This is a great series if you are doing the Pacific War. Your Stalingrad, Kursk and the Bulge were magnificent masterpieces. I can't even wait to imagine Fall of Singapore, Midway and Philippine Sea by you guys. Top Work
As a local Hong Kong citizen, I'd like to express my gratitude for K&G team for making this amazing video! My grandmother and her family avoided death by surrendering the family house to the Imperial army... She's still alive and healthy today!
@@NoaKirelAndAnnaZakUK1920 must be interesting to talk to. i had a grandfather who served in the Pacific, wouldve been really interested to hear about his time there, had he not passed before i was born
@Metallus Zorax I mean, the Pacific Theatre was pretty well covered in things like The Pacific, Hacksaw Ridge, Unbroken, Letters from Iwo Jima etc. But I'd definitely love see more!
@Metallus Zorax I think you're just looking for racism at this point. Pearl Harbour, one of the most well known events of the war, was a humiliation and defeat of "the whites".
My Uncle was captured at Hong Kong on Christmas day of 1941. He was a Rifleman with the Canadian Army. He spent the next nearly 4 years - until liberated at the end of 1945 as a POW of the Japanese. He was tortured, nearly starved, beaten for no reason and went from a strong young man of 5'11" tall and 175 pounds at capture to under 100 pounds at liberation. He was a slave labourer in Japan at a ship yard, a coal mine and a steel plant. He managed to survive the war and return to Canada... but he died young... only 52 years old. A result of his poor treatment as a POW. His name was Russell Lancaster.... never forget!
My grandfather was living there as a kid when the Japanese invaded, everything of value was stolen from his home and his dad was one of those tortured after the Japanese secured control of the island. I can see why he never wanted to talk about it, the battle lasted a lot longer than history books make it out.
One of my uncles was in one of the Canadian battalions at Hong Kong. He survived the battle and 3.5 years as a POW of the Japanese and even decades later he would never buy a Japanese car, TV , etc. even if it was 1/2 the price of similar domestic products.
My grandpa was pretty pissed when my parents bought their first Japanese car. I don’t take it quite that far, but it is disappointing to see how many people in the west fetishize the culture that justified all of the terrible things they did during the war.
@@Woodsy2575 it is of course also necessary to ask if the culture is still the same. I’m German, and I am extremely grateful that the world’s perception of us has shifted away from “those Nazi guys,” mostly because we ourselves have realized how fucked up all that was and have been owning up to it ever since. I don’t believe that people should have to be blamed for the sins of their grandfathers, but of course that depends entirely on whether the mindset in Japan has changed. Personally I don’t know much about the subject, so someone else will have to be the judge of that.
In the case of the Japanese, they venerate war criminals and deny that they ever committed atrocities, they basically skip the Imperialist period in schools altogether. Germany has sought to atone for their role in the destruction of WWII, Japanese governments have tried to brush it all under the rug
@@Woodsy2575 that’s... disappointing to hear, especially for someone like me. I’m curious as to why we went off in different directions, but I’m guessing it comes down to the Holocaust. It was something never seen before, or at least nowhere near that scale, genocide reduced to an industrial process. Compared to that, Japanese war crimes must have seemed much more “mundane” (still horrifying, but nothing previously unheard of in warfare), with the possible exception of the sickening “experiments” the Japanese did (as did the Nazis under Mendele). It’s probable that the latter’s existence was eclipsed by the Holocaust, or perhaps even hushed by the US in exchange for some of the knowledge gained from the experiments. It’s hard to say.
HOLY SMOKES!!! My home city is featured on Kings and Generals? This is the best day ever!! On behalf of the entire Hong Kong population, thank you for making this video to let more people know this exceptional historic event!!
@@wilson0712 Here's to the people who say the Brits did nothing for Hong Kong, and don't forget the Indians and Canadians. Chinese communists did next to nothing to win WW2 and yet they claim the victory as their own
@@BreadWinner330 in common western military sense Loosing about 10 to 15%of the force is a tremendous loss which will almost definitely lead to the abandon of the operation Yet the British empire garrison lost 25% and only surrender when the last water storage site is lost LONG LIVE THE BRITISH EMPIRE!!!!
I'm really grateful to see the Battle of Hong Kong covered! I've heard so many stories of hardship about the war from my grandparent's generation in Hong Kong, so it is quite meaningful to see WW2 material that directly covers my own family history.
I'm a Hongkonger and I'm glad this video is made. I am currently working on a project to remove the dirt and vegetation which covers part of the Shing Mun Redoubt here, part of the Gin Drinkers Line, and after that people can access it more easily If you would like to know more about the Battle of Hong Kong, I recommend reading Tony Banham's books Edit: I will be dedicating my entire holiday on maintaining Shing Mun Redoubt. Since I haven't gone there for 2 months due to exams it's probably a bit overgrown again, I will be heading there on this Friday to clean up the vegetation and continue digging up a trench which is half covered. While the design of the redoubt is seriously flawed, they did a good job on drainage and ventilation, I can stay there in summer and not drop a sweat. I really hope the government would preserve these places, but I guess they aren't interested in that. I posted a video of a timelapse of 10 minutes of digging on my channel, might do a full video tour later Edit: Fun story, usually during my cleanups I tour random people through the redoubt tunnels because obviously your average visitor isn't going to be able to navigate in the dark. I once found a group of people who cleaned up trash nearby and had paint remover on them, I toured them through the entire redoubt so that they could clear the graffiti and trash inside, teamwork ;)
I agree that these historical sites should be kept well. Thank you for your contributions towards the preservation of these sites, there should be more people like you in Hong Komg
Hats off to you on your attempt to upkeep the Shing Mun Redoubt. You are doing a great job of keeping Hong Kong as Hong Kong, not something else. I'm with you on this one: the local government does not give me the impression that they care about what they imagine as something British. They do give me the impression that they want to 'erase' British Hong Kong from the history books.
I love and appreciate you. While the price of Hong Kong and the current government make me not want to visit Hong Kong, I do love all history and culture, and so I pray one day I am able to appreciate all the work you've done in person
Man it feels so weird hearing places referred to that I can see out of my apartment where so many years ago there was conflict and now pretty much just buildings.
@@longyu9336I was thinking of the same thing an hour ago. But you can say the same thing of places in Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi. There were deaths everywhere.
@@tamjeff1751 There is a German poem describing the aftermath of the fields of Verdun, how farmers find half rotten corpses every week emergin from the fields and when he buries the first batch, the second batch comes up after ploughing too.
As a Hong Kong person and a local tour docent I am so proud that this battle (a) lasted 18 gruesome days against vastly superior Japanese forces and (b) made it into this channel!!
I grew up in Hong Kong, and suprised to know about the Battle of Hong Kong 1941, as we weren't taught at all about the details of this, apart from the 44-month Japanese Occupation period. While Canadians know more about this Battle as it is taught in High School Social Studies.
