This was also a good choice because of Lawson's training and experience he was a "Permanent Force" officer and had been serving as Director of Military Training in Ottawa. Command of the Canadian force was assigned to Brigadier J.K. The Royal Rifles were a bilingual unit from the Quebec City area and, together with the Winnipeg Grenadiers, both battalions represented eastern and western regions of Canada. From a national perspective, the choice of battalions was ideal. In October 1941, the Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers were ordered to prepare for service in Those who survived the battle became prisoners of war (POWs) and many endured torture and starvation by their Japanese captors. They had virtually no chance of victory, but refused to surrender until they were overrun by the enemy.
The Canadians at Hong Kong fought against overwhelming odds and displayed the courage of seasoned veterans, though most had limited military training. In the Second World War, Canadian soldiers first engaged in battle while defending the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong against a Japanese attack in December 1941.