Canada's Role In The Second World War

The Second World War was one of the deadliest conflicts in human history and it is hoped that conflicts of a similar magnitude will never occur again. The nation of Canada is best known for its role in the war in Europe during World War Two but it was also involved in the Pacific Theater of the War, most notably at the Battle of Hong Kong, which took place between December eight, 1941, and December twenty-five, 1941, at the British Colony of Hong Kong. The Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers were the two Canadian regiments present in Hong Kong at the time of the Japanese invasion and they were both under the command of the British forces. Hong Kong had very weak aerial and naval defenses, although it was an island,
Canada was simply not prepared for war and it showed when the Canadian soldiers were fighting against the Japanese troops in Hong Kong. The Canadian soldiers were sent to Hong Kong only to guard the colony; not to defend it from invading Japanese forces. The Canadian military at the time was also very weak when compared to other Allied countries. At the start of the war in 1939, the Canadian army had only 4500 full-time soldiers and had almost no modern equipment. The air force had only twenty airplanes and the navy had only six destroyers, which at the time was absolutely dismal when compared to other Allied nations that participated in the war. In total, only five Allied airplanes, one Destroyer, and a few gun boats were present at the time of the Japanese invasion, nothing compared to the vast vessels and airplanes that the Japanese had. Furthermore, most soldiers stationed in Hong Kong lacked any formal training before they were forced to go into battle. One unidentified soldier was quoted as saying, “I was taught how to salute and march but was never taught how to use my weapon.” The inadequate weaponry and lack of formal training for Canadian soldiers was a warning sign that things needed to be changed, and quickly, as if the Canadians were losing so badly early on in the war, how badly would they do later on in the war? During the battle, the Canadian troops were
The braveness displayed by Canadian soldiers during the Battle of Hong Kong showed the whole world who the Canadians were and the morals and values that they had. Major John Robert Osborn was one of those fine young men that showed bravery in times of despair. He and his men were isolated from the rest of the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Japanese troops were closing in on him and his men. The Japanese soldiers threw grenades at Osborn and his men in the hopes of killing them and taking over their territory. For a few minutes, Osborn fearlessly threw the grenades back towards the Japanese soldiers without thinking about his life but instead, he thought about the lives of the other soldiers around him. Eventually, a grenade landed in a position where it was impossible for him to throw back to the enemy. Without hesitation, he jumped on the grenade which instantly killed him but undoubtedly saved the lives of his fellow soldiers. John Robert Osborn eventually earned the Victoria Cross for bravery posthumously, the highest honour a person can receive for bravery during wartime. For troops that were at a severe disadvantage compared to their enemy, they had fought very well and it was evidenced by the Japanese recognizing the valiant effort in their own war accounts. They fought all the way to the end without ever asking the colony of Hong Kong to surrender. The fearlessness