The Liberation of Hong Kong, 1945

Story:
After 18 days of fighting, on Christmas day 1941, Governor Sir Mark Young surrendered the territory to the Japanese. The people of Hong Kong lived in misery during the Japanese Occupation which lasted for three years and eight months. In August 1945, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, forcing the Japanese to surrender on 15 August. Rear-Admiral Harcourt re-occupied Hong Kong on 30 August 1945 with his fleet and established a British Military Administration.
Music:
Elegiac Poem
Sir Granville Bantock, composer
Andrew Fuller, cello
Michael Dussek, piano

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Hong
• Kong
• Liberation
• 1945
• Japanese
• Surrender
• War
• Harcourt
• WWII
• Elegiac
• Poem
• Granville
• Bantock

[yellowpete79]

nice vid. One thing i can never find in history books or records, is what happened when allied forces returned to places such as Hong Kong, did the japs simply let them walk back in? JG Ballards book is the closest thing to an eye witness account

[ck5056]

@yellowpete79 When Lieutenant Kadowaki, the commandant of the Stanley civilian internment camp, heard the news of surrender he was seen getting very angry. As if overcome with despair, he slumped over his desk muttering, "This is what it has come to after eight years of war".

[yellowpete79]

@ck5056 Thanks, is ww2 Hong Kong your specialty?

[ck5056]

@yellowpete79 Not really mate but thanks.

[ck5056]

@yellowpete79 However, two days later Gimson, former Colonial Secretary, issued a statement saying that Kadowaki had told the guards to lay down their arms and that they had been told to treat internees with utmost civility. The Japanese actually took the Emperor's words very seriously.

[Chinaforever777]

Fucking Japs.

They should be shot, not freed and sent home.

[ck5056]

Dear Chinaforever 777,

The first war crime trials in Hong Kong started in March, 1946 and continued for two years. A total of 48 cases were heard involving 129 Japanese on the blanket charge of 'violation of the laws and uasages of war'. Of those charged with these crimes 21 were sentenced to death.

[lycfmtkl]

British soldiers are great!

Japanese are pigs.

[WRLAustralia]

Brilliant ... Well done.

[DavBlc7]

@gonojaja And bowed to the British and other allied services as ways of saying sorry!

[DavBlc7]

@lungkk 1984 treaty means we promised never to go back to take over Hong Kong and that UN forbids any re-colonsation - Legally China have right to take back HK cos it was always Chinese terrority right fro the start of the Chinese Empire, Communist or not.

Legally, we would unable to liberate HK - China have rights. VERY SORRY!!!! Also our defence cuts meant not strong enough to match the PLA.

Presently our Government wants good relationship with China for trade and economic reasons.

[lungkk]

@alongthebluff WE (HK, INDIA, CANADA, UK AND THE WHOLE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH) ARE ALL ONE FAMILY IN BRITISH EMPIRE!! PLS RULE US AGAIN!!! WE NEED OUR EMPIRE BACK!!

[lungkk]

BRITISH FORCES PLS LIBERATE HONGKONG FROM EVIL CHINA!! WE HONGKONG PPL NEED BRITISH!!!! PLS SAVE HONGKONG!!

[Bouncybon]

The Japanese are our friends now. In many ways they are a very great nation. Sadly, in WWII they were led into madness by the Emperor and the ruling class. Just as the Germans were deceived by Hitler In 1945 the British were accepted back to HK and we always had a good relationship with the Chinese people, whom we admire a great deal. For the next half century (until the handover in1997) we helped them to build one of the world's greatest cities - Hong Kong.

[gonojaja]

The Japanese are stupid pigs. How can such a small Japan conquer big China, America and the rest of the world ! Stupid Japanese.

[gonojaja]

Long live the British Empire !

[gonojaja]

@yellowpete79 When the British forces returned to Hong Kong in September 1945, there was history mention that there is a little resistance from the the Japanese. However as the Japanese Emperor Hirohito had already ordered the Japanese everywhere to surrender, they dropped all their weapon and surrender to the British forces. All remaining Japanese soldiers were driven to concentration camps establihed by the British pending to be repartirated to Japan. All the Japanese looked sad.