killed or wounded. Even Brigadier Lawson made a call to Fortress HQ, saying he was going outside to ‘fight it out’ and was killed in action. Few stragglers managed to escape and the remainder of the soldiers (almost all wounded) were taken prisoner. The Japanese held the position against a number of counterattacks, and were able to effectively split the Commonwealth forces in Hong Kong Island. This was key factor that led to the downfall of the colony on 25 December Surrender. References