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who responded without a moment's hesitation to my appeal to remain at their posts, to protect the wounded and sick and to maintain the medical and health services to the community, even though the capture of Kowloon by the Japanese within a few hours was inevitable.
Amongst many hundreds of workers, only one European doctor and one health inspector deserted their posts. In their partial defence, it must not be forgotten that there was no illusion as to whet indignities and cruelties the Japanese were capable of inflicting on all and sundry that came under their power.
Within four days of the outbreak of hostilities, the whole of the Kowloon Peninsula was taken and Japanese batteries were established in Kowloon. These batteries shelled the northern face of Hong Kong all day and overy day, directing their fire without difficulty on our battery positions, pill-box machine gun posts guarding the shore line, ammunition fuel and food dumps, transport parks, and even on crowds collected at communal kitchens.
It engendered quite an eerie feeling to realise that every movement could be clearly observed by the Japanese from vantage points on the Peninsula well within a mile or so radius.
Most of our hospitals and many of our aid posts on the Island were hit by shells of bombs, as was the case in London and many other cities in this country. I was obliged to order two to be evacuated at the height of the battle.
No blame could be attached to the Jamese on this account, because there were quite legitimate military objectives (battery positions, machine gun posts, etc.) in the immediate vicinity of such medical institutions. Some of the hospitals suffered again during the Japanese occupation from allied aerial bombing, and for the same reason.
After occupying Kowloon, the Japanese sent over a Peace Miccion. This, and a similar envoy, was turned back with the answer that there would be no surrender. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly, the Japanese emissaries were told that they would be fired on, even though flying the white flag, if they attempted to come across the harbour again.
Owing to the treacherous conduct of a group of Indian troops defending North Point on the northern shore of the Island about a mile and a half from Kowloon City, the Japanese were able to effect a landing on the 18th/19th December.
A little later, they also landed below Lyemun Fort, at the north eastern extremity of the Island. From these two beach heads, the Japanese advanced steadily over the eastern half of the Island.
After a very hotly contested battle at Wongneichung Gap, at the strategic centre of the Island, they compelled the Governor and Commander-in-Chier to agree to an unconditional surrender at 4 p.m. on the 25th December, after eighteen days resistance.
Because of his courageous bearing and his treatment of the Japanese Peace pourpalers and, possibly, owing to the heavy losses sustained by the Japanese troops due to the heroic defence, Sir Mark Young, Governor, with General Maltby, Commanding the Troops in China, were subjected to indignities and hardships whilst prisoners in Japanese hands.
During the fighting, rather over 1,100 members of the Hong Kong Garrison were killed, missing, believed killed, or died of wounds.
The Hong Kong Volunteers lost the most (240), followed by the Winnipeg Grenadiers (133), Royal Scots (127), Middlesex (122) and Royal Navy (58)
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