Outward bound.
The Defending Forces
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Page 7
The Canadian Troops Arrive
If indeed the men of the Royal Rifles were so poorly trained as some have said, it
is a testament to their courage that they fought so long, so hard, and inflicted such
devastating damage on the battle-hardened Japanese Troops. For eighteen long
days, they fought some of the fiercest battles in WWII.
is a testament to their courage that they fought so long, so hard, and inflicted such
devastating damage on the battle-hardened Japanese Troops. For eighteen long
days, they fought some of the fiercest battles in WWII.
A Testament to Courage
From Newfoundland the Royal Rifles were sent to St. John, New Brunswick for
three weeks. From there they returned to Quebec City for 48 hours' leave.
In October of 1941, the Royal Rifles of Canada said their good-byes to loved
ones and friends on the platform of the Gare du Palais, the railroad station in
Quebec City, and boarded a train for the long journey West to Vancouver. There
they joined up with the Winnipeg Grenadiers, many of whom were suffering the
effects of dengue fever and malaria picked up while in the tropics. On October
27, they boarded the Awatea, a converted cruise ship, and accompanied by the
H.M.C.S. Prince Robert set sail for destinations unknown.
The Awatea carried 90 officers, a Headquarters staff and 2 nursing sisters and
1,877 other ranks. The ship was so overcrowded that 49 Grenadiers and 1
Rifleman jumped ship in protest the night before she sailed and had to be
"persuaded" to re-board and make the ill-fated journey. "C" Company of the
Royal Rifles made the trip aboard the Prince Robert under the command of Major
W.A. Bishop.
Rifleman Sydney Skelton was a short, slim 19 year-old man, married for 10
months, with a baby on the way. He had volunteered for service in Europe and
had served a year in the army when he found himself on the way to Asia with "D"
Company of the Royal Rifles of Canada. He remembered the first night aboard
the Awatea, "Things began to look pretty bad (the first night). Supper time came
and the lads waited hours for it and it turned out to be tripe and onions." Even
Brigadier W.J. Home commented about things on board that night, "..things were
in a hopeless muddle.", he said.
Both ships sailed under sealed orders for security reasons. Their final destination
was unknown, even to the ship's captain. Some of the men put two and two
together and guessed that their destination was somewhere tropical. They had
been issued tropical uniforms, were sailing from Vancouver...they were going
someplace warm. They did not know, or even guess, that it was to get deadly hot.
three weeks. From there they returned to Quebec City for 48 hours' leave.
In October of 1941, the Royal Rifles of Canada said their good-byes to loved
ones and friends on the platform of the Gare du Palais, the railroad station in
Quebec City, and boarded a train for the long journey West to Vancouver. There
they joined up with the Winnipeg Grenadiers, many of whom were suffering the
effects of dengue fever and malaria picked up while in the tropics. On October
27, they boarded the Awatea, a converted cruise ship, and accompanied by the
H.M.C.S. Prince Robert set sail for destinations unknown.
The Awatea carried 90 officers, a Headquarters staff and 2 nursing sisters and
1,877 other ranks. The ship was so overcrowded that 49 Grenadiers and 1
Rifleman jumped ship in protest the night before she sailed and had to be
"persuaded" to re-board and make the ill-fated journey. "C" Company of the
Royal Rifles made the trip aboard the Prince Robert under the command of Major
W.A. Bishop.
Rifleman Sydney Skelton was a short, slim 19 year-old man, married for 10
months, with a baby on the way. He had volunteered for service in Europe and
had served a year in the army when he found himself on the way to Asia with "D"
Company of the Royal Rifles of Canada. He remembered the first night aboard
the Awatea, "Things began to look pretty bad (the first night). Supper time came
and the lads waited hours for it and it turned out to be tripe and onions." Even
Brigadier W.J. Home commented about things on board that night, "..things were
in a hopeless muddle.", he said.
Both ships sailed under sealed orders for security reasons. Their final destination
was unknown, even to the ship's captain. Some of the men put two and two
together and guessed that their destination was somewhere tropical. They had
been issued tropical uniforms, were sailing from Vancouver...they were going
someplace warm. They did not know, or even guess, that it was to get deadly hot.
On November 16th., 1941 the Canadian
troops reached Hong Kong and paraded
smartly through the streets, were greeted
by Hong Kong Governor, Sir Mark
Young and the new GOC of British
forces in China, Major-General
Christopher M. Maltby. The Canadians
arrival brought the total number of
troops available to protect the colony to
15,000.
troops reached Hong Kong and paraded
smartly through the streets, were greeted
by Hong Kong Governor, Sir Mark
Young and the new GOC of British
forces in China, Major-General
Christopher M. Maltby. The Canadians
arrival brought the total number of
troops available to protect the colony to
15,000.
