Sergeant Gander by Robyn Walker Read Free Book Online

Japanese advance were ineffective and General Maltby ordered a general withdrawal. By the morning of December 13, all British and Canadian forces on the mainland had been evacuated to Hong Kong Island.
    The Japanese followed up this withdrawal with a request for surrender. It was refused by the British Governor Mark Young, and the Japanese began heavy shelling and bombing of the Island’s coastal defences. There were power failures and communications disruptions all over the island, and hundreds of Japanese infiltrators slipped onto the island, creating a pipeline of information to the Japanese commanders about British and Canadian troop movements, ammo dumps, supply depots, pillbox positions, and gun placements.
    Sergeant Gander and “C” Company were deployed at Lye Mun. Located a mere 412 metres from the mainland, Lye Mun was an obvious potential crossing point for the Japanese. From December 10–17, the Japanese bombardment of this area was extremely heavy and “C” Company sustained some casualties. The shelling repeatedly knocked out water, electric power, and telephone lines. Organized feeding of the soldiers became almost impossible, since any concentration of men around the kitchen facilities resulted in “heavy and accurate enemy shelling.” 5 The men of “C” Company were also “becoming more reluctant to use the telephone system to announce any proposed movement of men as it inevitably resulted in accurate shelling of the route. The lines were obviously tapped by enemy agents.” 6
    Gander couldn’t stand the noise and frequently took refuge in the pillboxes, although he did accompany the men on their patrols for snipers. The incessant shelling and lack of hot meals took its toll on “C” Company. “They had been unable to rest either by day or by night” and Major Bishop, commander of the Company, requested that they be taken out of the area, for a period of rest. 7 The request for relief was granted, but unfortunately for “C” Company the Japanese invaded before replacements arrived.
    A second Japanese request for surrender was submitted on December 17, and it too was refused in a message that stated: “The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Hong Kong, declines most absolutely to enter into negotiation for the surrender of Hong Kong, and takes this opportunity of notifying Lieut.-Colonel General Sakai and Vice-Admiral Niimi that he is not prepared to receive any further communications from them on the subject.” 8
    In response, General Sakai issued the following order to his staff, “On Thursday night, December 18, Japanese Imperial Forces will land upon the Island of Hong Kong at suitable situations between North Point and Lyemun.” 9 Late that evening, the Japanese launched their invasion of Hong Kong, sending assault boats, landing craft, and steamers across the Lye Mun Passage, the narrow channel of water that separated Hong Kong from the mainland. All three regiments of the Japanese 38th Division were committed to the attack.
    At Lye Mun, the Rajputs were the first line of defence, with “C” Company of the Royal Rifles situated just behind the eastern shoulder of the beachhead. 10 However, “C” Company recorded that “between 2100 and 2200 hours there was
    Lye Mun Bat–tery, showing the Lye Mun Passage where the Japanese crossed. The high point in the centre of the photograph is Devil’s Peak.

    a continual road race of Indian troops running past without arms in the direction of Tai Tam. No information could be obtained from them, they would only say, ‘Japs, thousands of Japs.’” 11 As the Japanese began landing on the Canadian-held section of beach, the Royal Rifles laid down heavy gunfire in an effort to slow the approach of the invading forces.
    â€œNow we got our first clear look at the enemy,” Rifleman Sydney Skelton remembers:
    Swarms of small, shrieking men in