16 November 1941 - The Canadians Arrive in Hong Kong

   November 2, 2021

At the request of the British government Canada agreed to dispatch two battalions to reinforce the garrison at Hong Kong in late 1941. General Harry Crerar, Chief of the General Staff (CGS), assigned the task to the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Royal Rifles of Canada (RRC). Neither unit was then at full strength nor adequately trained for modern warfare in the Far East. Both were rapidly brought up to strength and shipped across the Pacific. Brigadier J.K. Lawson commanded the improvised force totaling some 1,973 officers and men plus two nursing sisters. The Canadians arrived in Hong Kong on 16 November, joining a military garrison that now totaled about 14,000.