Canada’s War in Asia

Hong Kong

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)

Hong Kong – December 1941

• Canada’s first WWII land battle• Japan declared war by attacking American Naval base at PearlHarbor 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 ratherthan the hills

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 14000 British, Indian and Canadian troops faced 50, 000 Japanese soldiers •The badly outnumbered allied forces held out until December 25--- and surrendered only when they ran out of supplies and ammunition

Southeast Asia

• India (1942-1944)

• Burma (1943-1944)

Southeast Asia – 1942-1944• 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 overIndia & Burma 1943-44

– Canadian troops helpedbring about the fall of Burma in May 1945

The Victoria Cross

John Osborn Charles Hoey

Charles MerrittJohn Foote

Victoria Cross Recipients

-Hong Kong (1941)-Burma (1944)

-Dieppe (1942)

John Weir Foote, VC ArmoriesHamilton, Ontario

Treatment of P.O.W.• Read pp. 126-127 and answer questions 1-2