉酒灣防線) or Gin Drinkers Line was a British military defence line against Japanese invasion in Hong Kong, 1941. ... December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, 21 days before the next year. ... In modern day Hong Kong, Kowloon refers to the urban area made up of Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon, bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutters Island in the west, Tates Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and... December 11 is the 345th day of the year (346th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A Rajput (possibly from Sanskrit rāja-putra, son of a king) is a member of a prominent caste who live throughout northern and central India, primarily in the northwestern state of Rajasthan. ... A group of native Indian Muslim soldiers posing for volley firing orders. ... The night view of the Island side as seen from the Kowloon side - the opposite side of the Victoria Harbour Hong Kong Island (Traditional Chinese: 香港島; Simplified Chinese: 香港岛; Cantonese Jyutping: hoeng1 gong2 dou2; Mandarin Pinyin: XiānggÇŽngdÇŽo) is the island where the colonial settlement of the Hong Kong territory...

Maltby organised the defence of the island, splitting it between an East Brigade and a West Brigade. On 15 December the Japanese began systematic bombardment of the island's North Shore. Two demands for surrender were made on 13 December and 17 December. When these were rejected, Japanese forces crossed the harbour on the evening of 18 December and landed on the island's North-East. They suffered only light casualties, although no effective command could be maintained until the dawn came. That night, approximately 20 gunners were massacred at the Sai Wan Battery after they had surrendered. is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... West Point or Sai Wan (西環) is an area in Hong Kong that corresponds to Sai Ying Pun, Shek Tong Tsui, Belcher Bay and Kennedy Town. ...

On the morning of 19 December, a Canadian Company Sergeant Major, John Robert Osborn of the Winnipeg Grenadiers, threw himself on top of a grenade, sacrificing himself to save the lives of the men around him; he was later posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. Fierce fighting continued on Hong Kong Island but the Japanese annihilated the headquarters of West Brigade and could not be forced from the Wong Ne Chong Gap that secured the passage between downtown and the secluded southern parts of the island. Again there was a massacre of prisoners, this time of medical staff, in the Salesian Mission on Chai Wan Road. From 20 December the island became split in two with the British Commonwealth forces still holding out around the Stanley peninsula and in the West of the island. At the same time water supplies started to run short as the Japanese captured the island's reservoirs. is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Two Bermuda Regiment Warrant Officers, Second Class. ... Company Sergeant-Major J.R. Osborn of “A” Company, The Winnipeg Grenadiers, Jamaica, ca. ... The Victoria Cross (VC) is a military decoration awarded for valour in the face of the enemy to members of armed forces of some Commonwealth countries and previous British Empire territories. ... The night view of the Island side as seen from the Kowloon side - the opposite side of the Victoria Harbour Hong Kong Island (Traditional Chinese: 香港島; Simplified Chinese: 香港岛; Cantonese Jyutping: hoeng1 gong2 dou2; Mandarin Pinyin: Xiānggǎngdǎo) is the island where the colonial settlement of the Hong Kong territory... Wong Nai Chung Gap (黃泥涌峽) is a geographic gap in the middle of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. ... A view of Chai Wan and Siu Sai Wan Chai Wan (柴灣, firewood bay) is at east end of the urban area on the Hong Kong Island and next to Shau Kei Wan in Hong Kong. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

On the morning of December 24, Japanese soldiers entered the British field hospital at St. Stephen's College, and tortured and killed over 60 injured soldiers, along with the medical staff. St. ...

By the afternoon of 25 December 1941, it was clear that further resistance would be futile and British colonial officials headed by the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Aitchison Young, surrendered in person at the Japanese headquarters on the third floor of the Peninsula Hong Kong hotel. This was the first occasion on which a British Crown Colony was surrendered to an invading force.^{[citation needed]} The garrison had held out for 18 days. December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 6 days remaining in the year. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Flag of the Governor of Hong Kong, 1959–1997 The Governor of Hong Kong (Traditional Chinese: ; abbreviated 港督) was a British official who ruled Hong Kong during the colonial period between 1841 and 1997 and was ex-officio Commander-in-Chief and Vice-Admiral of Hong Kong. ... Sir Mark Aitchison Young Sir Mark Aitchison Young (30 June 1886 – 12 May 1974, 楊慕琦) was a British administrator who became the Governor of Hong Kong during the years immediately before and after World War II. // Young was educated at Eton (secondary) and Kings College, Cambridge University. ... The Peninsula The Peninsula Hong Kong (香港半島酒店) is one of the most famous hotels in the world. ... A United Kingdom overseas territory (formerly known as a dependent territory or earlier as a crown colony) is a territory that is under the sovereignty and formal control of the United Kingdom but is not part of the United Kingdom proper (Great Britain and Northern Ireland). ...

