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| Background Kowloon Harbour. |
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The Mainland Evacuated ...
The Japanese took command of Kowloon, a
terrified city in total chaos, marched
triumphantly through the city with prisoners
being prodded along at bayonet point. The
Japanese officers declared Kowloon an
'open city' and branding all Chinese women
as prostitutes they left the people to the
tender mercies of their soldiers. History
records that what followed was an unbridled
orgy of raping, looting, torture and murder.
terrified city in total chaos, marched
triumphantly through the city with prisoners
being prodded along at bayonet point. The
Japanese officers declared Kowloon an
'open city' and branding all Chinese women
as prostitutes they left the people to the
tender mercies of their soldiers. History
records that what followed was an unbridled
orgy of raping, looting, torture and murder.
By nightfall of December 13th the evacuation of the mainland was
successfully completed. Despite continuous attack it was orderly and there
were surprisingly few casualties. Unfortunately much of Wallis' heavy
equipment had to be left behind.
successfully completed. Despite continuous attack it was orderly and there
were surprisingly few casualties. Unfortunately much of Wallis' heavy
equipment had to be left behind.
From Major Parker's Memories
The following was written by Major M.A. Parker, CO "D" Coy, Royal
Rifles of Canada in 1982. He used notes which he had written in a diary
while in captivity and kept for more than 37 years. They are his
observations made about the fighting on the mainland, and about the
senior leadership. He had not changed his mind in 1982, so was not
looking back with 20/20 hindsight. If anything, his opinion was even
firmer, and was shared by other officers of the Royal Rifles.
"The Mainland Brigade was commanded by Brigadier Cedric Wallis who
had previously commanded the 5/7 Rajputs. Wallis was a dedicated and
energetic officer whose personal courage was beyond question, but some
of the Canadians, particularly the Royal Rifles, were subsequently to
question his military judgement.
“The Gin Drinkers Line had collapsed, Brigadier Lawson, in a telephone
conference with Brigadier Wallis, could get little information from him, or
his staff, and we were under the impression that a large battle was being
fought on the mainland. It turned out that fighting on the mainland was
minimal, and that total casualties were very few. We were astonished to
see the mainland turned over to the enemy in only 5 days, and judging
from the casualties, without much of an attempt to stop them. Was Wallis
a little bit rattled?
“We were assured that the demolitions on the mainland had been so
extensive that it would take many weeks before the Japanese could bring
up their artillery. The next day the first heavy shells began exploding on
Hong Kong Island.”
There was a certain amount of tension between the British and the
Canadians at the Field Officer level. The British thought the Canadians
were a rag-tag bunch of rowdy, cowardly colonists, not good for very
much. Much to the consternation of the Canadians some British historians
have written as much. The Canadians thought of the British as arrogant,
condescending prigs. They also thought they were wrong to hold fast to
the idea that attack would come from the sea..
It was at this point, as the mainland troops were returning to Hong Kong
on December 13th, that General Maltby took stock of the situation and
decided to re-deploy his troops into two Brigades, the East Brigade,
under Wallis, and the West Brigade under Brigadier Lawson. Major
Parker says. "A major disadvantage of this new arrangement was that the
Canadian Battalions were separated and only one remained under
Canadian Brigadier Lawson's command. The Canadians were not very
happy with this arrangement ... but little could be done about it. This
seemed unfortunate at the time and was to prove increasingly so during the
battle and in post-battle repercussions".
The Hong Kong defenders were still dueling with the Japanese artillery
units across the mile-wide strait separating the island from the mainland
and had dispersed several Japanese troop concentrations, silencing two of
their artillery sections.
Japanese planes were also bombing positions on the island and the
situation was getting grimmer by the hour. Governor, Sir Mark Young,
had refused a Japanese summons to surrender. "Military men in London
agreed that the island could not hold out indefinitely because of the
problem of supplies. There were 1,500,000 Chinese civilians to feed,
besides the defense forces. There were in fact enough supplies laid up in
Hong Kong to last, as mentioned, 120 days. The problem was there were
not enough men to last that long.
The Eve of Battle
The only effective forces left in the East Brigade were the Royal Rifles of
Canada, some Middlesex Machine Gunners, and some HKVDC units.
The Rajputs were exhausted at rest in the rear echelon. All troops were
sleep deprived, tired and hungry. On the night of December 16th the
Japanese made a probing attack which, in spite of their exhaustion, was
beaten back by "C" Company of the Royal Rifles.
From an interview with Rifleman John Beebe...
"From December 8th to 18th the battle went on at a distance, but with the
Japs pushing down in force and getting closer and closer. By the that time
they had surrounded Kowloon and then on the 18th they succeeded in
crossing to the island in heavy fog. From then on, it was hand-to-hand
with cold steel."