"The spies in Hong Kong motivated desertions" I imagine their motivating: "C'mon the Japanese are nice, they will totally not execute civilians, medical personnel, Fort garissons...
@@johnhuang3278 Well, yeah. The Chinese government are violating the treaty they made with Britain. The whole point of the treaty (keeping democracy for a while) was so that Hong Kong would switch over peacefully and smoothly. Now China have broken the treaty, beginning the shift to communism far earlier than they promised. Of course people are angry. What did the government expect?
@@Cailus3542 Exactly!! What's the hurry?! USA is falling apart by itself being unable to sell the "American Dream" ideology any further (even inside its own territory), losing market shares in everything due to lower quality caused by "this quarter profits, forever cuts" etc. The reigh of USA seems to be close to end and nothing in Earth can stop China as it is the "only" industrial power in the world. Why the chinese can't become king of the world in an organized slow march?
Considering nobody else is talking about them in the comments, my respect to “The Hughsiliers” and their last stand, especially considering that they weren’t professional soldiers. 🇬🇧 🇭🇰
@DiscordChaos indeed , however in terms of casualities and equipment loses its nowhere near ,furthermore most of the garrison consisted of commonwealth forces
the amount of war crime committed in this single invasion shows the savagery of the Japanese imperial army at the time, its chilling how they executed, tortured and raped non-combatants and surrendered troops...
Because surrendering was considered so dishonorable to the Japanese, basically anyone who surrendered was considered to be something less than a cockroach.
@@richardv9648 I mean not necessarily. For example let’s look at the American Civil war. The confederate states lost the war to the union but their point of view/perspective is still taught through the lost cause myth backed by strong supporters in the south.
I am from Canada and all I can say is the Canadians in this invasion put up a ton of grit and fought hard. It amazes he well we managed despite the odds against them.
Never forget Brigadier John Lawson, commander of the East Brigade, who was surrounded and killed at Wong Nai Chung Gap, along with his staff. Lawson radioed his commanders that he was "going outside to fight it out" and left his pillbox with a pistol in each hand. He was killed in the ensuing fight.
My great uncle fought with the Royal WINNIPEG Rifles in Hong Kong and spent 5 years as a POW. I am very happy to get a blow by blow account of what happened. Thank you
Wow, I don't know if this is the first time these 3d graphics have been used, but they're incredible! This channel deserves massive recognition. This is better than most professional documentaries.
Great coverage. I have an Uncle who fought with the Canadian Army there. Interestingly he was a 185 pound man when they went into captivity and only 90 pounds when he was liberated. He always talked so fondly of the crew on the American destroyer that picked them up for the return home. After 3 1/2 years of starvation the crew put on an enormous spread of bacon, eggs, toast, orange juice and coffee. Most of them chowed down only to be sick afterwords as thier bodies couldn't handle such rich food after years of starvation. A great presentation and thanks from a Canadian family for sharing.
I use to stay in Tsuen Wan District, and you can take a hike to see the Shing Mun Redoubts. The pillbox in Jardine Lookout is still there. My mother's side of the family fled to Macau and stayed there for the rest of the war. They were the lucky few that didn't have to endure the 3 years and 8 months occupation that was to follow.
The Hughesiliers defending North Point were formed mostly by workers from Taikoo Dockyard and the HK Electric company. Most of them were seniors and fought in WW1. It's commander, John Paterson, was 55 years old at the time and was the incumbent executive council and legislative council member, a high-level advisor and lawmaker to the governor.
I've visited the Commonwealth Cemetery in Stanley. Lots of fellow Canadians buried there but plenty of local Chinese as well, British of course, and Indian troops too
I never thought it was underrated. I think most of the focus is always on the US island hopping campaign and little focus on the land war in China, Burma and other locations.
@@saint_matthias That is true! Even "mainstream" podcasters are commenting it more nowadays. Some years ago it was all about the western front, sometimes the Russian front.
@@kawaiku that's also true, but I think it is underrated, so much happened in the Pacific, each battle has so much detail. The Australians done some really brave things, that is almost never mentioned.
It is said that 1 man stopped the Japanese at the gates of the temporary hospital at at Stephen’s college, he was a Chinese teacher at that school. he said “You cannot come in here, there are women and injured soldiers here” before being brutally murdered by the Japanese. Today he is a legendary figure at the college with a plaque of his heroic deeds plastered next to the college library, where the hospital once stood.
Hundreds of thousand Indian soldiers fought for the British Empire in both World Wars fighting in foreign lands all over Europe, Africa, and Asia but are never given any recognition whatsoever in the mainstream. Most people outside of India have no idea that so many Indians alongside other allied nation soldiers too fought to win these wars and in many battles played pivotal roles. Thank you for shedding light on this part of history.
Anyone from europe (especially the uk) who knows their world war history knows about it :). By the end of ww2 it had over 2.5M men- the largest volunteer army in history.
My families were living in Hongkong before the battle. My great-grandma carried my 1-year-old grandma on her back and fled to mainland China. Sadly for her, she lost 50% of her hearing due to the bombardment, but she remained a tough woman and raised her kids out of poverty. 80 years later, watching this video I can hardly imagine what she went through. And yet you will never find any mention of this battle in the history book if you are raised and educated in mainland China like me.
unfortunate, im sure every nation teaches with some sort of bias/propaganda but from my perspective the PRC might do it the most. I had a professor who had recently immigrated from China a few years ago who would spew misinformation and i never knew if it was intentional or not (the course was African and Asian human geography). he said that the pollution problem in East Asia was Japans fault, he said Vietnamese love PRC for keeping the West away, said Taiwanese are being held hostage by ROC and want to be freed, and he said that any ethnic minority in China is treated significantly better than the Han people. as an American, i know my government lies to us, but those lies seemed so blatant that i couldnt tell whether he was just pushing that narrative or if he truely believed those things
I am also a local Hong Kong Citizen.. OMG!!! I love this!!! I would also like to express my gratitude to you for taking so much time and effort in putting this together!!! Truly an amazing video.. Thank you!!!!!!! I failed history at school but if all my history lessons were as detailed and visually understanding as yours, then I would have passed History exams. At the 13.50, you mentioned the word 'Sai Wan', which I think should be 'Sai Wan Ho'. Sai Wan is more to the left of the Hong Kong Island, next to Central. Sai Wan Ho is nearer or next to Taikoo Dockyard, which is now Taikoo Shing MTR. Massive Thank you again for the history lesson of my beloved Hong Kong.
Please name a Chinese unit that fought in this battle, the only “Chinese Force" in HK at the battle was probably the Dongjiang Column, which was busy at murdering a padre in Saikong
@@arnoldussineamico498 there were Chinese units under the British control. He mentioned for the volunteer defense Corp. also they weren’t there to defend your home their there to defend their prized Asian colony. Hong Kong was called the pearl of the orient for a reason
It's really interesting to see an in-depth video about the battle of Hong Kong, I grew up there and have even hiked around and seen some of the old pillboxes and battery’s, in the museums, it talks a little bit about the defense of the Island and the Mainland but not at this level. I am glad to learn more about the history of the place that I have called home for the last 20 years and to see how everything has changed over the years is truly a sight to see.
