HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1998-11-04, Page 101O -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, NOVEMBER 4, 1998
A moment to remember
FROM Page 9
fighter pilot and. D.F.C.
winner Walter Dinsdale who
came home to Winnipeg to
become Captain Dinsdale,
leader of the Salvation Army
band, member of Parliament
and Minister of Northern
Affairs.
Had machine gunner •
Gordon Churchill or Seaforth
Highlanders Major Davie
Fulton or wing commander
Angus McLean,.. who
crawled across • half of
Europe to escape capture
after his plane was shot
down or Victoria Cross
winner Milton Gregg been
on the commons benches in
the early 1990s, the country
would likely have
$14.000.000 to go towards
debt reduction rather than to
a costly Somalia inquiry.
But...back to the Hong
Kong debacle.
For 18 days the six units
from the Commonwealth
tried to defend the "Gibralter
of the Orient". Two were
from Canada - the Winnipeg
Grenadiers and the Royal
Rifles of Canada, heavily
outnumbered they fought
beyond what was expected
of thein...and were marched
off to spend four years in
wretched prison camps,
some were sent to Japan to
work in slave like conditions
in mines. Five hundred and
fifty died...one was a boy
from Seaforth.
This was a sad and
powerful tale of bungling
and heroism that is worth
remembering now. England's
war office knew Hong
Kong's military defenses
were a travesty - with
helmets from the Boer War
and ,25 year old rusty
weapons from the first great
war.
Churchill's chief of staff
urged that the colony be
demilitarized so it would not
he "needless! condemned to
death." oul t e panese
go to war. In October 1940
the island's governor urged
the withdrawal of the
garrison to avoid the
slaughter that would follow
if the island was defended
against an attack.
General Edward Grasett
retiring commander of the
British forces in China was
generously considered an
expert in Japanese
behaviOur...although he had
spent less than three years in
Asia. He pushed the idea that
the Japanese were bluffing
and he wanted to show some
muscle by strengthening the
garrison with more troops.
In those days all military
intelligence came from the
British who were woefully
unaware that 'tens of
thousands of Japanese
conihat troops were massed
across the Hong Kong border
Veterans from across Zone C1 attended the Frist and Second
dinner on Sunday at the Seaforth Legion.
less than 20 miles away. But
they did know that the
Japanese were ravaging and
raping China and that Tojo
and his mischievous and
power mad crowd were in
control...and the worst could
happen.
General Grasett convinced
the governor to join with him
in making a request to
London for trdops...and the
request was denied. The new
British commander in the far
east then sent a telegram of
support for troops which
came to the attention of the
Prime Minister. Churchill
had no illusions and he wrote
, "This is all wrong, if Japan
goes to war with us there is
not the slightest chance of
holding Hong Kong or
relieving it. It is most unwise
to increase the loss we shall
suffer there...."
British General Grasett
stubbornly continued to push
for more troops - even after
he heard of Churchill's
views. Recalled hack to
England in the summer of
1941 he returned via Ottawa
where ,he met with his old
friend Harry Crerar, chief of
Canada's general staff. By
now defending Hong Kong
seemed an obsession.
General Grasett was born
in Toronto and he and Crerar
attended Kingston Royal
Military College together
shortly after the first war.
Crerar stayed in Canada.
while Grasett rose to
prominence in the British
army.
His stop -over in Canada
and his zeal and persistence
in getting Canadian soldiers
shipped to Hong Kong may
well have been simple. but
costly vanity. Was it a wish
to join his•itncle in Canada's
history hooks....? In the
summer of 1885. Lt. Colonel
J.H. Grasett •commanded
Toronto's 10th Royal
Grenadiers in the Battle of
Batoche in Manitoba, which
resulted in the surrender of
They Gave
Their All
For Us.
