CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Hong Kong
July 7, 1939
The heat this July morning was making even the air sluggish, which for the inhabitants of the island that were used to more temperate climes was making life nearly unbearable. There were few duty stations the British Foreign and Colonial Offices deemed as “hardship” locations, but Hong Kong was near the top of the list for both Ministries. When the tension created with the impending arrival of a potentially hostile Japanese army that had been near unstoppable in it’s campaign to reach the South China coastal region was factored in, life for some of the Colony’s citizens had become near intolerable.
The news of June 30 began a slow panic within the confines of the Colony. The Japanese Imperial 5th Army, following up it successful capture of Chengdu, had not only reached but also captured the city of Maoming in the Guangdong province and thereby reaching the South China Sea. Information that had been gained through the interrogation of a captured
Kempeitai* agent had been leaked to the population of Hong Kong that the 5th Army’s general, Lt. General Takashi Sakai, had been ordered by Tokyo that following the capture of the Shaoguan region of the Guangdong on July 2, he was to begin preparations for a possible assault upon the Crown Colony.
The completion of a second line of fixed fortifications across the Colony and the New Territories, intended to reassure the Colony’s inhabitants, had rather created the feeling amount many that the situation was hopeless as there was still no troop reinforcements for Hong Kong’s garrison. Many who were unable to deal with the increasing pressure, namely businessmen and their families, begin preparations for leaving Hong Kong, and the Colony began to take on the airs of a besieged city.
* - Japanese word for military police, literal translation is
Law Soldier Regiment.
**
Fort Stanly
Barracks Victoria
Hong Kong
July 7, 1939
10:15 a.m.
In a voice that rang out across the Colony’s main Army post’s parade ground, an aide to the Garrison Commander, General Maltby, called out from an upper balcony jutting out from the Barracks’ main hall. “
Sgt-Major Collinswood, a word if you please!”
“Sah,” the garrison’s senior non-commissioned officer replied in the booming voice that all NCOs seemed to inherent upon gaining their rank.
“Sgt-Major, do we have everything ready for our soon to arrive friends?”
“Yes, sah! If I must say,” Collinswood said from amidst the bustle that was occurring about the post’s parade ground,
“our friends will have a quite a warm welcome when they arrive, Major Swifton!”
“Good show, Sgt-Major, good show,” the Major replied while taking a glance at his wrist watch. Looking back down at Collinswood he continued,
“We should be hearing of the impending arrival in the next several hours, so wrap up this lot, Sgt-Major, and then give the lads a break until it’s time.”
“Yes, sah,” the Sgt-Major replied as he watched the Major turn and look at the approaching staff car that bore the crest of the Colony’s civilian government. Placing his hands on his hips and shaking his head slightly, Collinswood wondered at the Governor’s reaction to the news that he was about to receive from General Maltby. Seeing a soldier glancing about as if in preparation to shirk his duties, the Sgt-Major allowed that thought to be filed away in his mind and barked out,
“Higgins! You lazy sheep fornicatin’ barmy bastard! Aye, Higgins, I’m talkin’ to ye! Cor blimey, wot the bloody ‘ell d’you think yer doin’? Did’ya ‘ear me tell you it was yer fornicatin’ tea time? I didn’t bloody well think so, so move yer ass an finish getting’ tha’ gear loaded up you silly bugger!”
***
Fort Stanly
Barracks Victoria
Hong Kong
July 7, 1939
10:25 a.m.
Opening the door to the General’s office, General Maltby’s aide Major Swifton stepped inside and pivoting upon his heel announced,
“Sir, Governor Young to see you, sir!”
Swiveling his chair from gazing out past Hong Kong harbour and toward the door and his aide, the General was awarded with the sight of a worried looking Governor Young striding through the open door not even waiting for Swifton to complete his announcement. Rising from his chair and coming around the desk with his hand outstretched, Maltby spoke with a reassuring smile,
“Good morning, Governor, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”
Grasping the General’s proffered hand, almost desperately, Young replied in a strained voice,
“You must not have heard the news, or you wouldn’t be so cheerful, General.”
