George S. MacDonell - One Soldiers Story: 1939-1945: From the Fall of Hong Kong to the Defeat of Japan

One
Soldiers
Story

1939-1945

From the Fall of Hong Kong to the Defeat of Japan

George S. MacDonell

Copyright George S. MacDonell, 2002

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise (except for brief passages for purposes of review) without the prior permission of Dundurn Press. Permission to photocopy should be requested from the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency.

Copy-editor: Charles Stuart

Design: Jennifer Scott

Printer: Transcontinental

National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data

MacDonell, George S.

One soldiers story : from the fall of Hong Kong to the defeat of the Japanese / George S. MacDonell.

ISBN 1-55002-408-6

1. MacDonell, George S. 2. World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Canadian. 3. World War, 1939-1945 Campaigns China Hong Kong. 4. World War, 1939-1945 Prisoners and prisons, Japanese. 5. Prisoners of war Canada Biography. I. Title.

D811.M2513 2002 940.54'8171 C2002-905049-9

1 2 3 4 5 06 05 04 03 02

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing program. We also acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program and The Association for the Export of Canadian Books, and the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Book Publishers Tax Credit program.

Care has been taken to trace the ownership of copyright material used in this book. The author and the publisher welcome any information enabling them to rectify any references or credit in subsequent editions.

J. Kirk Howard, President

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One
Soldiers
Story

Take these men for your example. Like them, remember that Prosperity can be only for the free. That freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it.

Taken from Pericles funeral oration to the Athenians, these words are inscribed on the Great War Memorial Wall of the Soldiers Tower at the University of Toronto.

It was a great honour to be asked to write a few comments for the foreword to George MacDonells story of his wartime experience and, in particular, his moving account of Canadas courageous Hong Kong veterans from the perspective of a soldier who was there.

During my career in the Canadian Forces, I did have some contact with the Hong Kong Veterans Association and in particular with the late Roger Cyr, who I came to know and to admire greatly. However, it was not until I became Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs Canada that I really got to know many of the members of this wonderful Association and their story.

Theirs is a story of tremendous courage, exceptional devotion to duty, and selfless sacrifice. It is a story of tremendous comradeship and endurance; it is a story of strong leadership and outstanding teamwork. It is a story of ordinary Canadians doing extraordinary deeds in incredibly daunting, frequently horrific circumstances. Most of all, it is a story about the resilience, strength and dignity of the Human Spirit about never giving up and never being defeated.

One Soldiers Story is a story which needs to be told to all Canadians and perhaps never more so than now as Canada strives to understand and to come together to confront the unpredictable and troubling threats of the post-September 11, 2001 world in which we live.

George MacDonell has done a marvellous job of telling the inspiring story of Canadas Hong Kong veterans in a clear, compelling and compassionate manner. In doing so he made me just a little bit prouder to be a Canadian. This is a must read for anyone with an interest in people, in Canada, in our history, and what Service Before Self really means.

Vice-Admiral (retired) Larry Murray, CMM, CD

Deputy Minister

Veterans Affairs Canada

One Soldiers Story is an eyewitness account of the men of Canadas C Force, who fought and who gave their lives in the service of their country in the Battle of Hong Kong in December 1941. It also tells of their ordeal when, after the battle, they became prisoners of war of the Japanese for nearly four years, until their release at the end of the war with Japan in 1945.

These were the first Canadian soldiers committed to battle, and, as the survivors of the battle and the prison camps, they were the last ones to come home from World War II.

Against overwhelming odds, only partially trained and short of essential equipment, without thought of surrender they fought bravely for their beliefs in the best traditions of the Canadian Army. Their conduct both on and off the battlefield and in Japanese prison camps was characterized by their courage and their loyalty to their country.

Theirs is a story not of how they were defeated at Hong Kong but of how their spirit triumphed over desperate odds on the battlefield and over the slave labour, brutality, and starvation they experience in the prison camps.

I am pleased to commend this chapter of Canadian history to all Canadians and to contribute to the memory of this little-known story and those brave young men.

H. Clifford Chadderton, CC, OOnt, OStJ, CLJ, CAE, DCL, LLD

Patron, Hong Kong Veterans Association of Canada

Chairman, National Council of Veterans Association

My deep thanks must begin with Carl Vincent, who, through his outstanding book No Reason Why, contributed so much to an understanding of the Canadian involvement at Hong Kong in 1941. Through his research and analysis, Carl set out with accuracy the strategic, political, and geographic framework within which One Soldiers Story has been told. His assessment of British defence plans and his description of the overall battle of Hong Kong have been the most instructive and have stood the test of time. Not only was his book of great help in explaining the actual events and background of this story but his personal help, advice, and encouragement are greatly appreciated.

I would like to thank Vivian and Derrill Henderson for their invaluable help in every aspect of this work. They gave generously of their time and effort in the preparation, publication, and distribution of this edition.

I also want to thank my Hong Kong comrades for their help and advice and especially acknowledge the assistance of Roger Cyr (who is now deceased), Phil Dodderidge, and Robert Clayton, whose encouragement was a constant source of inspiration.

I want to thank Alan Heisey, who was the first to challenge and encourage me to begin this work, and Dr. Keith Wong, who added his strong encouragement and support.