wwii jackdaw

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"The Defence Of Hong Kong - Veterans Affairs Canada." Veterans Affairs Canada - Anciens

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"The Defence of Hong Kong." Gwulo: Old Hong Kong . Web. 17 Jan. 2012. <http://gwulo.com/node/6183>.

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<http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/waragainstjapan/HongKong.htm>.

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Interview

1. What is your duty and ranking during the Battle of Hong Kong?

I am Major M.A Parker one of the nineteen- hundred and seventy-five men who was

sent overseas to Hong Kong. Before being assigned to help defend Hong Kong, I was in

Newfoundland training as part of the Royal Rifles of Canada.

2. Why did your battalion and the Grenadiers defend Hong Kong instead of the

other battalions?

I believe the Royal Rifles of Canada and the Grenadiers was chosen to fight overseas is

due to our duties in the British colonies (Newfoundland and Jamaica). We had the most

war experience and training compared to the other battalions.

3. How long was the trip to Hong Kong and what was happening on the ship?

The trip to Hong Kong was probably a good 3 weeks and a half. If I could remember we

had left Vancouver on October 27th 1941 and arrived there November 16th 1941. Some of

the soldiers on the ship weren’t even trained to be in battle. The commanders were

giving lectures to the untrained soldiers. I was busy thinking about how long is this

going to be or will I survive? Soldiers were writing diaries and letters to send home.

There was training held on the ship. It was a tough ride.

4. What were you thinking of when you heard you were going to be sent to Hong Kong?

I was thinking I am ready for garrison duty when they had told me I was going to Hong

Kong. It was probably going to be like garrison duty in the British colonies. But, even so

I thought some of the guys here wouldn’t even survive a day. Those guys were drivingand trucks and on the telephone. They were fit to be in the boat ride. Some of the guys

were yelling and talking about how we might be in the frontline fighting. I didn’t believe

it until December 7th.

4. What happened on December 7th and why was it so important?

The morning of December 7th was when I knew that I was going into frontlines and

fighting the Japanese hand to hand. This date is important because it was the day all the

Canadian soldiers were put to a test of their abilities and whether we were ready or not

for the Japanese attack. The skies roared with Japanese planes and sound of

bombardment was heard everywhere. We were signalled to fend against the Japanese.

5. Did you think that your battalion was strong enough to defend against the Japanese?

It was tough and we were not equipped or prepared for battle. I knew that we weren’t

going to survive very long after a few days. We were sent to defend against the Japanese

at Stanley Village it was devastating. We fought with all our strength and courage but, it

wasn’t enough when I saw that almost 80 percent of my company was gone that the war

would end soon.



6. What did you do when you knew the war was going to end and Japan was going to

take over the colony?

The Canadian soldiers were pushed back for our last chance to defend the Hong Kong

Island. I would have thought the Japanese were more humane but, they were savages

and I felt that something bad was going to happen.

7. Why did you feel that something bad was going to happen?

I felt this way because after seeing the killings of my comrades by the Japanese. I knew

they were gruesome and cruel. They had no mercy and did not hold back when they

tortured the soldiers. I was right about something bad happening.

8. Do you believe that war or this war has changed everything that we do?

Yes, war has changed the way we act and the emotions we have. We no longer feel the

need to be merciful. We were determined to defend Hong Kong against the Japanese.

The Japanese soldiers have changed their humane way but, follow what the Nazi’s

believe in, which is hate is the way. Hate has changed our world and it is what makeswar. It also made the British, Indian and Singapore troops to unite to fend against Japan.

But, it also makes tragedies and injuries. War has a strong effect on everything we do

and has changed our lives.

9. What had happened after when the Japanese had took over Hong Kong Island?

The Japanese took us to camps starved us and tortured us with no mercy. We were

prisoners of these war camps. One of the soldiers stole food and I had said that he found

it. We got a good beating for that.

10. How was your experience with the Japanese war camps?It was cramped, uneasy and smelly. It would make you vomit and seeing people skinny

as a tree branch was normal. The days were long and you were lucky if you were only

beaten less than 3-4 times a day. We barely ate and working every single minute of the

day whether we liked it or not. I remember when I weighed 170 pounds and after the

war I was 65 pounds. It was brutal and I will never forget with these scars or memories

what has happened.



