Immediately Engaged in Battle
Heroes Remember
We immediately were engaged
and the Canadians fought extremely well
in a hopeless situation.
There wasn't anybody there that knew,
that did not know that we were in a terrible spot,
that there was no possibility of doing much.
First of all, we could not be supplied.
The Japanese controlled the air and the sea.
We couldn't be reinforced,
additional troops couldn't be sent to us.
Again, the Japanese controlled the environment completely.
We couldn't be withdrawn,
there was no way that any of us could escape.
The British Navy was absent,
the American Navy had been sunk in Pearl Harbour
so the island was completely isolated and it meant
that it was very difficult from the point of view that we didn't have
all of the ammunition that we needed for a prolonged battle.
For example, we only had very limited amounts
of mortar ammunition which in infantry fighting
is very important so it was a very difficult position.
The Canadians were given places to defend and they did so.
The Japanese Army was not what everybody thought it was.
It was a superb army, experienced,
trained in it's two or three years fighting in China.
Beautifully equipped, it had mules for transport
which in the mountain were essential.
And we were, we were at a great disadvantage
because of the difficulty of running out of
ammunition and water.
But one of the great problems facing the Canadians
was the Japanese were extremely experienced soldiers
and with their large numbers they could easily outflank our positions.
So constantly, even though we were holding the front
in some position or some peak given to us,
the Japanese infiltrated behind us
and suddenly the fire started to come from the rear
and we were trapped.
So it was very difficult to hold any position with our limited manpower.
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