This is the story of a “no military risk” campaign that slowly turned into a nightmare. The book provides new answers to a number of difficult questions beginning with a discussion of why Canadian troops were sent to Hong Kong at the request of the British War Office. Were the British duplicitous in making this request? Was Canadian Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant-General Harry Crerar, guilty of putting his own interests above those of his men in telling the minister of National Defence that there was “no military risk” in sending the “C” Force?
The book recounts the formation of the “C” Force and its departure to Hong Kong where it arrived just three weeks before the Japanese attack. It outlines the course of the battle from December 8, 1941, until the inevitable surrender of the garrison on Christmas Day. It places appropriate emphasis on the Canadian contribution, refuting 1947 allegations by the British General-Officer-Commanding — allegations which were only made public in 1993 — that the Canadians did not fight well. Greenhous attacks these charges with solid evidence from participants and eye-witnesses.
Finally, the book tells the story of life and death in the prison camps of Hong Kong and Japan.
The book recounts the formation of the “C” Force and its departure to Hong Kong where it arrived just three weeks before the Japanese attack. It outlines the course of the battle from December 8, 1941, until the inevitable surrender of the garrison on Christmas Day. It places appropriate emphasis on the Canadian contribution, refuting 1947 allegations by the British General-Officer-Commanding — allegations which were only made public in 1993 — that the Canadians did not fight well. Greenhous attacks these charges with solid evidence from participants and eye-witnesses.
Finally, the book tells the story of life and death in the prison camps of Hong Kong and Japan.
Authors
- Bibliography, etc. Note
- Includes bibliographical references and index
- Control Number Identifier
- CaOOCEL
- Dewey Decimal Classification Number
- 940.54/25
- Dewey Decimal Edition Number
- 21
- General Note
- Co-published by Canadian War Museum Issued as part of the desLibris books collection
- ISBN
- 1550022679 9781554880430
- LCCN
- D767.3
- LCCN Item number
- G74 1997eb
- Modifying agency
- CaBNVSL
- Original cataloging agency
- CaOTU
- Physical Description | Extent
- 1 electronic text (vii, 160 p., [32] p. of plates)
- Published in
- Canada
- Publisher or Distributor Number
- CaOOCEL
- Rights
- Access restricted to authorized users and institutions
- System Control Number
- (CaBNVSL)thg00603091 (OCoLC)431570493 (CaOOCEL)410560
- System Details Note
- Mode of access: World Wide Web
- Transcribing agency
- CaOTU
Table of Contents
- Contents 7
- Acknowledgements 8
- Epigraphs 9
- Foreword 11
- Chapter 1 The Strategic Background, 1934-1941 13
- Chapter 2 The Canadian Commitment 25
- Chapter 3 "C" Force to Hong Kong 37
- Chapter 4 "A Psychological Miracle" 45
- Chapter 5 The Japanese Attack 53
- Chapter 6 Loss of the Mainland Territories 63
- Chapter 7 "A Spectacular and Grim Crossing" 89
- Chapter 8 Confusion Worse Confounded 97
- Chapter 9 Divided — and Conquered 111
- Chapter 10 "We are Being Blamed" 125
- Chapter 11 In Spite of Dungeons 141
- Chapter 12 Work, Death, and Cherry Blossom Time 171
- Chapter 13 Liberation 183
- Notes 191
- Index 201
- A 201
- B 201
- C 201
- D 201
- E 201
- F 201
- G 201
- H 201
- I 201
- J 201
- K 201
- L 201
- M 202
- N 202
- O 202
- P 202
- R 202
- S 202
- T 202
- U 202
- V 202
- W 202
- Y 202
