Battle of Hong Kong: 85th anniversary of WWII conflict

The Battle of Hong Kong, which began on December 8, 1941, marked the first land battle of World War II involving Canadian troops. Occurring six hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the assault saw Japanese forces target the colony.

Nearly 2,000 Canadian soldiers from Winnipeg and Quebec fought alongside 12,000 British and Indian forces. Despite the defense efforts, the colony surrendered on Christmas Day. The conflict resulted in the deaths of 290 Canadians, while the remaining troops were taken prisoner. The battle was also notable for the first Canadian Victoria Cross awarded during the war.

At the time, the Canadian military was relatively small and underprepared for large-scale overseas combat. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King had previously focused on manufacturing and training rather than large troop deployments to avoid domestic political tensions regarding conscription.