On the November 16th,, 1941, the men of the Royal Rifles of Canada and the
Winnipeg Grenadiers had no idea they were shortly to endure the most incredible
hardships and dangers of their lives. They were about to write a chapter in
Canadian Military history that gives truth to the motto of the Royal Rifles, "Volens
et Valens", "Able and Willing".
The British Crown Colony of Hong Kong and The New Territories consisted of
1060 square kilometers of rugged terrain. The Island of Hong Kong was jagged.
The hills were steep, with deep canyons, narrow ravines and miles of concrete
water catchments which crisscrossed the island.
Winnipeg Grenadiers had no idea they were shortly to endure the most incredible
hardships and dangers of their lives. They were about to write a chapter in
Canadian Military history that gives truth to the motto of the Royal Rifles, "Volens
et Valens", "Able and Willing".
The British Crown Colony of Hong Kong and The New Territories consisted of
1060 square kilometers of rugged terrain. The Island of Hong Kong was jagged.
The hills were steep, with deep canyons, narrow ravines and miles of concrete
water catchments which crisscrossed the island.
The Defending Forces
Before the Canadians' arrival, the area the British had 12,000 troops to defend the
entire area and they were truly a mixed assortment. There were at least 16 units
from every branch of the military. Of those about 10,000 were professional
soldiers. The rest were recently activated militia units such as the Royal Rifles, The
Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Hong Kong Volunteer Defense Force. The famous
2nd Battalion of the Royal Scots, Britain's Senior Regiment of the Line, and the
highly regarded 5/7 Punjabis and the 2/14 Rajputs, had a long and proud history
of service, but even they had lost top officers and NCO's who had been sent back
to England as instructors. They, along with the 1st. Battalion of the Middlesex
(Machine Gun) Regiment, they were meant to be the backbone of the defense.
The Royal Navy was represented by the destroyer Thracian, several gunboats, a
flotilla of motor torpedo boats, and two minesweepers. These vessels were all that
was left in Hong Kong of the mighty China Squadron. The Royal Air Force
contingent had at its disposal three ancient Wildebeest torpedo bombers, and two
Walrus amphibians with which to defend the entire airspace. The aircraft were
flown by 7 officers and serviced by 108 airmen. Keeping the planes in the air was
difficult as the nearest RAF base was 2200 kilometers away in Malaya, a long
way to go for spare parts.
The Hong Kong Volunteer Defense Force under the command of Colonel Henry
Rose were, according to some, "an old boys club, better suited to playing bridge
or cricket than to fighting a war". They were, for the most part, machine gun
companies, anti-aircraft, and coastal defense artillery batteries. They aged from 19
to 60 years When the time came for these "bridge and cricket players" to show
their stuff their courage and determination was remarkable. The defenders were,
according to Carl Vincent in his book, No Reason Why, " .... hardly a
combination likely to make an efficient fighting force".
Before the Canadians' arrival, the area the British had 12,000 troops to defend the
entire area and they were truly a mixed assortment. There were at least 16 units
from every branch of the military. Of those about 10,000 were professional
soldiers. The rest were recently activated militia units such as the Royal Rifles, The
Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Hong Kong Volunteer Defense Force. The famous
2nd Battalion of the Royal Scots, Britain's Senior Regiment of the Line, and the
highly regarded 5/7 Punjabis and the 2/14 Rajputs, had a long and proud history
of service, but even they had lost top officers and NCO's who had been sent back
to England as instructors. They, along with the 1st. Battalion of the Middlesex
(Machine Gun) Regiment, they were meant to be the backbone of the defense.
The Royal Navy was represented by the destroyer Thracian, several gunboats, a
flotilla of motor torpedo boats, and two minesweepers. These vessels were all that
was left in Hong Kong of the mighty China Squadron. The Royal Air Force
contingent had at its disposal three ancient Wildebeest torpedo bombers, and two
Walrus amphibians with which to defend the entire airspace. The aircraft were
flown by 7 officers and serviced by 108 airmen. Keeping the planes in the air was
difficult as the nearest RAF base was 2200 kilometers away in Malaya, a long
way to go for spare parts.
The Hong Kong Volunteer Defense Force under the command of Colonel Henry
Rose were, according to some, "an old boys club, better suited to playing bridge
or cricket than to fighting a war". They were, for the most part, machine gun
companies, anti-aircraft, and coastal defense artillery batteries. They aged from 19
to 60 years When the time came for these "bridge and cricket players" to show
their stuff their courage and determination was remarkable. The defenders were,
according to Carl Vincent in his book, No Reason Why, " .... hardly a
combination likely to make an efficient fighting force".
