This exhibit highlights Canada’s involvement in the Far East during the Second World War, focusing on the heroic defense of Hong Kong by Canadian forces. Through artifacts and narratives, it commemorates the sacrifices made by Canadian soldiers, many of whom endured brutal conditions as prisoners of war.
Cabinet

Artifacts
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Currency, Japanese Occupation
The Japanese Imperial Army invaded Burma (now Myanmar) in January 1942, conquered Mandalay 21 May 1942, and forced the British to retreat into India. In 1942 the Japanese issued paper scrip currency of 1, 5 and 10 cents and ¼, ½, 1, 5 and 10 Rupees. Japanese military currency was money issued to soldiers of the Imperial Japanese …
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Document, German, Instrument of Surrender
The German Instrument of Surrender was a legal document effecting the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany to the Allies. It ended the Second World War in Europe. The signing took place at 22:43 Central European Time (CET) on 8 May 1945 and the Germany’s surrender took effect at 23:01 on the same day. The document was signed at the seat of the Soviet …
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Document, Japanese Instrument of Surrender, 1945
The Japanese envoys signed the Instrument of Surrender on board the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. The document was prepared by the US War Department and approved by President Truman. It set out in eight short paragraphs the complete capitulation of Japan. The second paragraph said: “We hereby proclaim the unconditional …
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Flag, Japan (Hinomaru)
Flag, Japan (Hinomaru) (Circle of the Sun) Some of the earliest recordings of Japan as a “Land of the Rising Sun” come from the early 600s. The sun is tied deeply to old Japanese culture and mythos, directly linking the sun and the emperor. History ties the Hinomaru or “Circle of the Sun” flag throughout …
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Flag, The Rising Sun
The Rising Sun Flag design was originally used by feudal warlords in Japan during the Edo period. On May 15, 1870, as a policy of the Meiji government, it was adopted as the war flag of the Imperial Japanese Army, with the sun in the center. This is a flag of the IJA (Imperial Japanese …
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Flooring, USS Arizona
The United States Ship (USS) Arizona was a U.S. battleship that sank during the Japanese attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Oahu island, Hawaii, on 7 December 1941. The Arizona is commemorated by a concrete memorial that spans the wreckage. On 6 December 1941, the Arizona returned to its base at Pearl Harbor. The next morning, at …
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Helmet, Type 92, Japanese, Second World War
The M1932 helmet was the standard helmet of the Japanese military during World War II and its pre-war invasions of Asia. The helmet was designed and put into service in 1931-32 for the Imperial Japanese Army. The design resembled a steel pot with a helmet liner and strap. It saw all the actions of the …
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Japan Surrender on the USS Missouri
In September 1945, with the Japanese surrender at hand, the world’s attention centered on the US Admiral’s flagship, the USS Missouri, chosen as the venue for the formal ceremony in part because Missouri was US President Harry S. Truman’s home state.Representatives of the Empire of Japan boarded the USS Missouri prior to signing the Instrument …
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Japanese at Pear Harbour News
This is a replica newspaper of the events on 7 December 1941 at Pearl Harbour, Oahu, Hawaii during which the Japanese bombed the city. This event started the war for the United States in the Pacific. Headline from the Winnipeg Free Press paper on August 16, 1945. The cessation of war meant the Winnipeg Grenadiers …
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Knives, Jungle Warfare
Between December 1941 and August 1945, British Commonwealth troops and their allies fought a bitter war against the Japanese in Asia. The fighting took place in malaria-ridden jungles during drenching monsoon rains and on remote islands in searing tropical heat, but always against a tenacious and often brutal enemy. The Chindits were British empire troops who …
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Map, Japan Region
Top Map section of Asia, china, Indonesia and areas of the South Pacific in which Japan Operated during Second World War. Bottom Map of railways in Japan second world war. The Far East Cabinet
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Miscellaneous, Far East
The Winnipeg Grenadiers originated in Morden, Manitoba on 1 April 1908 as the 100th Regiment.
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Newspaper, Winnipeg Free Press, 7 May 1945
During the 2WW, the Allied powers were led by the so-called “Big Three”—the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and the United States—which were the principal contributors of manpower, resources, and strategy. Each allied power played a key role in achieving victory. The Second World War was the biggest and deadliest war in history involving more …
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Rank, Japanese
Private, Army 2nd Class. The ranks of the Imperial Japanese Army were reflected in the rank insignia of the Army. They were used from its creation in 1868 until its dissolution in 1945 following the Surrender of Japan in World War II. Shown is a 2WW Japan Army 2nd Class Private Rank Insignia Collar Patch. The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) was the official ground-based armed …
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Rehabilitation, Japanese
After the defeat of Japan in the Second World War, the United States led the Allies in the occupation and rehabilitation of the Japanese state. Between 1945 and 1952, the U.S. occupying forces, led by General Douglas A. MacArthur, enacted widespread military, political, economic, and social reforms. The Far Eastern Commission was established to formulate Allied policies …
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Stamps, Japanese, 1944
The story of Japan’s postal system with its postage stamps and related postal history goes back centuries. The country’s first modern postal service started in 1871, with mail professionally travelling between Kyoto and Tokyo as well as the latter city and Osaka. Japan’s growing postal system relied heavily on human-powered transport, including rickshaws, as well …
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Stick, Swagger
A swagger stick is a short stick or riding crop usually carried by a uniformed person as a symbol of authority. A swagger stick is shorter than a staff or cane, and is usually made from rattan (a family of lianas or long-stemmed vines). Its use derives from the vine staff carried by Roman centurions …