Canadians that were saved from a Hong Kong prison camp -- Credit to Lethbridge Legion

By Connor Gunn

Lethbridge Legion to honour 75th anniversary of VJ-Day August 15

Aug 13, 2020 | 12:54 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB– On August 15th, at 11:00 a.m. the public is invited to gather at the Lethbridge Cenotaph to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of VJ Day (Victory over Japan) to honour Canadian soldiers who fought in the Battle of Hong Kong.

In 1941, 1,975 Canadians volunteered to fight for Canada and support 12,000 British, East Indian, and Hong Kong Volunteers in defending the British Colony of Hong Kong from the Japanese invasion.

The surviving soldiers were Prisoners of War in Hong Kong and Japan for almost four years and were liberated on August 15, 1945, at 11:00 a.m.

Kathie Carlson of the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association says her father is one of five Canadians that are still alive today from the Battle of Hong Kong.

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“This is a further opportunity to promote remembrance and educate Canadians on the contributions Canada had in Hong Kong during WW2. We want to thank the family members of the Hong Kong veterans in leading this commemorative event,” says Legion President Michael Cormican.

Carlson says they were the first Canadian Soldiers to be engaged in World War II in the Pacific, and the last to return home to Canada after the end of the War.

“We honour them [August 15] with the laying of wreaths and the sharing of stories. We want to help ensure that this chapter of Canada’s Military History is never forgotten.”