-  October, 27th 1941 *The Royal Riffles and the Winnipeg grenadiers were sent from Vancouver to the Pacific East. (The soldiers did not have any combat experience)

- On December 8th, 1941, (a day after Pearl Harbor was bombed) the Japanese Empire launched an attack on the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong.  The first target being Kai Tak airport. The Japanese destroyed few Royal Air Force aircraft.

- On December 15th, 1941 the bombing of the north shore began on this date. Two demands for surrender were made and rejected.

- Royal Riffles suffered many casualties with the Japanese only suffering few.

- The Japanese had a well supported air force and reinforcement from the Mainland. The Japanese then quickly separated the British East and West troops.  Who then captured hundreds of Canadian and British soldiers.

- December 20th, 1941 the supplies started to run scarce as the Japanese captured the island's reservoirs.

- On Christmas day the Canadian troops were forced to surrender. Total casualties 290 killed and 493 wounded.  This though did not end in surrender but the Canadians were imprisoned in Hong Kong and Japan in the harshest of conditions.  More than 550 of the 1975 Canadians who left never returned.

-British Colonial officials headed by the governor of Hong Kong Sir Mark Aitchison Young, realized that resistance was futile and surrendered in person at the Japanese headquarters in the Peninsula Hong Kong hotel.