CO129-590-25 Accounts of events leading up to surrender and subsequent treatment of prisoners- etc 23-4-1942 - 28-9-1943 — Page 74

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MEMORANDUM BY W.G. POY

74

20G KONG BATASE

In so far as the New Territory was th scene of the first fighting, it may be pertinent to mention that for the past few years and up until early in 141, the gencral defence scheme involved the use of the mounted

achine Gun (otor Cycles and aide cars) Section of the K.K.V.D.C. in the fighting of a rearguard action from the border to Kowloon, 1.e. in conjunction with regular forces, and all our manoeuvres centred round this plan.

However, subsequent to the arrival of General altby, the R.K.Y.N.G. ounted ^achine Gun Section was broken up and the members threof.nted to different sections of the Corps. Apparently the general scheme was still adhered to as on several occasions the writer participated i. similar manouevres attached to the RA, FUTS under jor Graye (?) the only chan es being alteration in selected machine gun positions.

Fention of the foregoing is

made because the ALLTS

fought this rearguard action during hostilities.

1

jersonally I was concerned in the retreat from the border though Fanli Taipo Warket, Taipo and Liu, and can give no date in respect to the fighting on the : astle Peak road in which I understand the Royal Scots and "iddlesex participated.

As far as Canadians were concerned, on my runa on the p-ninsula over a period of three days, I did not see more than one huzured men.

on 7th Dec. report for duty at the Kowloon hallway Station with four other Chinese 1/18, and we were attached t... the Field Lngineers of the H.K.V. D.C. on the afternoon of that day I was ordered to detail two //EB to recompany the advance party of Field nuginecrs to Fanligy whore understand they spent the night with some of the AJUTS in the house about 300 yards Morth of the Hunters Arae. From one of the Da subsequently heard that on the morning of the accompanied Lieut. Tamsworth and a small working party and blew the Kailway Briage at LO'L and burned another wooden bridge on the border wider fire from the Japanese on the opposite bank. From the atory iven it appears that Lieut. Tanswortmexecutes these jobs without aup ort of coverine tro

th

ho

In the early hours of the morning of the ta, we heard of the bombing of carl Warbour and about an hour or no later japan se planeɛs appeared and bombed si Ta Aerodrome.

whe

I was attached to bajor Bottomle, Acting 0/0 of Field magineers to Tai o arket Station,

we found that all the ailway and coed blowe had been undertake.. to that point without hitch, and that the Japanese were shelling Panliy. We then moved back to a point bɩtween Taipo Barket and Taipo „tation.

In the meantime our soldiers were still holding a line forward of Taipo market station. There waO sporadic fighting during theight, but nothing particularly beary.

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