Aftermath

Dongjiang Guerillas fighting in trenches.

Main article: Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong

Eighteen days after the battle began, British colonial officials headed by the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Aitchison Young, surrendered in person on 25 December 1941 at the Japanese headquarters. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Trench warfare is a form of war in which both opposing armies have static lines of defence. ... The Japanese prostitutes of Hong Kong began when the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Young, surrendered to Japan on 25 December 1941 after 18 days of fierce fighting. ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 6 days remaining in the year. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ...

Isogai Rensuke became the first Japanese governor of Hong Kong. This ushered in the three years and eight months of Imperial Japanese administration. Japanese soldiers also terrorised the local population by murdering many, raping an estimated 10,000 women¹, and looting. This day is known in Hong Kong as "Black Christmas". Isogai Rensuke (磯谷廉介, 1886 - 1967) was a General of the Japanese Army in the World War II period. ...

Prisoners of war were sent to: Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ...

• Shamshuipo Prisoner Camp (later a Vietnamese detention centre)
• Yokohama Camp in Japan
• Fukuoka Camp in Japan
• Osaka Camp in Japan

Although Hong Kong surrendered to the Japanese, the local Chinese waged a small guerilla war in New Territories. However, because of the resistance, some villages were razed as a punishment. The guerillas fought until the end of the Japanese occupation. Western historical books on the subject have not significantly covered their actions. The resistance groups were known as the Gangjiu and Dongjiang forces. The Japanese prostitutes of Hong Kong began when the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Young, surrendered to Japan on 25 December 1941 after 18 days of fierce fighting. ... The Japanese prostitutes of Hong Kong began when the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Young, surrendered to Japan on 25 December 1941 after 18 days of fierce fighting. ...

The Cenotaph in Hong Kong

Sai Wan War Cemetery

Enemy civilians (meaning Allied nationals) were interned at the Stanley Internment Camp. Initially, there were 2400 internees although this number was reduced following some repatriations during the war. Internees who died, together with prisoners executed by the Japanese are buried in Stanley Cemetery. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... The Cenotaph, London A ceremony at the Cenotaph, London, on Sunday 12th June 2005, remembering Irish war dead Memorial Cenotaph, Hiroshima, Japan A cenotaph is a tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of persons whose remains are elsewhere. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (480 × 640 pixel, file size: 103 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) General view of Sai Wan War Cemetery in Hong Kong. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (480 × 640 pixel, file size: 103 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) General view of Sai Wan War Cemetery in Hong Kong. ... One of 444 unidentified burials at the cemetery, 107 of which were Canadian. ... Photo of the grounds of Stanley Internment Camp Stanley Internment Camp (Traditional Chinese: ) was a civilian internment camp in Hong Kong during World War II. Located in Stanley, on the southern end of Hong Kong Island, it was used by the Japanese imperial forces to hold non-Chinese enemy nationals... Stanley Military Cemetery is located near to St. ...

British sovereignty was restored in 1945 following the surrender of the Japanese forces on 15 August, less than a week after the United States had dropped atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Fat Man mushroom cloud resulting from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rises 18 km (11 mi, 60,000 ft) into the air from the hypocenter. ... The Japanese city of Hiroshima ) is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the ChÅ«goku region of western HonshÅ«, the largest of Japans islands. ... Nagasaki (Japanese: 長崎市, Nagasaki-shi  ) is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan. ...

The Allied dead from the campaign, including British, Canadian and Indian soldiers were eventually interred at the Sai Wan Military Cemetery on the northeastern corner of Hong Kong Island. A total of 1,528 soldiers, mainly Commonwealth, are buried there. There are also graves of other Allied combatants who died in Hong Kong during the war, including some Dutch sailors. One of 444 unidentified burials at the cemetery, 107 of which were Canadian. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

The cenotaph in Central commermorates the Defense as well as war-dead from World War I. The Cenotaph, London A ceremony at the Cenotaph, London, on Sunday 12th June 2005, remembering Irish war dead Memorial Cenotaph, Hiroshima, Japan A cenotaph is a tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of persons whose remains are elsewhere. ... The night view of the Central as viewed from Tsim Sha Tsui on the opposite side of the Victoria Harbour Central (Chinese: 中環; Jyutping: zung1 waan4; Cantonese IPA: ; Pinyin: Zhōnghuán) is an area located in Central and Western District, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. ...

