Bataan cab 11 water truck

[David Dunlop]

Hi Mike.

The troops were delivered to Hong Hong aboard the Awatea days before the Japanese arrived and I assume the Awatea headed to either Australia or New Zealand to await further orders.

Observers of the day were amazed at how well equipped ‘C’ Force was when they embarked for Hong Kong. They had virtually everything they needed, including the full MT compliment, had it arrived in Hong Kong as well. The only documented exceptions were a complete lack of 3” Mortar Ammunition (only 300 rounds existed in all of Canada at that time), and a significant shortage of Boyes Anti Tank Rifles. I believe 20 per Company were intended, but a lack of them in Canada meant each Company was issued 1 each.

The formal Federal Government Inquiry following the Hong Kong disaster was a complete whitewash. The Head was a cherry picked government crony. He accepted testimony from a non-military witness that the lack of 3” Mortar Carriers would not have had any significant impact on the troops ability to move Mortar teams from place to place quickly and effectively.

He also praised the comprehensive and detailed testimony a witness gave regarding loading of vehicles aboard a ship, when they had never done it themselves and the witnesses assumption was fully assembled vehicles were the topic. Testimony from a second witness, a former officer from the Awatea, who had loaded the ship hundreds of times was dismissed as ‘dubious at best’. This in spite of his testimony that the forward cargo hatch was indeed too small for loading the vehicles in question were they fully assembled, but could have readily accepted any and all of the crated vehicles being sent to Hong Kong. Brig Lawson had even submitted a ‘Priority List’ of vehicles that would be most beneficial to accompany the troops aboard the Awatea, with the rest to follow, but that action was never approved, even with time available to do so.

David

[David Dunlop]

Well, well, well.

I just realized.

It will be the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Hong Kong in December of this year.

David

[Colin Alford]

David,

This is a very interesting story that I knew nothing about.

It prompted me to search and find this:
https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/o...0/1376?r=0&s=2

I haven’t found the full extent of the files, but attached are some of the pertinent documents.

If the 15 cwt water tank was indeed one of the vehicles destined for C Force, then it was 1 of 2 loaded onboard the Don Jose.

[Jordan Baker]

I did find the Don Jose file in the archives. There was a flurry of communications going back and forth about where the ship should go. It was decided it was best to redirect it to the Philippines instead of Hong Kong. From what I remember reading in the documents it was purposely sent there as it was felt it would not reach Hong Kong due to being south of the Philippines on December 7, 1941. I don’t believe the vehicles were seized by the US forces. The paperwork suggests that talks were made in Washington to have the vehicles go to American forces in Manila.

There is some fascinating letters going back and forth about this ship. There is also a few diagrams of the ship and he layout of the cargo.

https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/o...6/2063?r=0&s=1

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Jordan Baker

...

There is some fascinating letters going back and forth about this ship. There is also a few diagrams of the ship and he layout of the cargo.

https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/o...6/2063?r=0&s=1

In the late 80s I was posted to Mobile Command Headquarters and to the Logistics branch offices wing of the second floor. One of my duties included amending publications. I remember seeing a manual for ship loading, and still recall that the diagrams were Liberty Ships. Containers, RO-RO ships, and other forms of highly mechanized transportation had not yet found their way into the back annexes of those manuals. Or, if they had, I didn't see those parts.