He was also the highest ranking Canadian killed in action in WWII. He left the message "I am going outside to fight it out", then died fighting in Wong Nai Chung Gap.
An interesting story about the battle tells us about a dog named Gander (Newfoundland) who was with the Royal Rifles of Canada at the Battle of Hong Kong, the story goes that during the battle gander fought with the Canadians and at one point of the battle picked up a Japanese grenade and ran towards the enemy. Gander was awarded the Dickin Medal which is the metaphorical animal equivalent of the Victoria cross
As a mixed British Hong Kong and a Canadian citizen, I would like to shout out to Winnipeg Granadiers and Royal Rifles of Canada a big thank you for defending my home 🙏🇨🇦🇭🇰
My grandpa was apart of the royal rifles. and seen the st Stephan’s massacre. he wrote detailed memoirs of his experiences as a pow. On behalf of my grandfather thank you for making this,
I heard a lot about the Winnipeg Rifles, of who few survived the abuse they received as POW's for having fought so bravely and well as they did. It was what I heard about guys like this that inspired me to serve in an SF team. There's a very nice beach on the east side of HK called Sheko. On the road down to Shecko there used to be a badly scarred concrete bunker held by a Canadian platoon who called in fire from Fort Stanley where there was a big 8" naval gun. That fire caused a lot of casualties to the regiment that landed at Sheko. The Canadians were trapped in this bunker, some were killed in the fight and the rest were wounded. They ran out of ammunition and surrendered but the attacking forces instead to taking them prisoner, left them there to slowly die. It was a very tragic end to a really heroic stand.
During the battle of Hong Kong a company of the Winnipeg Grenadiers got cut off on Mount Butler. The group was led by Sgt Major John Osborne. Seeing the position untenable Osborne order a company withdrawal as the soldier started leaving Osborne and his small group held off the Japanese but when it’s his groups turn he single-handedly held off the Japanese by himself and was exposed to heavy fire before he retreated. But sadly by now they were completely surrounded and cut off. The Japanese started throwing grenades into their positions Osborne picked up several and threw them back at the Japanese. However, one grenade landed in a position where it was impossible to throw. Then Sgt major Osborne did the most heroic action during the battle he pushed a soldier a side and then throw himself onto the grenade which exploded killing him. His sacrifice save many of his comrades but it was all in vein as they surrendered after they ran out of Ammunition. However his heroic acts weren’t forgotten after his death Osborne became the first Canadian to receive the Victoria Cross for his actions.
Little story: 57 brengun carrier en route for Canadian troop units in Hong Kong were in the Philippines when the Japanese invaded both Hong Kong and the Philippines, with with 40 brengun carrier taken over and operated by the US 1st Provisional Tank Group!
Thanks for being concern on the Battle of Hong Kong in 1941, but I have to point out that there is some mistakes. The British government did think Hong Kong is unable to defend at the very beginning, but afterward though Hong Kong is a symbol showing the guaranty of defensing Asia to those Allies in the region. That's why British government strengthened the defense of Hong Kong by building more pillbox and send more troops there.
On the day of the surrender, the Liaison officer of China in HK, Chan Chak, decided to break out of the territory with the remaining Motor Torpedo Boats. Chan was shot in the wrist whilst breaking out but survived and together with a band of British soldiers walked four days through Japanese Territory to reach Huizhou, where they were transferred to India.
Shout out to my grandad who was working for the British colonial government there at the time. At the fall of Hong Kong he and Admiral Chan Chak of the Chinese Navy (with several units of SOE and Royal Navy) fled across Aberdeen Harbour and managed to flee though the blockade into what was left of free China!
@@storm0fnova yeah but i dont think the allies raped and killed prisoners for fun now did they? and there's literally pictures of Japanese soldiers using Chinese babies as bayonet practice.
@@janoycresva2279 The allied countries slowly drained their colonies and subsequently the world through economics and as this isn't considered as bad as torture and slaying they have gotten away
@@thelogician3845 that's literally just how the world works. They just did it better than anybody else. Its just an excuse at this point for their own problems they don't want to fix themselves.
@@janoycresva2279 you gotta realize in war, there are no good or bad, they are all bad, to win, you must commit the worst things possible, the difference is some become winners others, deadmen. the fact you think the allied forces never committed atrocities proves their success in writing the history.
Thank you soooo much for featuring history of my home city. Those fallen defenders are still highly respected among us, we never forgot the sacrifice of those brave souls!!!
You left out the fact that the highest ranked Canadian to have been killed in combat during WW2 died here at Wong Nai Chong Gap. Brigadier John Lawson. "After fierce fighting, Japanese forces surrounded Lawson's headquarters at around 10 a.m. on 19 December. Lawson radioed his commanders that he was "going outside to fight it out" and left his pillbox with a pistol in each hand. He was killed in the ensuing fight."
I had an uncle who fought the Japanese - he didn't talk much about the war but he did make known the Japanese soldiers he faced were brutal and sadistic. I will not go into detail but they tortured people in unspeakable ways. Hard to remember how it wasn't that long ago. I know people who fought them who ended up thinking they were subhuman as they seemed to lack even basic compassion.
Nazi Germany, Japan and North Korea soon after them are hands down three of the most dirty and sadistic armies I've ever heard of. For those who don't know, the Norks slaughtered a whole hospital in Seoul, regularly killed POWs, and even forced kids to fight as slave soldiers after being taken from their families (a 1951 U.S. documentary on the Korean War shows this). Absolutely outrageous.
My grandad Lt. T Drummond Hunter OBE fought for the 2nd Bn Royal Scots at Hong Kong. He was shot in both shoulders, before fracturing his back after the ambulance was hit by artillery. In the military hospital he then married my grandma, Peggie Hunter, (then Scotcher) daughter of Major Scotcher, professional ballet dancer and volunteer military nurse. They married while under shelling, my wounded grandad confined to bed. Following the surrender of Hong Kong my newly wed grandparents were then parted for three years in P. O.W camps on Stanley Island, where they were able to smuggle messages and self portraits to each other but didn't set eyes on each other until their liberation. My grandad witnessed the execution and beheading of his friend and superior, Captain Douglas Ford, while his own large 6ft 4in frame became emaciated. They survived the ordeal and spent the rest of their lives together until their deaths in Edinburgh, dedicating their lives to reforming conditions for prisoners. They were very stoic and tight lipped, but often lamented how their small piece of the war is often forgotten. I'm very grateful for this video and I know they would be too. Their ashes were mixed together and used to plant an Ash tree on the Crescent, Morningside, Edinburgh which stands proud to this day. - Miles Cameron Hunter
Churchill really did the Canadians dirty, first the debacle in Dieppe then this BS, I mean, these soldiers really thought they were heading to a country club of some sorts three weeks before the batttle.
