Sai Wan War Cemetery
| Sai Wan War Cemetery | |
|---|---|
| Commonwealth War Graves Commission | |
Sai Wan War Cemetery in Hong Kong
|
|
| For Battle of Hong Kong | |
| Unveiled | 1946 |
| Location |
22°15′34″N 114°14′04″E / 22.25944°N 114.23444°ECoordinates: 22°15′34″N 114°14′04″E / 22.25944°N 114.23444°E near Chai Wan, Hong Kong |
| Designed by | Colin St Clair Oakes |
| Total burials | 1,528 |
| Unknown burials | 444 |
|
Total commemorated
|
2072 |
| Burials by war | |
| Statistics source: Commonwealth War Graves Commission | |
Sai Wan War Cemetery (Chinese: 西灣國殤紀念墳場) is a military cemetery located in Chai Wan, Hong Kong. The cemetery contains the graves of the dead of the Second World War, mostly soldiers from the Commonwealth and Allied Forces who fell during the Battle of Hong Kong. The Sai Wan Bay Memorial includes the names of 228 Canadians who died in the defence of Hong Kong.
On 8 December 1941 – less than eight hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor – Japanese forces launched an invasion into Hong Kong, then a British Crown colony. The invasion started a lesser-known chapter of World War II when Commonwealth forces – mainly British and Canadian – began the futile defence of the territory.
The Japanese forces easily crossed Sham Chun River, and entered into the territory through the Mainland in the north. They successively forded two lines of defence and eventually crossed Victoria Harbour. Intense battles were fought on Hong Kong Island until the British surrendered the territory at the end of the month on Christmas Day. The surrender marked the beginning of the Japanese occupation of the territory and would last until the Japanese unconditionally surrendered three years later.
Casualties were heavy among defending forces during the battle, but many more succumbed to disease, drowning, maltreatment, or execution during their long captivity in Hong Kong and Japan, and transportation between the two.
The majority of the fallen Allied soldiers from the campaign, including British, Canadian and Indian soldiers were eventually interred at the Sai Wan Military Cemetery. A total of 1,528 soldiers, mainly from the Commonwealth, are buried here. Most of the remaining burials are located at the Stanley Military Cemetery.
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