“News? What news, sir,” Maltby replied as he allowed the Colony’s Governor to sit and he perched himself upon the edge of his heavy desk. Clearly resigned to whatever fate he thought was about to descend upon himself and the Colony, Young leaned back his chair and muttered heavily,
“One of the Royal Navy scout ships has brought news of a fleet of transport vessels approaching from the west. There can be no doubt about it, General, the Japanese have decided to continue their march and include Hong Kong in their list of spoils taken from the Chinese.”
“Despite the fact that Hong Kong does not belong to the Chinese, Governor, I’m sorry to inform you,” Maltby said to his civilian superior,
“that your despair is unwarranted. That is not a Japanese transport fleet that was spotted by Admiral James’ destroyer flotilla.”
“What are you talking about, General Maltby,” Governor Young replied with a slightly venomous snarl.
“Who else would it be? The Empire has more pressing concerns in the Mediterranean and the in Europe itself than to send troops here to protect Hong Kong!”
Staring back impassively at the agitated Governor, Maltby wondered why the man had been selected to become the Colony’s governor. Granted he was a very adept administrator and had been able to smooth over several troublesome problems that Hong Kong had been experiencing prior to his arrival, but the man was clearly unsuited to dealing with the stresses of a potentially embattled colony.
You should have stayed in the West Indies, Governor, the General said to himself,
Hong Kong is going to be the death of your career, and I’m sorry that I’m going to be the one put the bullet in it.
“Actually Governor, the General Staff has had plans for some time to reinforce Hong Kong with sufficient troops to defend the Colony, and simply wanted to keep it as secret as possible. In fact, outside the Garrison, and several staff officers about the Empire, there has only been a handful of people who truly knew the full scope of the plan. In a the next several hours, however, the cat will be out of the bag, so to speak.”
“You are talking nonsense, General,” a bewildered Young shot back.
“What plan? And more importantly what troops?”
“Those transports that have gotten yourself and most of the Colony’s population in an uproar,” the General growled with irritation, not only at the speed of the transport’s sighting being dispersed but also at Young’s crumbling resolve at the news,
“are actually the vanguard of a fleet of transports coming from Australia and New Zealand that will be delivering our Aussie and Kiwi cousins to assist in the Hong Kong’s defense if the Japanese fail to cease their march at the Colony’s border.”
“I don’t understand, Maltby,” Young said with a slight quiver of hope in his voice.
“The ANZACS? Just how many are we talking about? Will there be enough to stop the Nip’s Fifth Army?”
“Where is your faith in the British Army and specifically the ANZACS, Governor,” the General replied with disdain clearly evident in not only his tone but his body language. “
To answer your question, the transport ships that are approaching are bringing the lead elements of the Australian Overseas Force under the command of General Sir Cyril Bingham-White. Over the next several days Hong Kong will witness the arrival of more transports bearing the remainder of the Australians as well as delivering General Sir Cyril Freyberg and the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.”
“I’ve never heard of these Forces, General,” Governor Young said as he slowly began to clearly pull himself back from the precipice of despair.
“And why wasn’t I informed of this plan?”
Standing from the edge of his desk, Maltby strolled to the large window of his office that overlooked the Barracks’ parade ground.
“You were not told, Governor, for the simple reason that you have spies for both Johnnie Chinaman and the Sons of Nippon within your staff, and anything you’re told is soon known throughout the Far East. No, don’t begin to protest, it is not a reflection upon you it is simply a statement of fact. In any event, the Imperial General Staff wanted this move kept as silent as possible…until today, that is.”
“So how many man are arriving then, General,” the Colony’s civilian leader asked while mentally calculating who upon his staff was leaking information, how he could stop it the leak and what sort of impact it was going to have upon his career.
