1. Canada’s War in Asia
Hong Kong

3. Hong Kong
Britain realized that Japan was about to join the AXIS POWERS
RESULT: British Prime minister: WINSTON CHURCHILL asked Canada to send troops to help defend Hong Kong (British Colony at the time)
Canada’s Prime minister: Mackenzie King knew Japan army was strong but still sent troops (1,975)

4. Hong Kong – December 1941 KONG There was little chance of victory:
Canada’s first WWII land battle
Japan declared war by attacking
American Naval base at Pearl
Harbor Dec. 7th , Hawaii
(Pearl Harbor- United States Enter war)
Next day (8th) Japan attacked HONG
KONG
There was little chance of victory:
Requests for air & naval support was denied
British ordered the Canadians to defend the beaches rather than the hills
King did not know that Churchill believed that these troops had little hope of holding Hong Kong
Japan declared war by attacking the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Next day Japanese attacked Hong Kong
The British, Indian and Canadian troops faced 50, 000 Japanese soldiers
The badly outnumbered allied forces held out until December and surrendered only when they ran out of supplies and ammunition

5. Hong Kong (December 1941) Of the 1975 Canadian troops…
290 were killed
493 wounded
Over 500 POW’s
King did not know that Churchill believed that these troops had little hope of holding Hong Kong
The British, Indian and Canadian troops faced 50, 000 Japanese soldiers
The badly outnumbered allied forces held out until December and surrendered only when they ran out of supplies and ammunition

6. Southeast Asia
India ( )
Burma ( )

7. Southeast Asia –
The Japanese had air & naval superiority throughout Southeast Asia
Canada’s role in India:
RCAF patrolled over Ceylon & the Himalayas
Canadians escorted supply convoys
Canada’s role in Burma:
RCAF helped the RAF attain air superiority over India & Burma
Canadian troops helped bring about the fall of Burma in May 1945

8. The Victoria Cross

9. Victoria Cross Recipients
-Hong Kong (1941)
-Burma (1944)
-Dieppe (1942)
John Osborn
Charles Hoey
John Foote
Charles Merritt

11. John Weir Foote, VC Armories
Hamilton, Ontario

13. Treatment of P.O.W.
Read pp and answer questions 1-2