Canadian Commemorative Ceremony (71st) - Sai Wan War Cemetery - Sunday 2nd December 2018

Seven days ago - Sunday 2nd December 2018, the Canadians held their annual Canadian Commemorative Ceremony at the Sai War War Cemetery in Hong Kong, China. This ceremony is held annually to commemorate the 550+ soldiers - mostly serving with the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Royal Rifles of Canada Regiments - who never returned home after arriving in Hong Kong during the early stages of WW2. (note: 9 images attached)

A wonderful article (by ASIATIMES staff) and some great photos (provided by Jeff Nankivell) can be viewed here: Canadians in HK honor the fallen of World War II

One of these images shows Tony Banham walking with the Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau, during his visit to this cemetery in 2016.Tony, of course, runs the website: Hong Kong War Diary (well worth a visit).

It's always nice to see children participating in such events (I've seen similar in Holland and Singapore)
but I sometimes do wonder why we seem to see less-and-less of them during recent years?

During his speech the Canadian Consul General, Jeff Nankivell, made the following comment:

“We can never know how much we have lost with their untimely passing. Look around you: For every stone in this place, there is the future teacher who never taught, the future builder who never built, the future father or mother whose own children and grandchildren will remain forever unborn......

How very true!

WELL DONE CANADA!....LEST WE FORGET!
​

Tony Buckley www.asiawargraves.com

 

One of the more stunning CWGC cemeteries Tony, thanks for posting. A few years back we had a run of old photographs of these locations. From there came these two images, a sort of then and now. Clearly shows how much Hong Kong had developed and spread out and thankfully, how the developers have kept away from Sai Wan. Just!