John Kelburne Lawson was a Canadian military officer who served as commander of the West Brigade during the Battle of Hong Kong. A brigadier, he was the most senior officer to be killed in action during the battle.
Brigadier John K. Lawson (right) with General Christopher Maltby
West Brigade Headquarters north bunker at Wong Nai Chong Gap, Hong Kong
The headstone of Brigadier J. K. Lawson at Sai Wan War Cemetery
The plaque is dedicated to Lawson and all members of Brigade Headquarters C Force.
The Battle of Hong Kong, also known as the Defence of Hong Kong and the Fall of Hong Kong, was one of the first battles of the Pacific War in World War II. On the same morning as the attack on Pearl Harbor, forces of the Empire of Japan attacked the British Crown colony of Hong Kong around the same time that Japan declared war on Great Britain. The Hong Kong garrison consisted of British, Indian and Canadian units, also the Auxiliary Defence Units and Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps (HKVDC).
Japanese troops take Tsim Sha Tsui
Indian gunners manning a 9.2-inch naval artillery gun at Mount Davis Battery on Hong Kong Island
Three weeks before the battle, a Canadian military contingent arrived to reinforce the garrison
Japanese artillery firing at Hong Kong