My Grandfather was there fighting for the Royal Rifles of Canada. There was no hope of stopping the Japanese but they fought 17 days until the Governor Sir Mark Young officially surrendered the Island. The 3 years 8 months he spent as a POW were a nightmare of starvation, beatings, torture, and forced labour. As a Canadian I was not taught of any of this in school - teachers probably knew nothing about it.
I'm a HK local....I live in the North Point district and there's a popular mountain trail nearby that has WW2 IJA concrete structures used for ammo storage, and also small tunnels in the mountains which presumably were bunkers. Japanese and Allied bunkers are everywhere in the mountains of HK, and are bit of an attraction for weekend hikers. And once in a while, at various construction sites nowadays, they would up dig WW2 bombs that disposing, most of these bombs were US navy 250 pounders dropped by SB2C Helldivers.
Thank you, Kings and Generals team. Awesome video on some of the places where I go hiking every now and then (Wong Nai Chung Nap, Jardine's Lookout, Violet Hill)! In a way, I'm glad these spots have turned into hiking trails where you get to take a walk while thinking of the history behind it almost 80 years ago.
10:44 the place is called tide cove? I live there and I've never heard of this lol We call it ma liu shui (where the Japanese forces crossed) and tai shui hang (where they landed). The Japanese literally landed at where my primary school is. Fun fact: the people in shatin dubbed the area 孖橋 (double bridges) since there are 2 bridges allowed for cyclist to cross the river there, a very popular spot for cyclists or fishers to meet on weekends. P.s. okay I googled it and turns out the name exists on maps, but we literally never called it that lol
Jesus, it must have been shocking for the British troops to come up against a "civilised" enemy that was willing to behead surrendering soldiers enmasse.
My grandad was watching a Japanese movie with his cousin in the theater during Japanese air raids, still living till this day. He was probably 5 or 6 at that time too, wtf
My Great Grandfather fought in the battle of Hong Kong. He was with the Royal Rifles of Canada. He fought on Stanley Mound and only surrendered the day after the Brit’s did. We don’t talk about this battle in Canada it’s nice to see it being represented.
More Pacific and World War II battles on the way!
Nice! Excited for it :)
Yea me too and all of your subscribers
Me excited
Yes this us amazing!
Love you guys :)
This is a great series if you are doing the Pacific War. Your Stalingrad, Kursk and the Bulge were magnificent masterpieces. I can't even wait to imagine Fall of Singapore, Midway and Philippine Sea by you guys. Top Work
As a local Hong Kong citizen, I'd like to express my gratitude for K&G team for making this amazing video! My grandmother and her family avoided death by surrendering the family house to the Imperial army... She's still alive and healthy today!
That's amazing!
Bless her!
🚀🚀
Hong Kong Fu- e
@@NoaKirelAndAnnaZakUK1920 must be interesting to talk to. i had a grandfather who served in the Pacific, wouldve been really interested to hear about his time there, had he not passed before i was born
This part of the war seems so rarely covered, it’s nice to see this on Kings and Generals. We need more on the Asian theater!
@Metallus Zorax I mean, the Pacific Theatre was pretty well covered in things like The Pacific, Hacksaw Ridge, Unbroken, Letters from Iwo Jima etc. But I'd definitely love see more!
@@connorbutler5900 I think its because it didn't involve one of the big 3: Russia, Germany or the USA.
It was a shameful episode for the british, its perfectly normal they don't want to talk about it or about the losing of the Prince Of Wales.
@@connorbutler5900 the American side is always covered. Why they don't make a lot of movies about shameful episodes in their history?
@Metallus Zorax I think you're just looking for racism at this point. Pearl Harbour, one of the most well known events of the war, was a humiliation and defeat of "the whites".
My Uncle was captured at Hong Kong on Christmas day of 1941. He was a Rifleman with the Canadian Army. He spent the next nearly 4 years - until liberated at the end of 1945 as a POW of the Japanese. He was tortured, nearly starved, beaten for no reason and went from a strong young man of 5'11" tall and 175 pounds at capture to under 100 pounds at liberation. He was a slave labourer in Japan at a ship yard, a coal mine and a steel plant. He managed to survive the war and return to Canada... but he died young... only 52 years old. A result of his poor treatment as a POW.
His name was Russell Lancaster.... never forget!
Never forgot all the brave and suffered people at that moment Really , I always think of the people at war time
My grandfather was living there as a kid when the Japanese invaded, everything of value was stolen from his home and his dad was one of those tortured after the Japanese secured control of the island. I can see why he never wanted to talk about it, the battle lasted a lot longer than history books make it out.
One of my uncles was in one of the Canadian battalions at Hong Kong. He survived the battle and 3.5 years as a POW of the Japanese and even decades later he would never buy a Japanese car, TV , etc. even if it was 1/2 the price of similar domestic products.
My grandpa was pretty pissed when my parents bought their first Japanese car. I don’t take it quite that far, but it is disappointing to see how many people in the west fetishize the culture that justified all of the terrible things they did during the war.
@@Woodsy2575 it is of course also necessary to ask if the culture is still the same. I’m German, and I am extremely grateful that the world’s perception of us has shifted away from “those Nazi guys,” mostly because we ourselves have realized how fucked up all that was and have been owning up to it ever since. I don’t believe that people should have to be blamed for the sins of their grandfathers, but of course that depends entirely on whether the mindset in Japan has changed. Personally I don’t know much about the subject, so someone else will have to be the judge of that.
In the case of the Japanese, they venerate war criminals and deny that they ever committed atrocities, they basically skip the Imperialist period in schools altogether. Germany has sought to atone for their role in the destruction of WWII, Japanese governments have tried to brush it all under the rug
@@Woodsy2575 that’s... disappointing to hear, especially for someone like me. I’m curious as to why we went off in different directions, but I’m guessing it comes down to the Holocaust. It was something never seen before, or at least nowhere near that scale, genocide reduced to an industrial process. Compared to that, Japanese war crimes must have seemed much more “mundane” (still horrifying, but nothing previously unheard of in warfare), with the possible exception of the sickening “experiments” the Japanese did (as did the Nazis under Mendele). It’s probable that the latter’s existence was eclipsed by the Holocaust, or perhaps even hushed by the US in exchange for some of the knowledge gained from the experiments. It’s hard to say.
HOLY SMOKES!!! My home city is featured on Kings and Generals? This is the best day ever!! On behalf of the entire Hong Kong population, thank you for making this video to let more people know this exceptional historic event!!
Hell yeah, especially someone is trying to alter history. You know what I'm talking about.
@@wilson0712 unfortunately the (party) already succeeded as they reacquired and absorbed Hong Kongs unique city and culture
@@wilson0712 Here's to the people who say the Brits did nothing for Hong Kong, and don't forget the Indians and Canadians. Chinese communists did next to nothing to win WW2 and yet they claim the victory as their own
@@BreadWinner330 in common western military sense
Loosing about 10 to 15%of the force is a tremendous loss which will almost definitely lead to the abandon of the operation
Yet the British empire garrison lost 25% and only surrender when the last water storage site is lost
LONG LIVE THE BRITISH EMPIRE!!!!