The Japanese occupied the mainland from Kowloon to Devil's Peak. On
the night of December 17th. they began a heavy bombing and artillery
barrage of the island's northern coastal defenses from North Point in the
northwest to Fort Sau Ki in the northeast knocking out many of the pill
box machine guns manned by the Middlesex Regiment. They had amassed
thousands of troops, tons of equipment, and hundreds of small craft, all
without causing any doubt in the mind of General Maltby that the main
attack would come from the South.
The following was written by Major M.A. Parker, CO "D" Coy, Royal
Rifles of Canada in 1982. He used notes which he had written in a diary
while in captivity and kept for more than 37 years. They are his
observations made about the fighting on the mainland, and about the
senior leadership. He had not changed his mind in 1982, so was not
looking back with 20/20 hindsight. If anything, his opinion was even
firmer, and was shared by other officers of the Royal Rifles.
"The Mainland Brigade was commanded by Brigadier Cedric Wallis who
had previously commanded the 5/7 Rajputs. Wallis was a dedicated and
energetic officer whose personal courage was beyond question, but some
of the Canadians, particularly the Royal Rifles, were subsequently to
question his military judgement.
“The Gin Drinkers Line had collapsed, Brigadier Lawson, in a telephone
conference with Brigadier Wallis, could get little information from him, or
his staff, and we were under the impression that a large battle was being
fought on the mainland. It turned out that fighting on the mainland was
minimal, and that total casualties were very few. We were astonished to
see the mainland turned over to the enemy in only 5 days, and judging
from the casualties, without much of an attempt to stop them. Was Wallis
a little bit rattled?
“We were assured that the demolitions on the mainland had been so
extensive that it would take many weeks before the Japanese could bring
up their artillery. The next day the first heavy shells began exploding on
Hong Kong Island.”
There was a certain amount of tension between the British and the
Canadians at the Field Officer level. The British thought the Canadians
were a rag-tag bunch of rowdy, cowardly colonists, not good for very
much. Much to the consternation of the Canadians some British historians
have written as much. The Canadians thought of the British as arrogant,
condescending prigs. They also thought they were wrong to hold fast to
the idea that attack would come from the sea..
It was at this point, as the mainland troops were returning to Hong Kong
on December 13th, that General Maltby took stock of the situation and
decided to re-deploy his troops into two Brigades, the East Brigade,
under Wallis, and the West Brigade under Brigadier Lawson. Major
Parker says. "A major disadvantage of this new arrangement was that the
Canadian Battalions were separated and only one remained under
Canadian Brigadier Lawson's command. The Canadians were not very
happy with this arrangement ... but little could be done about it. This
seemed unfortunate at the time and was to prove increasingly so during the
battle and in post-battle repercussions".
The Hong Kong defenders were still dueling with the Japanese artillery
units across the mile-wide strait separating the island from the mainland
and had dispersed several Japanese troop concentrations, silencing two of
their artillery sections.
Japanese planes were also bombing positions on the island and the
situation was getting grimmer by the hour. Governor, Sir Mark Young,
had refused a Japanese summons to surrender. "Military men in London
agreed that the island could not hold out indefinitely because of the
problem of supplies. There were 1,500,000 Chinese civilians to feed,
besides the defense forces. There were in fact enough supplies laid up in
Hong Kong to last, as mentioned, 120 days. The problem was there were
not enough men to last that long.
The Eve of Battle
The only effective forces left in the East Brigade were the Royal Rifles of
Canada, some Middlesex Machine Gunners, and some HKVDC units.
The Rajputs were exhausted at rest in the rear echelon. All troops were
sleep deprived, tired and hungry. On the night of December 16th the
Japanese made a probing attack which, in spite of their exhaustion, was
beaten back by "C" Company of the Royal Rifles.
From an interview with Rifleman John Beebe...
"From December 8th to 18th the battle went on at a distance, but with the
Japs pushing down in force and getting closer and closer. By the that time
they had surrounded Kowloon and then on the 18th they succeeded in
crossing to the island in heavy fog. From then on, it was hand-to-hand
with cold steel."
The Japanese occupied the mainland from Kowloon to Devil's Peak. On
the night of December 17th. they began a heavy bombing and artillery
barrage of the island's northern coastal defenses from North Point in the
northwest to Fort Sau Ki in the northeast knocking out many of the pill
box machine guns manned by the Middlesex Regiment. They had amassed
thousands of troops, tons of equipment, and hundreds of small craft, all
without causing any doubt in the mind of General Maltby that the main
attack would come from the South.
