FIGHTING IT OUT: CANADIAN TROOPS AT HONG KONG AND IN MEMORY Bradley St Croix Thesis submitted to the University of Ottawa in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctorate in Philosophy Degree in History Department of History Faculty of Arts University of Ottawa © Bradley St Croix, Ottawa, Canada, 2021 ABSTRACT Fighting It Out: The Canadian Troops at Hong Kong and in Memory Author: Brad St.Croix Supervisor: Galen Roger Perras 2020 This dissertation examines how the Battle of Hong Kong’s negative legacy has developed in Canada. By using the concept of “zombie myths,” which was first introduced in Zombie Myths of Australian Military History, this study will examine how many individuals, including historians, journalists, and authors, contributed to these myths’ creation and propagation for starting from the Second World War and continuing today. The study draws its conclusions from official texts and histories, personal recollections, newspaper articles, popular historical works, and academic monographs and articles, all relating to the battle. This thesis is separated into two halves. The first part of the study focuses on the history of the battle by exploring several myths that surround it. One of the most contentious myths concerns why the Canadian troops were sent to the colony in the first place. The relationship between the British and Canadian armies from 1914 to 1941 plus the defence planning of Hong Kong from 1841 to 1941, are two crucial elements that will be analyzed in order to vital context about the Canadian reinforcement. The selection of the units of “C” Force and their training are subject to many myths that seek to present the Canadian units as untrained. These will be dispelled through an investigation of training records. The memory of the battle itself has been influenced by overtly nationalistic myths that seek to blame the other nationalities in the garrison for the fall of the colony while simultaneously presenting one’s own national troops as the garrison’s best fighters. Canadian authors and historians are no exception to this trend. Records created by various soldiers, including British, Canadian, and Indian sources, demonstrate that the ii Canadians at Hong Kong fought just as well as the rest of the garrison. The second part of the dissertation focuses on the memory of the battle. Discussions of the Hong Kong Inquiry and the television miniseries The Valour and the Horror bookend a discussion of the factors relating to the battle’s legacy since the Second World War including the Canadian government’s treatment of the Hong Kong veterans and the lack of official recognition. This study delivers a much-needed re-examination of the battle and its legacy in Canada. By explaining and dispelling the numerous myths related to the Battle of Hong Kong, a clearer understanding of the battle’s legacy can be achieved. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many thanks are allowed to my supervisor, Dr. Galen Roger Perras. His agreeing to take me on as a PhD student changed my life and for this I will forever be thankful to him. His constant support in recommending sources, what archives to visit, and his patience in editing my writing made this project what it is. Completing this dissertation would not be possible without his insights and help. All errors, omissions, or lapse in judgement, of course, remain my own Also, thanks are due to my internal examiners committee members from the University of Ottawa. Professors Damien-Claude Bélanger, Richard Connors, and Serge Durflinger each brought unique insights from their various subfields of history to my dissertation, greatly improving its quality. Thank you to my external examiner Professor John Ferris of the University of Calgary. His experience and knowledge on the various topics covered in this dissertation undoubtedly made it better than it could have been without him. The financial support given to me by the history department at the University of Ottawa allowed me to travel to United Kingdom to visit numerous archives. The opportunity to teach an undergraduate class was an experience I will not forget and will always be thankful. Without the wealth primary material I consulted, my project would simply have been a redo of the past works on the Battle of Hong Kong. The staffs of the archives at the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives at Kings College London, Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa, The National Archives in Kew, and the Imperial War Museum London deserve praise and thanks for their work that allowed me to do mine. The staff at the Canadian War Museum deserve special thanks as they helped for years and used their knowledge to help me whenever I asked. There is a large group of historians who have helped me whether through quick chats at conferences or museums to others whose contribution was crucial to the completion of the iv project. Tim Cook and Jeff Noakes at the Canadian War Museum always were willing to give me advice, suggestions on sources, or just to listen to the challenges I faced. Dan Byers gave me insights into the training of the Canadian Army and sharing his thoughts on J.L. Ralston. Tony Banham provided excellent insight into rarely used sources. Roger Sarty answered my questions about C.P. Stacey and provided invaluable insight about Canada’s Official Second World War historian. Thanks to Mike Bechthold for making the excellent map on the Christmas day assault on Stanley Village. My family and friends have been a constant source of support throughout this process. My parents, Brad and Lisa, supported my choice to go back school and pursue this degree. I would not have been able to make this change or go through other large changes that happened over the past few years without them. My fiancée’s parents, Jim and Anna, have helped in any way they can from editing work to providing excellent food. None of this would be possible without my fiancée Alison. She is my rock, confidant, soundboard, my everything. I can not wait to spend the rest of our lives together. This dissertation is dedicated to the defenders of Hong Kong. v CONTENTS Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................... iv Contents ......................................................................................................................................... vi Abbreviations and Acronyms ....................................................................................................... vii Introduction ......................................................................................................................................1 Part I: Myths about the Battle of Hong Kong ................................................................................54 Chapter 1 — British Through and Through: Canadian-British Military Relations Prior to the Reinforcement of Hong Kong 1914–1941 .....................................................................................55 Chapter 2 — To Be Held as Long as Possible: Defence Planning for Hong Kong 1841–1941 ....81 Chapter 3 — Demand for Sensational Action: Canada Accepts the Hong Kong Request ..........119 Chapter 4 — Ready for War? The Selection and Training of the Royal Rifles and Winnipeg Grenadiers ....................................................................................................................................152 Chapter 5 — Unto the Breach: The Battle of Hong Kong ...........................................................187 Part II: Mythmaking and Entrenchment .....................................................................................223 Chapter 6 — An Act of Political Theatre: The 1942 Hong Kong Inquiry ..................................224 Chapter 7 — From This Day to the Ending of the World: The Legacy of the Battle of Hong Kong From 1942 to Present .........................................................................................................252 Chapter 8 — The Struggle for History: The Battle of Hong Kong and The Valour and the Horror ......................................................................................................................................................285 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................320 Appendix ......................................................................................................................................334 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................335 vi ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 2 i/c Second in Command ADM Admiralty AG Adjutant-General AQMG Assistant Quartermaster-General BDE Brigade Bn Battalion Brig Brigadier CAB Records of the Cabinet Office (UK) CASF Canadian Active Service Force Capt Captain CBC Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CEF Canadian Expeditionary Force CGS Chief of the General Staff CID Committee of Imperial Defence CIGS Chief of the Imperial General Staff C-in-C Commander-in-Chief CMHQ Canadian Military Headquarters CO Commanding Officer Col Colonel COS Chief of Staff Comd Commander Coy Company CWM Canadian War Museum DHH Directorate of History and Heritage, Department of National Defence DMO & I Director of Military Operations and Intelligence