Your home city is one of the biggest and most well known cities in the world why are you so surprised :D
I'm really grateful to see the Battle of Hong Kong covered! I've heard so many stories of hardship about the war from my grandparent's generation in Hong Kong, so it is quite meaningful to see WW2 material that directly covers my own family history.
The Gin Drinkers Line, the most British thing I ever heard.
no TEA ?
,
@@bigtechdicktators6704 The Chinese like their tea too so that would not work.
I’ve trekked it on the marvelous hiking track Maclehose Trail
As a Hongkonger, thank you so much for covering the history of my hometown.
It's nice to see the Canadian and Indian troops recognized, rather than called "British" like many histories do.
I'm a Hongkonger and I'm glad this video is made. I am currently working on a project to remove the dirt and vegetation which covers part of the Shing Mun Redoubt here, part of the Gin Drinkers Line, and after that people can access it more easily
If you would like to know more about the Battle of Hong Kong, I recommend reading Tony Banham's books
Edit: I will be dedicating my entire holiday on maintaining Shing Mun Redoubt. Since I haven't gone there for 2 months due to exams it's probably a bit overgrown again, I will be heading there on this Friday to clean up the vegetation and continue digging up a trench which is half covered. While the design of the redoubt is seriously flawed, they did a good job on drainage and ventilation, I can stay there in summer and not drop a sweat. I really hope the government would preserve these places, but I guess they aren't interested in that.
I posted a video of a timelapse of 10 minutes of digging on my channel, might do a full video tour later
Edit: Fun story, usually during my cleanups I tour random people through the redoubt tunnels because obviously your average visitor isn't going to be able to navigate in the dark. I once found a group of people who cleaned up trash nearby and had paint remover on them, I toured them through the entire redoubt so that they could clear the graffiti and trash inside, teamwork ;)
Thank you preserving local history.
^
I agree that these historical sites should be kept well. Thank you for your contributions towards the preservation of these sites, there should be more people like you in Hong Komg
Hats off to you on your attempt to upkeep the Shing Mun Redoubt. You are doing a great job of keeping Hong Kong as Hong Kong, not something else. I'm with you on this one: the local government does not give me the impression that they care about what they imagine as something British. They do give me the impression that they want to 'erase' British Hong Kong from the history books.
I love and appreciate you. While the price of Hong Kong and the current government make me not want to visit Hong Kong, I do love all history and culture, and so I pray one day I am able to appreciate all the work you've done in person
Man it feels so weird hearing places referred to that I can see out of my apartment where so many years ago there was conflict and now pretty much just buildings.
It' so weird to hear Shatin, where I used to go to hangout all the time, being mentioend as a site of battle
Imagine living in Wolgograd. I guess for the first few years after WW2 they must have dug up scores of human remains when constructing a new house.
@@longyu9336I was thinking of the same thing an hour ago. But you can say the same thing of places in Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi. There were deaths everywhere.
@@Conanap Shatin was just a piece of land in the 50s I think. Much like Richmond British Columbia, a piece of land with a few farms...
@@tamjeff1751 There is a German poem describing the aftermath of the fields of Verdun, how farmers find half rotten corpses every week emergin from the fields and when he buries the first batch, the second batch comes up after ploughing too.
As a Hong Kong person and a local tour docent I am so proud that this battle (a) lasted 18 gruesome days against vastly superior Japanese forces and (b) made it into this channel!!
I am a Hong Konger. Thank you for your fantastic document. This is the history that every Hong Kongers will never forget.
@@sid2112 Thank you so much.
Let not forget the sacrifice of the Canadian troops
@@ethanramos4441 of course. Absolute salute to those who across the entire ocean to protect Hong Kong.
@@yb4b34 Yeah including Sgt Major John Osborne
I grew up in Hong Kong, and suprised to know about the Battle of Hong Kong 1941, as we weren't taught at all about the details of this, apart from the 44-month Japanese Occupation period.
While Canadians know more about this Battle as it is taught in High School Social Studies.
"The spies in Hong Kong motivated desertions" I imagine their motivating: "C'mon the Japanese are nice, they will totally not execute civilians, medical personnel, Fort garissons...
@@johnhuang3278
Do you have proof?
@@johnhuang3278 Well, yeah. The Chinese government are violating the treaty they made with Britain. The whole point of the treaty (keeping democracy for a while) was so that Hong Kong would switch over peacefully and smoothly. Now China have broken the treaty, beginning the shift to communism far earlier than they promised. Of course people are angry. What did the government expect?
@@whathell6t By looking at his surname “Huang” you can know he’s from Mainland China as 黃 is spelled “Wong” in Romanised Cantonese.
@@johnhuang3278 Go cry to winnie the pooh about it
@@Cailus3542 Exactly!! What's the hurry?!
USA is falling apart by itself being unable to sell the "American Dream" ideology any further (even inside its own territory), losing market shares in everything due to lower quality caused by "this quarter profits, forever cuts" etc.
The reigh of USA seems to be close to end and nothing in Earth can stop China as it is the "only" industrial power in the world. Why the chinese can't become king of the world in an organized slow march?
Considering nobody else is talking about them in the comments, my respect to “The Hughsiliers” and their last stand, especially considering that they weren’t professional soldiers. 🇬🇧 🇭🇰
After British surrender, a communist led guerrilla called 港九游击队 fought Japanese till 1945.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
@@leiyue1411They are useless.
Ok, now i can't wait for a video about Singapore siege, one of the most humiliating british military defeat in history, excellent video as always
@DiscordChaos next to the Yanks, The Brits' Colonies are getting fucked up
@DiscordChaos dunkerk
@DiscordChaos indeed , however in terms of casualities and equipment loses its nowhere near ,furthermore most of the garrison consisted of commonwealth forces
@@yegorperepelytsya7812 we have to know the differences between death and tortured until death
Indians and Australians were winning the British were just to paranoid.
Thank you to brave Canadians and Punjabis who defended Hong Kong, thousands of miles away from their homes.
Rajputs too
To be fair the Brits occupied it in the first place lol.
E
@@willblack8575 It wasn’t empty it was a trading port what do you mean.
@@joshuabonilla3491 But nothing compared to what it became under the British I think is his point
the amount of war crime committed in this single invasion shows the savagery of the Japanese imperial army at the time, its chilling how they executed, tortured and raped non-combatants and surrendered troops...
Look up the rape of Nanking.
Because surrendering was considered so dishonorable to the Japanese, basically anyone who surrendered was considered to be something less than a cockroach.
@@richardv9648 I mean not necessarily. For example let’s look at the American Civil war. The confederate states lost the war to the union but their point of view/perspective is still taught through the lost cause myth backed by strong supporters in the south.
@@richardv9648 no evidence of what? Japanese atrocities in ww2?
