Question:
world war 2, when Canadains were sent to pow camps
Answer:
The Canadians in Hong Kong got their butts kicked [like every other army that faced the Japanese did back then, pretty much for the same reasons].
By 1941 Canada had been in WW2 for a few years, there was a Canadian contingent in France before it fell, Canadian pilots and ground crew in the Battle of Britain, our Navy busy fighting the Battle of the Atlantic... but the troops we sent to garrison Hong Kong were exactly that - garrison troops. Not trained much, not well supplied - certainly not for war.
When the Japanese launched their attack, any air support was wiped out pretty quickly what little there was, the British Navy was mostly busy in the Atlantic theatre, and and help of any kind just wasn't available. So you've got the seasoned Japanese who have been fighting [eg in Manchuria] since 1933 outnumbering the Allied garrison troops. The Canadians like all Allied soldiers there fought like lions... but the outcome was bleak. Even the commanding Brigadier and Colonel were killed defending their position.
The Battle of Hong Kong
http://wwii.ca/page42.html
The Winnipeg Grenadiers, Hong Kong. Dec 6-25 1941
http://www.wwii.ca/index.php?page=Page&a…
When they were sent to POW camps they were basically forced labour, worked to death or lucky to survive. Approximately 290 Canadian soldiers were killed in battle and while in captivity 264 more died as POWs, for a total death toll of 554.
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