PETE'S
PAPER CLIP
19 MAIN ST. SOUTH, SEAFORTH 527-1681
SEARS OUTLET 527-1220
NOVEMBER 11
A Day to
remember a
lifetime of sacrifice
Maplewood Manor
13 Church St., Seaforth 527-1440
Louis Riel.
Because of his supposed
knowledge of ,the, war in
China and the Japanese
military mind, and no doubt
with at `least the moral
support of his friend General
Crerar, Chief of Canada's
general staff, he was able -to
sell the British military
command ori his ilea of
troops from Canada. They
advised Churchill that he
should reverse his stand.
After all, Grasett's last
command was that of the
garrison in Hong Kong...so
they assumed he should
know.
On September the 19th.
1941 a "mostsecret"
telegram was sent to the
King Government asking
Canada to send orie or two
,battalions to defend Hong
Kong.
Thus fate and stupidity saw
a government move with
death wish speed and by
October 2nd two battalions
had• been picked. Many of
the men in the Winnipeg
Grenadiers and the Royal
Rifles had never fired a
mortar or thrown a hatid
gfchade...sotn`t had not t bn'
completed' their basic
training. One unit was
brought back, from Jamaica
where it was guarding
German prisoners. The other
returned to Canada from
where they had been sent to
fight off a German invasion
of another British Island
colony, we now call the
province of Newfoundland.
Col. John Lawson, director
of military training checked
nut both battalions and said
they were insufficiently
trained and not
recommended for operations.
A month later. no doubt to
his dismay he was told he
was to command the very
men he advised against
sending. And
worse... because they were
not at full strength close to
500 reinforcements had to be
World Warn Veterans
CAMPBELL PHOTO
found and some were 17 year
olds with less than six weeks
in the army. Crerar scheduled
a week of weapons practice
before they left but they had
to use empty mortars and
dummy grenades as there
was no ammunition.
By late October they were
issued with tropical gear and
'thought they were going to
India. - General Grasett
;convinced Whitehall the
Japanese would be afraid to
twist the British lions 'tail,
but Col. Lawson to his great
credit believed the Nippon
army, having routed Chaing
Kai-Sheks soldiers felt they
could beat the British..
Witht days 2000 men and
two female 'nurses boarded
the Awatea in Vancouver - a
New Zealand ship built to
accommodateonly 540. Fifty
men jumped ship and
deserted...but Col. Lawson
was more concerned that
their 200 vehicles and. other
vital equipment was not on
board. Now, the lack of
speed and the incompetence
of Ottawa's quarter master
generals branch resulted in
their ship sailing without
their military transport and.
equipment...but enough
musical instruments for two
' bands was put on board.
What was about to happen
left little time for parades
and hand concerts. Their
gear and mobile equipment
sailed a week late on an
American ship and it failed
to reach Hong Kong before
the attack on Pearl Harbour.
It ended up with the U.S.'
army in Manilla.
The night before sailing
Canadian military
headquarters in London
cabled Ottawa saying the
possibility of war with the
Japanese was unlikely. The
message also said there were
only 3000 soldiers across the
border facing Hong Kong
and the Canadian militia had
no reason to be apprehensive
CONTINUED on Page 11
The Supreme
Sacrifice in
Defence of Our
Freedom
SEAFORTH
PLUMBING & HEATING
527-0505
15 Goderich St. E., Seaforth
REMEMBERING
THE VETERANS...
ROSS RIBEY, DIRECTOR
WHITNEVRIBEY
FUNERAL HOME
Goderich St. W., Seaforth 527-1390
REMEMBER
ALWAYS
SPARKY'S PLACE
FAMILY DINING
527-1964
A moment
to Remember
A lifetime
of Freedom
le"
527-0780
59 Main St. Seaforth
On this day of
peace...
We give thanks
for our freedom
WILSON SANITATION
527-1200
527-1123
WE SALUTE
The men
and women of the
Seaforth Legion on
the occasion of
their 68'"
Anniversary
T.M.P.
Teetero Motor Products
220 Main St. South, Seaforth
527-2291