Taught Where?
I grew up in the quiet neighborhood of Jardine Lookout .. didnt even know about its bloody past. Thanks for the video!
hello neighbour from childhood
I am from Canada and all I can say is the Canadians in this invasion put up a ton of grit and fought hard. It amazes he well we managed despite the odds against them.
Never forget Brigadier John Lawson, commander of the East Brigade, who was surrounded and killed at Wong Nai Chung Gap, along with his staff. Lawson radioed his commanders that he was "going outside to fight it out" and left his pillbox with a pistol in each hand. He was killed in the ensuing fight.
Being the son of a Rajput myself I find this history both fascinating and inspiring!
And the Free World owes so much to him and his colleagues.
There is one fact missing, the Rajput hold Devil’s Peak until main forces retreated to the island. Those are brave men.
My great uncle fought with the Royal WINNIPEG Rifles in Hong Kong and spent 5 years as a POW. I am very happy to get a blow by blow account of what happened. Thank you
Being from HK, this is definitely the video that captivated me the most from the channel.
Wow, I don't know if this is the first time these 3d graphics have been used, but they're incredible! This channel deserves massive recognition. This is better than most professional documentaries.
Great coverage. I have an Uncle who fought with the Canadian Army there. Interestingly he was a 185 pound man when they went into captivity and only 90 pounds when he was liberated. He always talked so fondly of the crew on the American destroyer that picked them up for the return home. After 3 1/2 years of starvation the crew put on an enormous spread of bacon, eggs, toast, orange juice and coffee. Most of them chowed down only to be sick afterwords as thier bodies couldn't handle such rich food after years of starvation.
A great presentation and thanks from a Canadian family for sharing.
I use to stay in Tsuen Wan District, and you can take a hike to see the Shing Mun Redoubts. The pillbox in Jardine Lookout is still there. My mother's side of the family fled to Macau and stayed there for the rest of the war. They were the lucky few that didn't have to endure the 3 years and 8 months occupation that was to follow.
Mate lucky you. I reed the story of Sgt Major John Osborne
A fascinating video. My wife grew up in Hong Kong and I served in the Canadian Army, so each of us has a vested interest. Well done.
The Hughesiliers defending North Point were formed mostly by workers from Taikoo Dockyard and the HK Electric company. Most of them were seniors and fought in WW1. It's commander, John Paterson, was 55 years old at the time and was the incumbent executive council and legislative council member, a high-level advisor and lawmaker to the governor.
Man, Canadians fought hard and well. Makes me proud
Not to mention one of them won the Victoria Cross
Sadly they along with the Indians were used as cannon fodder to buy time while Maltby and the British escaped and had time to negotiate surrender.
@Katarina Love Nice rapping videos HAHAHHA
Pipe down little boy Lmfao
Both Malby and Governor Young were captured after surrendring.
Indians fought harder.
I've visited the Commonwealth Cemetery in Stanley. Lots of fellow Canadians buried there but plenty of local Chinese as well, British of course, and Indian troops too
There’s another one, Sai Wan war memorial cemetery near Cape Collinson.
Awesome as always, the pacific theater is so underrated, but yet so interesting. Hope situations like Bataan, Marianas, and others comes up.
Burrrrrrrrrma
I never thought it was underrated. I think most of the focus is always on the US island hopping campaign and little focus on the land war in China, Burma and other locations.
@@saint_matthias That is true! Even "mainstream" podcasters are commenting it more nowadays. Some years ago it was all about the western front, sometimes the Russian front.
@@kawaiku that's also true, but I think it is underrated, so much happened in the Pacific, each battle has so much detail. The Australians done some really brave things, that is almost never mentioned.
It is said that 1 man stopped the Japanese at the gates of the temporary hospital at at Stephen’s college, he was a Chinese teacher at that school. he said “You cannot come in here, there are women and injured soldiers here” before being brutally murdered by the Japanese. Today he is a legendary figure at the college with a plaque of his heroic deeds plastered next to the college library, where the hospital once stood.
Hundreds of thousand Indian soldiers fought for the British Empire in both World Wars fighting in foreign lands all over Europe, Africa, and Asia but are never given any recognition whatsoever in the mainstream. Most people outside of India have no idea that so many Indians alongside other allied nation soldiers too fought to win these wars and in many battles played pivotal roles. Thank you for shedding light on this part of history.
Anyone from europe (especially the uk) who knows their world war history knows about it :). By the end of ww2 it had over 2.5M men- the largest volunteer army in history.
I'm a Nepali living in Hong Kong and this video is what I wanted
I believe yr ancestor help defend our city in some point
@@edmondlaw8615 In ww2 scots, Brits and the rajput(indian) fought for Hong Kong but I haven't heard gurkhas
@@edmondlaw8615 could work too. Lot of people from Indian subcontinent went for work or indentured labour during colonisation
@@tenchhofaiyongsawa255 scots are brits
My families were living in Hongkong before the battle. My great-grandma carried my 1-year-old grandma on her back and fled to mainland China. Sadly for her, she lost 50% of her hearing due to the bombardment, but she remained a tough woman and raised her kids out of poverty. 80 years later, watching this video I can hardly imagine what she went through. And yet you will never find any mention of this battle in the history book if you are raised and educated in mainland China like me.
unfortunate, im sure every nation teaches with some sort of bias/propaganda but from my perspective the PRC might do it the most. I had a professor who had recently immigrated from China a few years ago who would spew misinformation and i never knew if it was intentional or not (the course was African and Asian human geography). he said that the pollution problem in East Asia was Japans fault, he said Vietnamese love PRC for keeping the West away, said Taiwanese are being held hostage by ROC and want to be freed, and he said that any ethnic minority in China is treated significantly better than the Han people. as an American, i know my government lies to us, but those lies seemed so blatant that i couldnt tell whether he was just pushing that narrative or if he truely believed those things
Only the stories of the glorious communist guerrilla warfare against the Japanese , which hardly kill any enemy.
I am also a local Hong Kong Citizen.. OMG!!! I love this!!!
I would also like to express my gratitude to you for taking so much time and effort in putting this together!!! Truly an amazing video.. Thank you!!!!!!!
I failed history at school but if all my history lessons were as detailed and visually understanding as yours, then I would have passed History exams.
At the 13.50, you mentioned the word 'Sai Wan', which I think should be 'Sai Wan Ho'.
Sai Wan is more to the left of the Hong Kong Island, next to Central. Sai Wan Ho is nearer or next to Taikoo Dockyard, which is now Taikoo Shing MTR.
Massive Thank you again for the history lesson of my beloved Hong Kong.
