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This is Part 2 of my story about the battle (and fall) of Hong Kong in December 1941.

Listen to Part 1

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Just hours after the attack on Pearl Harbour, the Japanese invaded the British colony of Hong Kong on the 8th December 1941.

Smashing through the wonderfully named Gin Drinkers Line (which British military planners had optimistically called the “Oriental Maginot Line”), the British commander, General Christopher Maltby was forced to evacuate his entire force to Hong Kong Island after just five days.

Now, his 14,000 British, Canadian, Indian and local troops waited the final assault. They knew that there was no help coming - they knew that before the invasion even started - with no air and almost no naval support - they awaited the inevitable.

This is part 2 of my story about the battle of Hong Kong in 1941.

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The battle for Hong Kong fought between the 8th and 25th December 1941, is overshadowed by the British defeat at Singapore and thus is often a forgotten chapter in World War 2.

And yet, the British, Indian, and Canadian troops plus local volunteers who fought a grim and bitter battle against a Japanese enemy that outnumbered them is one that should be told and remembered.

It is the story of the Gin Drinkers defensive line, a Dunkirk-style evacuation, a massacre at a field hospital on Christmas Day, a desperate escape to freedom led by a one legged Chinese admiral, the first Canadian Victoria Cross of the war, and a loyal dog who would receive the animal version of the Victoria Cross.

In fact it is such a fascinating story that I have broken it into two episodes.

This is episode one. I hope that you enjoy it.

Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life.

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John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough: The General Who Never Lost A Battle.

Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life.

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John Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough, is widely regarded as Britain's greatest general — yet his remarkable story remains surprisingly unfamiliar to many.

The Duke of Marlborough won five major pitched battles against Louis XIV's armies, including the famous Battle of Blenheim in 1704, which saved the Grand Alliance from collapse and broke the myth of French invincibility. He successfully besieged nearly 30 fortresses, commanded multinational armies of up to 100,000 men, and was never defeated in battle.

But military genius alone did not secure his position.

His wife, Sarah Churchill, maintained a close friendship with Princess Anne that proved crucial to his career. When Anne became queen, Sarah Churchill's influence helped elevate Marlborough to unprecedented heights — a dukedom, command of all English forces, and the manor of Woodstock where he would build Blenheim Palace.

Yet when that friendship soured, Marlborough lost everything. Despite his victories, including the Battle of Blenheim, he was dismissed in disgrace, accused of corruption, and forced into exile.

We also trace the connection to his descendent, Winston Churchill, who wrote a four-volume biography defending his ancestor and is buried just outside Blenheim Palace.
The War of the Spanish Succession reshaped Europe, and Marlborough was central to that transformation.

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