The shield in the colonial coat of arms of Hong Kong granted in 1959 featured the battlement design to commemorate the Defence of Hong Kong during World War II. The arms was in use until 1997 when it was replaced by the current regional emblem. Hong Kong Emblem (since 1997) The current devised emblem came into use on 1 July 1997, when the sovereignty of Hong Kong was transferred to the Peoples Republic of China, and the emblem replaced the colonial Hong Kong Arms, or Armorial Bearings. ... It has been suggested that crenellation, crenel and merlon be merged into this article or section. ...

Lei Yue Mun Fort has lost its defence significance in the post-war period and has since become a training ground for the British Forces until 1987 when it was finally vacated. In view of its historical significance and unique architectural features, the former Urban Council decided in 1993 to conserve and develop Lei Yue Mun Fort into the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence. Symbol of the Urban Council from its inception in the 1960s until its abolishment in 1999. ... The Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence (香港海防博物館) is a museum in Hong Kong, located Lei Yue Mun near Shau Kei Wan on the Hong Kong Island. ...

The nearby Sai Wan Battery, with buildings constructed as far back as 1890, housed the Depot and Record Office of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps for nearly four decades after the War. The barracks were handed over to the government in 1985 and were subsequently converted into Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village. Hong Kong Military Service Corps (HKMSC) (Chinese: 香港軍事服務團) was a British army unit and part of the British garrison in Hong Kong (see British Forces Overseas Hong Kong). ... Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village used to be Lyemun Barracks, barracks for the British Soldiers stationed in Hong Kong. ...

Order of battle

British Commonwealth

See also: British Forces Overseas Hong Kong

• Infantry

• • 2nd Battalion, The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment)
  • 1st Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine gun battalion)
  • 5th Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment
  • 2nd Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment
  • The Winnipeg Grenadiers
  • The Royal Rifles of Canada
  • Hong Kong Chinese Regiment
  • Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps (HKVDC)

• Artillery
  • 8th Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery
  • 12th Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery
  • 5th Anti-Air Regiment
  • 1st Hong Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery (2 batteries)
  • 956th Defence Battery, Royal Artillery

• Supporting Units
  • Royal Engineers, RE
  • Royal Army Service Corp, RASC
  • Royal Army Medical Corp, RAMC
  • Royal Signals, RS
  • Royal Army Ordnance Corp, RAOC
  • Royal Army Dental Corp, RADC
  • Royal Army Pay Corp, RAPC
  • Military Provost Staff Corp
  • Hong Kong Mule Corp

Chinese people in Hong Kong have adopted many western folkways, but a substantial number of them still adhere to traditional Chinese traditions on various aspects of social living; for instance family solidarity, “courtesy and face” in interpersonal relationship. ... Other Hong Kong topics Culture - Economy Education - Geography - History Hong Kong Portal Politics of Hong Kong takes place in a framework of a political system dominated by China, an own legislature, the Chief Executive as the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. ... Categories: Stub | British Army regiments ... The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambriges Own) was a regiment of the British Army. ... In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, self-sufficiency, physical and moral resilience, orderliness and hard work, fighting tenacity, and above all, a sense of courage and loyalty were the characteristics attributed by the British to the Indian martial races. ... The Winnipeg Grenadiers was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces formed in 1908. ... Tactical Recognition Flash of the Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, generally known as the Royal Artillery (RA), is, despite its name, a corps of the British Army. ... The Royal Corps of Signals (sometimes referred to incorrectly as the Royal Signal Corps and often known simply as the Royal Signals or R Sigs) is one of the arms (combat support corps) of the British Army. ...

Empire of Japan

British Commonwealth defensive positions

Key sites of the defence of Hong Kong included:

• Wong Ne Chong Gap
• Lye Moon Passage
• Shing Mun Redoubt
• Gin Drinkers' Line
• Devil's Peak

Wong Nai Chung Gap (黃泥涌峽) is a geographic gap in the middle of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. ... Lei Yue Mun (鯉魚門, literally Carps channel) (a. ... Gin Drinkers Line (醉酒灣防線) or Gin Drinkers Line was a British military defence line against Japanese invasion in Hong Kong, 1941. ... Devils Peak (魔鬼山)is the peak besides Lei Yue Mun on Kowloon, Hong Kong. ...