Salute to the indians, Canadians, british, Portuguese, french n hkers who participated in the defense of my home🙇
Please name a Chinese unit that fought in this battle, the only “Chinese Force" in HK at the battle was probably the Dongjiang Column, which was busy at murdering a padre in Saikong
@Kumar HasanIQ83 it would be wise to remain silence when u know nothing. Dongjiang Column was a Communist guerilla unit
@@arnoldussineamico498 there were Chinese units under the British control. He mentioned for the volunteer defense Corp. also they weren’t there to defend your home their there to defend their prized Asian colony. Hong Kong was called the pearl of the orient for a reason
@@arnoldussineamico498 he is a troll look at his name. He is not indian I think.
Sorry to say they weren't exactly there to defend your home they were there to defend their home since Hong Kong was owned by the British
I'm from Hong Kong. Thank you for making this video !
Same here!
Fight for freedom...
@@hitler1263 Stand with Hong Kong
@@johnhuang3278 I feel so ashamed for your parents.
@@johnhuang3278 Imagine defending a neo-facist regime in the 21st century on TH-cam.
It's really interesting to see an in-depth video about the battle of Hong Kong, I grew up there and have even hiked around and seen some of the old pillboxes and battery’s, in the museums, it talks a little bit about the defense of the Island and the Mainland but not at this level. I am glad to learn more about the history of the place that I have called home for the last 20 years and to see how everything has changed over the years is truly a sight to see.
As a Hongkonger I can't thank you enough for this video!!!!! Great channel!!
The British Canadian general in charge of the defence of Hong Kong John K Lawsons last stand inspired the star wars character captain Keeli.
He was also the highest ranking Canadian killed in action in WWII. He left the message "I am going outside to fight it out", then died fighting in Wong Nai Chung Gap.
An interesting story about the battle tells us about a dog named Gander (Newfoundland) who was with the Royal Rifles of Canada at the Battle of Hong Kong, the story goes that during the battle gander fought with the Canadians and at one point of the battle picked up a Japanese grenade and ran towards the enemy. Gander was awarded the Dickin Medal which is the metaphorical animal equivalent of the Victoria cross
Thanks for the superb documentary, happy to know that the Southeast Asian war effort finally gets some coverage!
HK is not in SEA...
@@JC-uz3ey it is
@@henrychu495 Hong Kong is in EAST ASIA, not South East Asia.
I am a Hongkonger. I am surprised u can make such comprehensive documentary video for this. Thanks!
K&G is on a roll with quality content again.
As a mixed British Hong Kong and a Canadian citizen, I would like to shout out to Winnipeg Granadiers and Royal Rifles of Canada a big thank you for defending my home 🙏🇨🇦🇭🇰
No rajput and panjabis?
@@Abhishek-sr2pu and everyone else yaar
Glad you do some underrated battles of WW2,we were really genuine to see more of this kind of content!
My grandpa was apart of the royal rifles. and seen the st Stephan’s massacre. he wrote detailed memoirs of his experiences as a pow. On behalf of my grandfather thank you for making this,
I heard a lot about the Winnipeg Rifles, of who few survived the abuse they received as POW's for having fought so bravely and well as they did. It was what I heard about guys like this that inspired me to serve in an SF team. There's a very nice beach on the east side of HK called Sheko. On the road down to Shecko there used to be a badly scarred concrete bunker held by a Canadian platoon who called in fire from Fort Stanley where there was a big 8" naval gun. That fire caused a lot of casualties to the regiment that landed at Sheko. The Canadians were trapped in this bunker, some were killed in the fight and the rest were wounded. They ran out of ammunition and surrendered but the attacking forces instead to taking them prisoner, left them there to slowly die. It was a very tragic end to a really heroic stand.
My day just got a whole lot better with new uploads by both Kings and Generals and Fall of Civilizations. My two favourite History channels
During the battle of Hong Kong a company of the Winnipeg Grenadiers got cut off on Mount Butler. The group was led by Sgt Major John Osborne. Seeing the position untenable Osborne order a company withdrawal as the soldier started leaving Osborne and his small group held off the Japanese but when it’s his groups turn he single-handedly held off the Japanese by himself and was exposed to heavy fire before he retreated. But sadly by now they were completely surrounded and cut off. The Japanese started throwing grenades into their positions Osborne picked up several and threw them back at the Japanese. However, one grenade landed in a position where it was impossible to throw. Then Sgt major Osborne did the most heroic action during the battle he pushed a soldier a side and then throw himself onto the grenade which exploded killing him. His sacrifice save many of his comrades but it was all in vein as they surrendered after they ran out of Ammunition. However his heroic acts weren’t forgotten after his death Osborne became the first Canadian to receive the Victoria Cross for his actions.
Thank you for this tidbit of history. What a heroic man he was!
@@ptitgavroche Indeed in fact Simple History did a video on him
Pretty sure he wasn’t the 1st Canadian to win a v.c. Doyou mean 1st of ww2?
@@stevyjobs8436 Yes he was the first in WWII
His memorial on Jardine's Lookout is a tribute to a fine and brave man, and we are grateful to him and all who fell with him. Lest we forget.
Little story: 57 brengun carrier en route for Canadian troop units in Hong Kong were in the Philippines when the Japanese invaded both Hong Kong and the Philippines, with with 40 brengun carrier taken over and operated by the US 1st Provisional Tank Group!
Thanks for being concern on the Battle of Hong Kong in 1941, but I have to point out that there is some mistakes. The British government did think Hong Kong is unable to defend at the very beginning, but afterward though Hong Kong is a symbol showing the guaranty of defensing Asia to those Allies in the region. That's why British government strengthened the defense of Hong Kong by building more pillbox and send more troops there.
Oh, great, it's my homecity. Thanks for creating the video of military history about that, K&G.
On the day of the surrender, the Liaison officer of China in HK, Chan Chak, decided to break out of the territory with the remaining Motor Torpedo Boats. Chan was shot in the wrist whilst breaking out but survived and together with a band of British soldiers walked four days through Japanese Territory to reach Huizhou, where they were transferred to India.
Shout out to my grandad who was working for the British colonial government there at the time. At the fall of Hong Kong he and Admiral Chan Chak of the Chinese Navy (with several units of SOE and Royal Navy) fled across Aberdeen Harbour and managed to flee though the blockade into what was left of free China!
Very informative.
A detailed discussion on a lot less spoken but important part of the ww2 history.
I want battle of Haifa love your videos from🇮🇳 India
Take a shot every time Japan commits a war crime
War itself is a crime though. war crime is quite redundant of a concept, both sides did bad things. history is written by the victors
@@storm0fnova yeah but i dont think the allies raped and killed prisoners for fun now did they? and there's literally pictures of Japanese soldiers using Chinese babies as bayonet practice.
@@janoycresva2279 The allied countries slowly drained their colonies and subsequently the world through economics and as this isn't considered as bad as torture and slaying they have gotten away
@@thelogician3845 that's literally just how the world works. They just did it better than anybody else. Its just an excuse at this point for their own problems they don't want to fix themselves.
@@janoycresva2279 you gotta realize in war, there are no good or bad, they are all bad, to win, you must commit the worst things possible, the difference is some become winners others, deadmen. the fact you think the allied forces never committed atrocities proves their success in writing the history.
