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During World War I, Japan
presented its '21 demands' to China. In
1931, Japan occupied Manchuria and tried
to detach China's northern provinces,
leading to open war in 1937. Canton fell
to the Japanese in 1938, resulting in
a mass flight of refugees to Hong Kong.
It was estimated that some 100 000
refugees entered in 1937, 500 000 in 1938
and 150 000 in 1939 — bringing Hong
Kong's population at the outbreak of World
War II to an estimated 1.6 million. It
was thought that at the height of the
influx, about 500 000 people were sleeping
in the streets.
Japan entered World
War II on December 7, 1941, when its aircraft
bombed United States warships at Pearl
Harbour. At about the same time, Japanese
armed forces attacked Hong Kong (December
8, 1941, Hong Kong time). They invaded
Hong Kong across the border from China
and pushed the British from the New Territories
and Kowloon on to Hong Kong Island. After
a week of stubborn resistance on the island,
the defenders — including the Hong
Kong Volunteer Defence Corps — were
overwhelmed and Hong Kong surrendered
on Christmas Day.
The Japanese occupation
lasted for three years and eight months.
Trade virtually disappeared, currency
lost its value, food supplies were disrupted,
and government services and public utilities
were seriously impaired. Many residents
moved to Macao — the neutral Portuguese
enclave hospitably opening its doors to
them. Towards the latter part of the occupation,
the Japanese sought to ease the food problems
by organising mass deportations. In the face of increasing
oppression, the bulk of the community
remained loyal to the allied cause. Chinese
guerrillas operated in the New Territories,
and escaping allied personnel were assisted
by the rural population. Soon after news
of the Japanese surrender was received
on August 14, 1945, a provisional government
was set up by the Colonial Secretary,
Mr (later Sir) Frank Gimson, who had spent
the occupation imprisoned in Stanley Gaol.
On August 30, Rear Admiral Sir Cecil Harcourt
arrived with units of the British Pacific
Fleet to establish a temporary military
government. Civil government was formally
restored on May 1, 1946, when Sir Mark
Young resumed his interrupted governorship. |