John K. Lawson
John Kelburne Lawson | |
---|---|
Born | 27 December 1886 Hull, England |
Died | 19 December 1941 British Hong Kong | (aged 54)
Buried | |
Allegiance | Canada |
Service/ | Canadian Army |
Years of service | 1914–1941 |
Rank | Brigadier |
Commands held | C Force |
Battles/wars | World War I |
Awards | Croix de Guerre |
John Kelburne Lawson (27 December 1886 – 19 December 1941) 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.
Early career
Lawson was born in
Lawson joined the Permanent Active Militia during the interwar years. He held various positions in Calgary, Kingston, Toronto, and Ottawa. He completed staff college in Quetta in 1923–1924, and was posted to the War Office in London, England, in 1930.
When the Second World War broke out, he was Director of Military Training in Ottawa. He was given command of the
Battle of Hong Kong
After the forces defending Kowloon were withdrawn to the island of Hong Kong on 11 December 1941, General Christopher Maltby organized the defence of the island into two brigades, west and east. Lawson was placed in charge of the west brigade,[2] which included the Winnipeg Grenadiers, the Royal Scots, the Punjab Regiment (India) and the Canadian Signallers. The Japanese landed on Hong Kong Island on 18 December 1941 with the intent to split the defenders in two. After fierce fighting, Japanese forces surrounded Lawson's headquarters at around 10 a.m. on 19 December. Lawson radioed his commanders that he was "going outside to fight his way out" and left his splinter proof shelter with a small group of his officers. He was killed immediately after leaving his shelters by a burst of Japanese machine gun fire.[2][3][4]
When the Japanese arrived and found his body, they gave him a military burial nearby in
The original headstone erected by the Japanese was removed after the war. Lawson was reburied at the Sai Wan War Cemetery after the war.[2] A memorial plate was erected by the Canadian government at the site in 2005.
Personal life
Lawson was married to Augusta Hawkesworth Wilson in 1930 and had two sons, Arthur John (b. 1934) and Michael Ivan (b. 1936).[6]
His family donated his medals to the Royal Canadian Military Institute.
See also
References
- ^ Wentzell, Tyler (April 2011). "Brigadier J.K. Lawson and Command of 'C' Force at Hong Kong" (PDF). Canadian Military History. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- ^ a b c d Smith, Craig S. (23 December 2016). "A Doomed Battle for Hong Kong, With Only Medals Left 75 Years Later". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ "The Battle of Hong Kong". Canada at War. Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- ^ Churchill, Winston (1950). The Grand Alliance. London. pp. 633.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Churchill, Winston (1953). Triumph and Tragedy. London. pp. 646.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Brigadier John Kelburne Lawson". veterans.gc.ca. Veterans Affairs Canada. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2019.