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  • Not the Slightest Chance: The Defence of Hong Kong, 1941
  • Serge Durflinger
Not the Slightest Chance: The Defence of Hong Kong, 1941. By Tony Banham. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2003. ISBN 0-7748-1044-0. Maps. Photographs. Appendixes. Notes. Annotated bibliography. Index. Pp. xvi, 431. Can $85.00.

The defence of Hong Kong in December 1941 has been well explored in the British, Canadian, and Hong Kong historiographies. It remains a persistently emotive and controversial topic. Tony Banham offers a new approach to the eighteen-day siege and battle. He has written "a new type of history—a history based on the individual—all the individuals." Judged from this perspective only, he has succeeded admirably.

Banham's work is a labour of love, a fitting "tribute" to Hong Kong's defenders. His intensely human approach evocatively interweaves personal stories from a variety of established and new sources, including much recent oral history. He details the circumstances surrounding the deaths of as many as possible of the colony's nearly 1,600 fatal casualties. When Banham visits Stanley military cemetery, he writes "I feel I know everyone there."

In many ways, however, this is a book of lists, chronologies, and appendices. The author's formula is to provide brief day-by-day narratives of events followed by perhaps excessively detailed "war diary" format chronologies and an honour roll, by unit, of the day's fatal casualties with brief explanations of the manner of death. He lists all British, Canadian, Indian, Hong Kong, and civilian volunteer fatalities. Some readers will find the level of detail tiresome.

While highlighting the savage nature of the fighting and the heretofore little-known courageous actions of many soldiers, his diary-style entries frequently degenerate into lists of small-scale actions. This gives a frenetic effect to the text and makes it difficult for the reader to synthesize the material coherently. The wealth of information derived from his prodigious research seems to have overwhelmed Banham's ability to focus. This non-traditional approach, at once the novelty and drawback of the book, defies its categorization as a standard battle narrative. But notwithstanding Banham's organizational structure, his book offers illuminating anecdotes, numerous historical tidbits, and many details either never before commonly known or, at least, never juxtaposed against a background context in so revealing a manner.

His fixation on casualties provides some important insights. It is interesting to note the negligible British casualties in the period 8-17 December whereas they mount precipitously following the Japanese invasion of the island: 140 defenders killed on 18 December and 471 more the next day, the worst of the battle, which lasted until the British surrender on Christmas Day. Artillery casualties were also heavy throughout. Banham's approach provides proper recognition of the achievements of the Indian battalions, the 5/7 Rajputs and the 2/14 Punjabis. He also finds room for the important and little-heralded achievements of various Hong Kong defence and police units. Losses due to Japanese atrocities are also carefully recorded. [End Page 1285]

Canadian readers will be disappointed that the author virtually ignores Brigadier J. K. Lawson's role as the commander of East Brigade until his death in combat on 19 December. Despite his meticulous even-handedness, Banham also arguably undervalues the combat contributions of the ill-equipped 2,000-strong Canadian force; even some Japanese noted that many of their most difficult moments in the battle came against Canadian troops.

This is an excellent production value complemented by useful maps and rarely-seen Japanese photos. Banham's is an important work, greater than the sum of its parts. It is a refreshing departure and indispensable to future researchers.

Serge Durflinger
University of Ottawa
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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