The Damned: C-Force at Hong Kong: The Men of No. 17 Platoon Gave Their All on Christmas Day 1941

THE 1,975 MEN OF C-FORCE THAT arrived in Hong Kong at the end of October 1941 fought two desperate battles. The first began a few hours after the attack on Pearl Harbour and ended on Christmas Day 1941, desperate days of battle on stark hills, flinty mountains and in nameless gulleys during which 250 men died. The second lasted three and half years, and was a battle against physical and psychological torture, starvation and forced labour; in the POW camps of Hong Kong and Japan another 250 Canadians died. This excerpt tells part of the story of the Royal Rifles of Canada's Christmas Day attack on Stanely Village, an attack ordered by (British) Brigadier Cedric Wallis even though he was aware Major General Maltby was preparing to surrender the British colony. * * * * *