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Battle of Hong Kong focus of talk in honour of Remembrance Day

Guest speaker Gerry Tuppert, B.C. regional director of Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association
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A veteran of the Battle of Hong Kong. (submitted)

The Cowichan Valley Museum and Archives is presenting a special talk in honour of Remembrance Day.

The talk will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 15, at St. Peters Church Hall. The subject is the Defence of Hong Kong.

Guest speaker Gerry Tuppert, B.C. regional director of the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association will offer a presentation that will focus on the Canadian involvement in the battle of Hong Kong. The talk will examine the decisions made to send reinforcements into an impossible situation and the aftermath of three years and eight months of brutal captivity for those who survived the initial battle.

The actual battle for Hong Kong was many things — short, intense, disorganized and tragic. The 1,975 Canadian troops who were thrown into this hopeless situation consisted of two battalions, the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Royal Rifles of Canada.

They were badly outnumbered, ill-equipped, and poorly trained. Their leaders were motivated by racist assumptions about the inferiority of the enemy being faced. Finally against this backdrop, the Canadian troops were ordered to hold an indefensible position. The result was as tragic as it was inevitable — a complete defeat.

Tuppert, who is the son of William GJ Tuppert, RRC of Quebec city, will have some of his father’s photo albums and memorabilia on display.

This talk, is open to all and free to attend. St. Peters Hall is located at 5800 Church Rd., at the first right hand turn past the roundabout heading west on Maple Bay Road.

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A veteran of the Battle of Hong Kong. (submitted)