The Battle for Hong Kong, 1941-1945

"An authoritative account of the whole campaign. Above all, this book reflects the courage of those who fought and suffered in the defence of Hong Kong." - From Field Marshall Lord Bramalls Foreword It has been over sixty years since Hong Kong was liberated from the Japanese. In a sharp and detailed portrayal of the period, Oliver Lindsay offers a graphic account of how the British, Canadian, Indian, and Chinese defenders surrendered Hong Kong to the Japanese on Christmas Day 1941 after eighteen days of intense fighting. The Battle for Hong Kong, 1941-1945 is illuminated by the remarkarkable personal story of John Harris. An architectural student, he was pitched into battle as a subaltern in the Royal Engineers and was a prisoner of the Japanese for four years. His powerful testimonial describes the appalling struggle to survive in a Japanese prison camp. Thoroughly researched, particularly through exceptional access to war diaries, The Battle for Hong Kong also explores the catastrophic repercussions of the sudden collapse of the British Army Aid Group (cover name for the agency that handled spies in Southeast Asia) and the resulting suspicion that Britians senior intelligence officer was working for the Japanese, the role of military leaders in prolonging the fighting and the serious casualties that resulted, and the true extent of the atrocities inflicted on POWs and internees.