Notes

Note 1: Estimate from Philip Snow's, The Fall of Hong Kong: Britain, China, and the Japanese Occupation (see below) via [1]

See also

• Greater East Asia War in the Pacific
• History of Hong Kong
• Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence
• Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong
• Second Sino-Japanese War
• Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers)

The Greater East Asia War was a term used, at least publicly in December of 1941, by Japans Imperial General Headquarters (Imperial GHQ) to refer to the conflict that followed (and ultimately reversed) Japans invasions in the 1930s and early 1940s of other nations in eastern Asia and... The History of Hong Kong began as a coastal island geographically located in southern China. ... The Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence (香港海防博物館) is a museum in Hong Kong, located Lei Yue Mun near Shau Kei Wan on the Hong Kong Island. ... The Japanese prostitutes of Hong Kong began when the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Young, surrendered to Japan on 25 December 1941 after 18 days of fierce fighting. ... Combatants China Japan Commanders Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Cheng, Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren, Xue Yue, Bai Chongxi, Mao Zedong, Peng Dehuai Hirohito, Hideki Tojo, Kotohito Kanin, Matsui Iwane, Hajime Sugiyama, Shunroku Hata, Toshizo Nishio, Yasuji Okamura, Umezu Yoshijiro, Fumimaro Konoe Strength 58,600,000 4,100,000... See The Royal Hong Kong Regiment (Volunteers) ...

External links and references

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• BBC submissions
• Offical report by Major-General C.M Maltby, G.O.C. Hong Kong
• Royal Engineers Museum Royal Engineers and the Second World War - the Far East
• Canadians at Hong Kong - Canadians and the Battle of Hong Kong.
• The 2nd MTB Flotilla escapes from Hong Kong
• GUEST OF HIROHITO by Kenneth Cambon, M.D. Story of the youngest royal rifle
• A soldier's story and the Battle of Hong Kong
• The Defence of Hong Kong: December 1941 by Terry CoppPDF (630 KiB)
• Report No. 163 Canadian Participation in the Defence of Hong Kong, December, 1941PDF (299 KiB)
• Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association
• The Fall of Hong Kong
• The Hong Kong Defence
• Tony Banham, Not the Slightest Chance: The Defence of Hong Kong, 1941, University of British Columbia Press; Hardcover (5/1/2003): ISBN 0-7748-1044-0. Paperback (1/1/2004): ISBN 0-7748-1045-9
• The Internet version of the above book
• Tony Banham, Battle of Hong Kong Background And Battlefield Tour Points of Interest
• Philip Snow, The Fall of Hong Kong: Britain, China, and the Japanese Occupation, Yale University Press; Hardcover (July 2003): ISBN 0-300-09352-7; Paperback: ISBN 0-300-10373-5
• "The detailed story of the actual battle and a tribute to Major Maurice A. Parker, CO "D" Coy, Royal Rifles of Canada.
• "The story of Alfred Babin, stretcher bearer, HQ Company, Royal Rifles of Canada.
• Philip Doddridge, Memories Uninvited - "A fascinating story of a young man who finds himself caught up in the horrific battle for Hong Kong and the years of captivity he lived through after the battle was over on December 25th, 1941."
• "Story of the Stanford family and the effect of the fall of Hong Kong in 1941."
• the fall of Hong Kong as seen from a civilian point of view: "Taken in Hong Kong, December 8, 1941" is the story of a American Standard Oil employee interned at Stanley Prison, and repatriated via the Asama Maru and Gripsholm. Available amazon.com

The Portable Document Format (PDF) is the file format created by Adobe Systems, in 1993, for document exchange. ... A kibibyte (a contraction of kilo binary byte) is a unit of information or computer storage, commonly abbreviated KiB (never kiB). 1 kibibyte = 210 bytes = 1,024 bytes The kibibyte is closely related to the kilobyte, which can be used either as a synonym for kibibyte or to refer to... The Portable Document Format (PDF) is the file format created by Adobe Systems, in 1993, for document exchange. ... A kibibyte (a contraction of kilo binary byte) is a unit of information or computer storage, commonly abbreviated KiB (never kiB). 1 kibibyte = 210 bytes = 1,024 bytes The kibibyte is closely related to the kilobyte, which can be used either as a synonym for kibibyte or to refer to... The University of British Columbia Press is a university press that is part of the University of British Columbia. ... Yale University Press is a book publisher founded in 1908. ...