Ottawa, ON - Today, the Honourable Jill McKnight, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence, issued the following statement to mark Victory in Asia and the Pacific:
"Today, we mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Asia and the Pacific, when Allied forces brought the Second World War to an end.
"While Canada is widely recognized for its fight against tyranny and oppression in Europe and on the Atlantic Ocean, it is less known that more than 10,000 Canadians were also involved in the struggle against Imperial Japan in Asia and the Pacific. In 1941, nearly 2,000 Canadians were sent to help garrison Hong Kong, 800 of whom were either killed or wounded in action, while approximately 260 more died in harsh prisoner-of-war camps.
"Thousands of members of the Royal Canadian Air Force served in places like Malaysia, Indonesia, Burma and India. They played critical roles as radar operators and members of bomber, transport, reconnaissance and as fighter squadrons. At home many more supported coastal defence efforts. When the Imperial Japanese Army approached the British Columbia coast in 1942, RCAF squadrons guarded against enemy submarines and aerial attacks. Meanwhile, Royal Canadian Navy sailors saw active service against the Imperial Japanese Navy, with warships escorting convoys across the Pacific and along our west coast, while Canadian Merchant seamen served on Canadian and Allied ships in the region.
"Three Canadians-Company Sergeant Major John Robert Osborn, Major Charles Ferguson Hoey and Lieutenant Robert Hampton Gray-were awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously for their bravery while fighting in the Pacific theatre.
"On this 80th anniversary, we encourage Canadians to remember those who served, as we remain eternally grateful to them and the more than 10,000 others from Canada and Newfoundland who helped bring the Second World War finally to an end."
