Hey,

Just finished reading Oliver Lindsay's The Lasting Honour, the fall of Hong Kong 1941. Great book, I recommend it to anyone looking to clue themselves up on the lesser known battles of WWII.

Although I don't think it would have been possible even with a few miracles for Hong Kong to have repulsed the jap onslaught (even though they put up a great fight truly befitting of the Lasting honour which they shalt be remembered by) but what if they did?

Could/ Would Britain & her allies have finally reinforced Hong Kong and have used it as a bridgehead for China Proper.

What do you think? Definetly a vast topic to be discussed with a lot of what-if, only-if, and depending if's.

i think that the fall of Hong Kong was a forgone conclusion.and that it should have been declared an open city with the garrison withdrawing either to Malaya or perhaps more wisely into the interior of China to join up with their army.either way we'll never know.

To much what if...the Japanese Navy had total control of the area and the US wouldn't have been able to do anything about it until after Phillipines had been reasonably secured which was in early 45...so moot point

True, I don't think Hong Kong would hav been reinforced even if it did the impossible and held firm, but what I really meant was it would have made an awkward situation if it did. It would have been pretty much like, "Well done, you held firm, we can not evacuate u as the turnipheads control the sea, so either break out and link up with the Chinese or die.

Don't know if you have read the book i mention earlier Martin, but there is something beautiful to imagine how the troops and volunteers fought without much true hope, defending the most far flung piece of empire.

I find that sort of "honour" (not sure what to name it) lacking in todays modern world, that sense of for the bigger picture, perhaps thats why I read so much WWII British autobiographies and memoirs.

just a thought

Erik

i think i read that when the Canadians landed in Hong Kong they were urged to go to Malaya instead.i may be wrong .

Not to downplay the effort of the Brits at Hong Kong....we yanks did a pretty splendid job at Bataan and Corregidor and then there is the little matter of Wake Island. The Japanese were fierce fighters the US and Brits surprised them a bit in the beginning.

I hope it did not seem like It did not sound like I don't read US autobio.'s cause they don't have honour or some krap like that. I read Brit autobio.'s since that is what is available in our library, and I am british and have a great love for the old empire days of Britain.

The canadians landed unprepared/ ill equiped and untrained but still put up a jolly good show. There was always thought to withdraw all forces to Malaya, but the brits thought this would show a lack of determanation to fight to the US and China, and the commonwealth.
and let the japs feel they were feared.

Never mind Hong kong,
Singapore should never have fell the way iut did utter bad planning/command from the general in charge I wonder if so many men would have died as POW's if he'd too the task more seriously than he did

Don't even get me started about Singapore and Malaya in my opinion Percival was incompetant or a coward or both! My uncle almost lost his eyesight due to malnuitrition many more suffered far worse and he told me that he used to have a bad temper until he saw a guard(i use that term very loosely) beating a soldier with a metal pipe.we all know that much worse than that happened.how Percival ever made general is beyond me!

I don't think singapore would have held even with a better general, would have definatly held for longer and ruined the japs timetable, but not indefinatly. Like Hong Kong it was relatively isolated in a sea controlled by japs air & sea power.