Letter December 2nd 1941

Dear Family,

It has been a long time since I’ve seen you guys. The training has been non-stop

ever since we laid our hands on the HMCS Prince Rupert. Our commanders have been

lecturing the untrained soldiers the whole time of the boat ride. As soon as the nineteen-

hundred and seventy-five of us arrived in the harbour on November 16 1941 in HongKong we were assigned to an area to defend and train for. We had no equipment and

supplies but, I know that our soldiers have the strength and determination to defend

Hong Kong. But, I am questioning the reality that our army may not be large compared

to the massive army of Japan.

How are you guys? How are the children? How is school? How is work? I hope to

come home soon. How is working in the factory been?

I’ve seen the 14, 000 troops that are defending Hong Kong and we are preparing

and training every single day from early at five or six o’clock in the morning until thelate afternoon. We are under the command of Brigadier J.K. Lawson. There are many of

amateur soldiers but, hopefully they learn quickly before they encounter any type of

trouble. The Grenadiers are here with us as well I think I saw one of your uncles there.

It’s too busy to greet him but, I’m sure it is possible that I will see him after the war.

Everyday we are training for frontline defending, but we were never trained in this

type of area. It is so much different from garrison duty we have been trained our hand to

hand combat and weaponry skills. If we aren’t prepared I think it will be tougher than I

thought. Some of the soldiers operated trucks or telephone lines. It’s a whole new world

for them out here.

The battalions have been separated the Grenadiers and Royal Rifles are protecting

opposite sides the eastern and western areas. The troops are from Britain, India,

Singapore and Hong Kong. It has been brutal what the Japanese have been doing,

attacking and taking control of colonies. It’s going to nerve-racking to see what the

Japanese are going to do with the Hong Kong Island.

I’ve heard stories of the Japanese. These people are cruel and ruthless. They have

no control whatsoever. I believe we can prevent this from happening to Hong Kong. The

Japanese army is strong but we need all the strength we need to slow down or fend off

the Japanese. This war with the 1975 Canadian soldiers is the first time Canadians areinvolved in the current world war.

These war conflicts have caused a great change in these people’s lives

tremendously. They are all living in fear and we are reuniting to help save them from

this tragedy and from this war. They can’t return to their normal lives anymore because

of this war that is happening. We are risking our lives to save people’s lives in return.

Yours truly,



Summary of Battle of Hong Kong

The Battle of Hong Kong is the topic I have chosen. It is a narrowed down topic

of the Canadians in the Pacific War. It is about 1975 Canadian soldiers who were sent to

Hong Kong to defend against the Japanese invasion. This is the first time Canada is

engaged in combat in the Second World War. My jackdaw is what I have researched and

what I have learned from this assignment. I have gained a lot of knowledge fromcompleting the research and items. There are two battalions that were sent specifically to

Hong Kong, they are the Winnipeg Grenadiers and Royal Rifles of Canada. The reason

why these two battalions were chosen to defend Hong Kong overseas is due to their

experience at the British colonies. A funny fact is that some of the Canadian soldiers

were not prepared till the point that one soldier’s occupation was driving trucks or

working in the telephone lines or farming. The Canadian soldiers were courageous and

fought until the end even though their odds of survival were low against the massive

Japanese army. They were unequipped but, some were untrained as well. Nonetheless,

the Canadians were determined and never gave up. The total amount of soldiers in the

force to defend against the Japanese were 14,000 soldiers compared to the 50,000-

60,000 Japanese soldiers. That is a big difference and yet they weren’t intimidated nor

were the people of Hong Kong. The Japanese demanded that Hong Kong surrender but

they only surrendered when they gave it their all. This battle showed the courage and

determination of the Canadians. They are many battles but, this is the first one

Canadians were in during the Second World War and they made an unforgettable effort

to defend Hong Kong. The Japanese were cruel enough to put the Canadians soldiers in

prisoner war camps overworking and living under brutal conditions. The Canadians were

truly courageous and strong to withstand 3 and a half -years of torture and malnutrition

by the Japanese. This battle truly showed the Canadians bravery and power through their dedication and determination to help create peace.

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