TYPEX
IMPORTANT.
No. 1162.
With the Compliments of the
Under-Secretary of State for Dominion.
Affairs
INWARD TELEGRAM
FROM:
CANADA (H.C. !
TO:
D. O.
R.
D. 6th June, 1942.
7th
#1
8.02 p.m. 5.20 a,m,
H.D.
11
99
Chief Justice's report on Hong Kong expedition published yesterday, Salient features of report as follows:-
Invitation in United Kingdom telegram of September 19th contained considerations which influenced Canadian Government in accepting invitation to send troops.
"I have been unable to obtain the consent of the Government of the United Kingdom to textual reproduction of this telegram". Telegram of October from War Office is quoted expressing thanks "the moral effect of their arrival in November will be much greater than it would have been two months later."
Report has no doubt that "the course taken by the Canadian Government was the only course open to them in the circumstances" and that nothing emerged before departure of Expeditionary Force on October 27th which could have been considered to be justification for the withdrawal by Canada of responsibility which she had undertaken, Quite the reverse,
General Crerar's recommendation to send the Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers was made on sound grounds and he is not chargeable with any error of judgement. Crerar is quoted as saying that evidence at his disposal during part of September indicatoil that war with Japan was not imminent and that any shortage of mortars and anti-tank rifles was general in all units of the Canadian army and not peculier to the Royal Rifles and Winnipeg Grenadiers.
All but6% of men added to strength had undergone more than 16 weeks military training which is standard period for infantry recruit before sending overseas. General MacNaughton quoted "I would not have worried from the point of view of military efficiency one iota because if they are the right type of men even on the voyage over I would have completed their initial training". Evidence taken conclusively establishes that efficient battalion is and must be capable of absorbing recruits who have not fully completed their training up to much greater proportion of their strength than 6% without at all detracting from efficiency of battalion as a whole: "I find that the inclusion of this small percentage of men was not the result of any shortage of fully trained men in Canada, but arose from need for speed and secrecy.
United States ship sailed with some of mechanical transport and would have arrived before troops but was diverted by United States naval authorities. Miscarriage not due to any Canadian fault. 20 vehicles might have been taken on troopship if availibility of space there had been known earlier and Q.M.G's branch shown more initiative. As it was, vehicles did not arrive in time. But no evidence that troops suffered
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