Bitter Surrender The dim light of evening barely illuminated the abandoned building where the four Canadian soldiers and Dixon, a Chinese civilian, found themselves on Christmas Day in 1941. The air was thick with tension and the bitter scent of defeat. Hong Kong had surrendered, and the inevitability of their capture loomed. Aaron’s hands trembled slightly as he gripped his rifle, his voice a mix of anger and resignation. “I’m getting rid of this rifle… no way it is falling into the hands of… I’ll smash it first…” Matthew, leaning against a crumbling wall, let out a weary sigh. “What’s the use. They outnumbered us before we even started.” Dixon, his eyes scanning the horizon, turned abruptly, a sense of urgency in his voice. “They are coming down the street. Now…” Matthew’s gaze shifted to Dixon, concern etched on his face. “You need to leave… they won’t take you as a prisoner of war.” Dixon’s response was firm, his decision made. “No, I stay here.” “Why for god’s sake? You can escape,” Matthew implored. “There’s no escape. Last night they were killing everyone. That’s when I hid here. It was very bad. I stay,” Dixon explained, his voice barely above a whisper. Adam, who had been quietly observing the exchange, finally spoke up, his tone harsh. “Suit yourself. But you’re a damn fool.” Dixon faced Adam, his resolve unwavering. “They round up the Chinese who worked with the British. And they are killing them. If I stay here perhaps it is better.” Adam shook his head, disbelief in his eyes. “Not likely…” “I stay!” Dixon insisted. “But many Chinese turn against the British. Not really like the British…” The fall of Hong Kong was a bitter pill to swallow, and Dixon found himself torn between his loyalty to the British and his identity as a Chinese man. The night before the surrender, Dixon witnessed atrocities that would haunt him forever. He saw friends and neighbors rounded up, and in some cases, executed. It was then that he realized the precarious position he was in as someone who had aided the enemy of his people. Choosing to stay in the abandoned building with the Canadian soldiers was a decision made out of desperation and a lack of options. Dixon knew that on the streets, he was as much a target as any soldier. In the building, he at least had a chance to survive, to perhaps be mistaken for just another civilian caught in the chaos. Adam, reaching for a bottle with a shaky hand, “Well, I’m going to have one more drink,” he declared, raising the bottle to his lips. “Take it easy on that stuff,” Matthew cautioned. Adam’s reply was bitter. “To hell with you and the Japanese.” Aaron, the youngest of the soldiers, voiced the question that haunted them all. “What are they going to do with us?” “Put us in a prison camp,” Adam said grimly. Aaron’s thoughts turned to the broader picture, the senselessness of war. “There should never be wars. Politicians make a mess of the world and then send us to fix it. They talk about having courage and being brave. Pass us the guns and the uniforms.” Adam added cynically, “Wave us goodbye and send us into battle.” Aaron continued, a note of defiance in his voice. “Someone has to do it… and we fight knowing we might die today or tomorrow.” Matthew, the most introspective, pondered their legacy. “I wonder if the world will remember us or even care what we did.” As the Japanese soldiers arrived, the four faced their fate with a mix of fear, courage, and resignation. They surrendered, not knowing what the future held, but united in their shared experience of war’s harsh reality. After the surrender of Hong Kong on Christmas Day in 1941, the Canadian soldiers, along with their allies, faced a grim and uncertain future. The Japanese forces held Hong Kong until August 15, 1945. During this period, the Canadian soldiers endured the harsh conditions of Japanese prisoner-of-war camps. The Battle of Hong Kong inflicted heavy casualties on the Canadian units, with every man either killed, wounded, missing, or captured. Approximately 290 Canadians lost their lives in the fighting, and another 264 would die over the next four years amid the inhumane conditions of the POW camps. The survivors were subjected to forced labor, malnutrition, and brutal treatment at the hands of their captors. The end of the war brought liberation, but the scars of their ordeal would last a lifetime. The returning soldiers brought back stories of courage and sacrifice, which have since become an important part of Canada’s military history. The experience of the Royal Rifles of Canada in Hong Kong remains a poignant reminder of the cost of war and the resilience of those who serve.

This story was presented in the Wartime Heritage (440 Productions) stage musical “Tribute to Courage” (2002- 2003) -1996) with the following introduction to the dialogue. In 1941, the Imperial Japanese Army began a sweep through China, leaving a path of destruction and terror in its wake. They moved south towards the Chinese border with the British colony of Hong Kong. The British asked Canada to supply troops for defence of the colony knowing there was not the slightest chance against the battle hardened troops of the Japanese. 2000 men of the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Royal Rifles of Canada had no idea what threat they would face or the courage they would muster. In December 1941, from the 18th to the 25th, British, Canadian, and Indian troops fought in defence of the colony. At 3:00 PM on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, with much of Hong Kong in flames, the British Commanders officially surrendered to the forces of Imperial Japan. On the day after Christmas, the Japanese army paraded in triumph through the streets of the city. The defenders of Hong Kong waited to become prisoners of war.