“One of His Majesty's new regiments from each?”
“Oh, I should say not,” Maltby replied with a chuckle as he glanced back over his shoulder and watched the civilian’s reaction to his next bombshell.
“Following the integration of the Royal Australian Army and Royal New Zealand Army with the British Army these regiments are fully on par with His Majesty’s “super-regiments” in terms of manpower and combat capability. General Bingham-White is bringing four infantry regiments with two artillery brigades and General Freyberg has five infantry regiments with an engineer brigade and an anti-aircraft artillery brigade.”
“Tha-that’s one hundred and fifty thousand men,” Young stammered in exclamation.
“The Colony can support that many men!”
“In the long term, you would be quite correct, sir,” the General replied with a mischievous grin that sent the Governor's almost completely shattered nerves buzzing. After a slight pause, he dropped his next bombshell and took secret pleasure in the reaction he received.
“As you recall, we have been receiving a great deal of supplies the last several months and have been stockpiling them about the Colony, but even with them, Hong Kong physically cannot hold that many men, even factoring in the New Territories. Which is why the Foreign Office has been working with the Portuguese, and have received permission for us to spread our forces across Macao to assist in the defense of their territories if the Japanese head that way.”
Swallowing both his surprise and his anger at being left out of the circle of decision makers, Young lifted his chin while smoothing back his hair and looked General Maltby in the eye.
“So now we're responsible for both Hong Kong and Macao? Any other surprises you’d like to share with me this morning, General?”
Raising his estimate of the Governor’s intestinal fortitude a notch, Maltby replied smoothly but truthfully,
“None that I know of, Governor. If you weren’t previously apprised of it, from the signal Admiral James sent earlier this morning, the transports should be able to drop anchor and begin disembarkment operations sometime around noon. You know the old saying, 'Mad dogs and Englishmen...'”
“Fine,” the Governor replied a tad sharply, ignoring the General’s attempt at humor as he stood and began laying plans to have himself transferred back to the Empire’s possessions in the West Indies. Turning away from Maltby, he stomped out of the office and grumped,
“Then I will see you at the docks a noon, General.”
***
In response to further incursions by the Japanese Imperial Army into southern China, the Imperial General Staff in conjunction with the Portuguese military High Command announced today that the Crown Colony of Hong Kong and the Portuguese territories surrounding Macao were to be garrisoned by the Australian Overseas Force under the command of General Sir Cyril Bingham-White and the New Zealand Expeditionary Force commanded by General Sir Cyril Freberg.
General Sir Cyril Bingham-White
General Sir Cyril Freberg
From War Ministry sources
the Australian Overseas Force consists of the
Canberra Rifles,
the Royal Adelaide Grenadiers, t
he Rockhampton Rifles,
the King’s Own Tasmanians, and two heavy artillery brigades. Those same sources disclosed that t
he New Zealand Expeditionary Force include
the Christchurch Fusiliers, the
Royal Auckland Fusiliers with an attached engineer brigade,
the King’s New Zealand Rifles,
the King’s Own New Zealanders with an attached anti-aircraft artillery brigade, and
the Napier Grenadiers.
With the arrival of the ANZACs in the Crown Colony between the seventh of July and the fourteenth, an attempt was made to reach the Imperial Japanese Embassy in London for comment, however the Ambassador refused to meet with the press. In Hong Kong, the landing of the Empire’s much beloved Aussies and Kiwis was met with great joy by the Colony’s inhabitants and pre-existing Garrison under General Maltby.
With now near two hundred thousand combat ready troops ready to defend the Colony, a strong signal has been sent to Tokyo to very careful about any decisions made regarding the south of China. As one Foreign Office source stated,
‘The ball is now in the Japanese court, for the Empire stands ready to defend itself in the Far East.’
Excerpt of article by James Grey
of The Times on July 15, 1939
Up next: Just a little more diplomatic wrangling to partake in!