大象传媒

The following story appears courtesy of and with thanks to Ronald Parker and Father
Major Maurice Albert Parker:

At about 01:00 hrs the grave-yard shift on duty at "D" Coy H.Q were listening to a battery radio as they worked. Suddenly the regular program was interupted by a voice brittle with urgency. Pearl Harbor had been bombed by the Japanese. The men huddled around the radio waiting for more news while the word spread like wild-fire around the island. The Japanese had attacked the United States. What was to happen to Hong Kong?

December 8th, 1941, dawned bright and clear. The sun rising from its bed behind the mountains promised the day would be a hot one. Waking about 06:30 hrs the men of "D" Coy, Royal Rifles of Canada, went about their business as usual: wake up, tidy up, wash, brush hair and teeth, dress and go to breakfast. Then, go to the Orders Board to see if there were any new orders for the day. Those who had assignments went to do whatever duties they had been assigned -- just another day, but the tension in the air was electric. Something was bound to happen, a but when?

Lt. Angus A. MacMillan had been standing outside "D" Coy HQ when he heard the distant sound of approaching aircraft. "Just in time." he thought. The long awaited reinforcement aircraft were arriving just in the nick of time. The aircraft turned out to be Japanese!

Thirty-six Japanese bombers streaked across the blue sky at tree-top level and plastered Hong Kong's Kai Tac Airport, Kowloon and surrounding area with bombs. The runway of Kai Tac was pock-marked with craters. The raid destroyed 1 Wildebeeste which was set ablaze. There was nothing left of it but its load of bombs sitting, red-hot, on the runway.. In 5 short minutes the Japanese owned the air. General Maltby grounded the remaining 2 Wildebeest. They would take to the air only if a target such as a Japanese capitol ship should appear.

The air was thick with smoke that hung over both Hong Kong and Kowloon. The smell of cordite filled nostrils and burned the eyes. Fires burned everywhere. There was an ache in the hearts and bellies of the shocked troops. This was not supposed to happen.

Sham Shui Po Camp was being evacuated when it was bombed and two men of the Royal Canadian Signal Corps became the first Canadian infantry wounded in WWII.

The Japanese bombers made another pass dropping leaflets demanding the immediate surrender of the New Territories and Hong Kong. Then they flew away. The time was 08:00 hrs., Monday, December 8, 1941. The Battle of Hong Kong had begun. It was a very hot day.

Continued...
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