Crazy to see how far this channel has come. Awesome work guys, keep it up!
Those Hongkong defenders are very brave and determined, despite that they were outnumbered. RIP Hongkong defender.
This part of WW 2 rarely gets covered along with the A.B.D.A defense of the Dutch Indies, awesome video.
Hell yeah!
Fingers crossed for a battle of Shanghai. Better yet, the defense of Sihang warehouse.
Yes, the legendary 452 men and Yang Huimin
Just got in, turned on my phone and this greeted me. Thank you King's and Generals
K&G telling military details, people in comment section telling their grandparents' first hand experiences.
Amazing
Cant say this enough, I really enjoy watching these kinds of videos.
Thank you soooo much for featuring history of my home city. Those fallen defenders are still highly respected among us, we never forgot the sacrifice of those brave souls!!!
Is the Saiwan Cemetery where 200 plus fallen Canadians were buried visited often?
Thanks so much Kings and Generals, didn't expect the Battle of Hong Kong would be featured!
a very epic battle fought on a tiny piece of land. I am forever grateful to the defending forces.
Golden hill and Red hill had some major fighting too
Always the best!
You left out the fact that the highest ranked Canadian to have been killed in combat during WW2 died here at Wong Nai Chong Gap. Brigadier John Lawson.
"After fierce fighting, Japanese forces surrounded Lawson's headquarters at around 10 a.m. on 19 December. Lawson radioed his commanders that he was "going outside to fight it out" and left his pillbox with a pistol in each hand. He was killed in the ensuing fight."
Thank you for video
💐💐💐💐👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I had an uncle who fought the Japanese - he didn't talk much about the war but he did make known the Japanese soldiers he faced were brutal and sadistic. I will not go into detail but they tortured people in unspeakable ways. Hard to remember how it wasn't that long ago. I know people who fought them who ended up thinking they were subhuman as they seemed to lack even basic compassion.
Nazi Germany, Japan and North Korea soon after them are hands down three of the most dirty and sadistic armies I've ever heard of. For those who don't know, the Norks slaughtered a whole hospital in Seoul, regularly killed POWs, and even forced kids to fight as slave soldiers after being taken from their families (a 1951 U.S. documentary on the Korean War shows this). Absolutely outrageous.
Very well crafted video. As someone that lives in HK, I can say the indications of geographical features are very spot on.
My grandad Lt. T Drummond Hunter OBE fought for the 2nd Bn Royal Scots at Hong Kong. He was shot in both shoulders, before fracturing his back after the ambulance was hit by artillery.
In the military hospital he then married my grandma, Peggie Hunter, (then Scotcher) daughter of Major Scotcher, professional ballet dancer and volunteer military nurse. They married while under shelling, my wounded grandad confined to bed.
Following the surrender of Hong Kong my newly wed grandparents were then parted for three years in P. O.W camps on Stanley Island, where they were able to smuggle messages and self portraits to each other but didn't set eyes on each other until their liberation. My grandad witnessed the execution and beheading of his friend and superior, Captain Douglas Ford, while his own large 6ft 4in frame became emaciated.
They survived the ordeal and spent the rest of their lives together until their deaths in Edinburgh, dedicating their lives to reforming conditions for prisoners. They were very stoic and tight lipped, but often lamented how their small piece of the war is often forgotten. I'm very grateful for this video and I know they would be too.
Their ashes were mixed together and used to plant an Ash tree on the Crescent, Morningside, Edinburgh which stands proud to this day. - Miles Cameron Hunter
Thank you sooo much for covering this topic!!
what a shame, the Canadians fought with such heart but this was consistently squandered by bad leadership. In this example, at least.
Churchill really did the Canadians dirty, first the debacle in Dieppe then this BS, I mean, these soldiers really thought they were heading to a country club of some sorts three weeks before the batttle.
My Grandfather was there fighting for the Royal Rifles of Canada. There was no hope of stopping the Japanese but they fought 17 days until the Governor Sir Mark Young officially surrendered the Island. The 3 years 8 months he spent as a POW were a nightmare of starvation, beatings, torture, and forced labour. As a Canadian I was not taught of any of this in school - teachers probably knew nothing about it.
Fantastic video yet again K&G!
Do the fall of Singapur next plz
I think eventually they will
Good video thanks for sharing 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I'm a HK local....I live in the North Point district and there's a popular mountain trail nearby that has WW2 IJA concrete structures used for ammo storage, and also small tunnels in the mountains which presumably were bunkers. Japanese and Allied bunkers are everywhere in the mountains of HK, and are bit of an attraction for weekend hikers. And once in a while, at various construction sites nowadays, they would up dig WW2 bombs that disposing, most of these bombs were US navy 250 pounders dropped by SB2C Helldivers.
Thank you for your service !
Never have I clicked so fast on this video loo
Thanks. Good work!
The Canadians soldiers were some of the best during ww2 but you don't here about it very often.
Thank you, Kings and Generals team. Awesome video on some of the places where I go hiking every now and then (Wong Nai Chung Nap, Jardine's Lookout, Violet Hill)! In a way, I'm glad these spots have turned into hiking trails where you get to take a walk while thinking of the history behind it almost 80 years ago.
10:44 the place is called tide cove? I live there and I've never heard of this lol
We call it ma liu shui (where the Japanese forces crossed) and tai shui hang (where they landed). The Japanese literally landed at where my primary school is.
Fun fact: the people in shatin dubbed the area 孖橋 (double bridges) since there are 2 bridges allowed for cyclist to cross the river there, a very popular spot for cyclists or fishers to meet on weekends.
P.s. okay I googled it and turns out the name exists on maps, but we literally never called it that lol
I highly appreciate all the videos of KG on modern warfare, including this video. Thanks, guys
We need more coverage of the Chinese in their theatre.
well, china hasn't left its theatre much in history :/
@@kontarius Yeah I mean this was it own Separate war before it became part of WWII after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor
thanks for detailing this part of a small but yet important battle... as a hongkonger we do not even have any decent local coverage on such history.
Glad the channel acknowledges all the war crimes committed to the east by japan that many people ignore or try to defend
Thank you for the video!
We should say the defenders were brave and tough men and hard to fight against them
Rajput, panjabis, Scott men, British and Canadian.
@@Abhishek-sr2pu And locals.
@Metallus Zorax also some south Indians not named.
@Metallus Zorax everyone does. They are war heroes not like you nazi.
This channel is top notch
Jesus, it must have been shocking for the British troops to come up against a "civilised" enemy that was willing to behead surrendering soldiers enmasse.
😂😂
Great video!
My grandad was watching a Japanese movie with his cousin in the theater during Japanese air raids, still living till this day. He was probably 5 or 6 at that time too, wtf
My Great Grandfather fought in the battle of Hong Kong. He was with the Royal Rifles of Canada. He fought on Stanley Mound and only surrendered the day after the Brit’s did. We don’t talk about this battle in Canada it’s nice to see it being represented.