(rdnewsNOW/Sheldon Spackman)

By Sheldon Spackman

World Peacekeepers Day

Plaque unveiled at Red Deer Legion commemorating Hong Kong Battle of 1941

Aug 9, 2019 | 4:18 PM

Veterans and local dignitaries gathered at Red Deer Legion Branch #35 on Friday to celebrate the presentation of a plaque offered in remembrance of the Hong Kong Battle of 1941.

The ceremony, held on National Peacekeepers Day, also saw officials with the National Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association attend the event.

Legion president Bev Hanes hopes the large plaque better educates the public on the battle.

“We hear about Vimy all the time, Juno Beach, Dieppe, and D-Day. What we did earlier in July was recognize the Italian campaign and this, hopefully, will get people to know a bit more about Hong Kong battle, which was the Japanese part of (World War II).

“It’s really appreciated by the families (of those veterans) who do feel like they’ve been forgotten.”

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(rdnewsNOW/Sheldon Spackman)

From Dec. 8 – 25, 1941, almost 2,000 troops from Winnipeg and Quebec City were sent to Hong Kong expecting little more than guard duty.

However, they are said to have fought bravely against the overwhelming power of an invading Japanese force.

When the British colony surrendered on Christmas Day, 290 Canadians had been killed in the fighting.

Another 264 would die over the next four years amid what was described as the inhumane conditions of Japanese prisoner-of-war camps.

The 554 Canadians who died in Hong Kong and in the camps afterward are today remembered by a memorial to all Hong Kong defenders at the Sai Wan Bay War Cemetery.

This and the Stanley Military Cemetery in Hong Kong also hold the individual graves of 303 Canadian soldiers, 108 of whom are unidentified.

Another 137 Canadians, most of whom died as POWs, are buried in Yokohama, Japan at the British Commonwealth War Cemetery.

Following WWI, WWII and the Korean War, Canada and other countries felt it was better to try to prevent wars when possible, rather than fight them. As a result, Canada has since played a leading role in the peacekeeping movement from the outset.

Officials say more than 125,000 Canadians Forces members have served in dozens of missions to more than 35 countries over the past 70 years, with approximately 130 Canadians having died in those peacekeeping efforts since 1948. Many more have suffered physical and mental injuries.

In addition, Canadian Forces perform many other important functions with many at home here in Canada.

Those functions include search & rescue operations, patrolling air space & territorial waterways, supporting anti-drug operations and helping in the aftermath of natural disasters among others.