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There was a small amount of free cargo space in the ship carrying the force and some twenty vehicles were sent to Vancouver to fill it. These, however, did not arrive before the ship sailed. Had more energy and initiative been shown by the Quartermaster General's Branch, charged with the movement of the equ ment for the force, the availability of this space would have been ascerti earlier and the vehicles would have arrived in time for loading on October 24; and there is, in my opinion, no good reason for thinking that, had they arrived at that time, they would not have been taken on board. There is no evidence, however, that the troops suffered through the lack of them, or that they were not supplied at Hong Kong. The facts are fully examined in the Appendix.
After an exhaustive inquiry at the hearings and a lengthy study of the evidence in the Appendix of this Report, I am able to add a general conclusion about the Hong Kong expedition as a whole.
In October, 1941, the Canadian military authorities undertook a task of considerable difficulty. Subject only to my observation concerning twenty of the two hundred and twelve vehicles of the mechanical transport, they performed that task well. Canada sent forward, in response to the British request, an expedition that was well-trained and (subject as aforesaid, in so far as shipping facilities allowed) well provided with equipment. In spite of the disaster that overtook it soon after its arrival in Hong Kong, it was an expedition of which Canada can and should be proud.
The war came upon us when we were unprepared for it. In such circum- stances, recalling military history, one would perhaps not be greatly surprised to discover that even two years after its commencement some military enterprise had been undertaken which had proved to be ill-conceived, or badly managed. The Hong Kong expedition falls under neither description.
All of which is most humbly submitted by
His Excellency
Your Excellency's most humble obedient servant,
The Governor General in Council,
Ottawa.
OTTAWA, June 4, 1942.
(Sgd.) L. P. DUFF.
Copy
P.C. 1160
AT THE GOVERNMENT HOUSE AT OTTAWA
THURSDAY, the 12th day of February, 1942.
HIS EXCELLENCY
PRESENT:
THE GOVERNOR GENERAL IN COUNCIL:
Whereas at the request of the Government of the United Kingdom a Canadian Expeditionary Force was dispatched to the Crown Colony of Hong Kong;
And Whereas the Prime Minister reports that in his opinion it now seems expedient in the public interest that a full, complete and impartial inquiry be made into the circumstances surrounding the dispatch of the said force from Canada.
Now, Therefore, His Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Right Honourable W. L. Mackenzie King, the Prime Minister, is pleased to appoint and doth hereby appoint the Right Honourable Sir Lyman Poore Duff, P.C., G.C.M.G., Chief Justice of Canada, a Com- missioner under Part 1 of the Inquiries Act, Chapter 99 of the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1927, to enquire into and report upon the organization, authorization and dispatch of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and, without restricting the generality of the foregoing, the selection and composition of the Force and the training of the personnel thereof; the provision and maintenance of supplies, equipment and ammunition and of the transportation therefor; and as to whether there occurred any dereliction of duty or error in judgment on the part of any of the personnel of any of the departments of the Government whose duty it was to arrange for the authorization, organization and dispatch of the said Expeditionary Force resulting in detriment or injury to the expedi- tion or to the troops comprising the Expeditionary Force and if so what such dereliction or error was and who was responsible therefor.
His Excellency in Council, on the same recommendation and under and by virtue of the powers vested in the Governor in Council by the War Measures Act, Chapter 206 of the Revised Statutes of Canada 1927, is further pleased to order and doth hereby order that section 13 of the said Inquiries Act shall have no application to the conduct of the proceedings herein.
His Excellency in Council is further pleased, hereby, to authorize the Commissioner to engage the services of such counsel and of such technical officers or other experienced clerks, reporters and assistants as he may deem necessary and advisable.
A. D. P. HEENEY,
Clerk of the Privy Council.
54750----2
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