The writer commences this report knowing full well that a report containing criticisms or accusations is bound to be read with a certain amount of skepticism particularly if it is written in opposition to an official report submitted by a much higher authority.
Two important factors have decided me to compile this report without further delay and while still a prisoner of war and subject to search at any time by the Japanese authorities (although they have not done so as yet). The first and most urgent one is the necessity for a very accurate recording of events as they occurred, this would not have been so important but for the fact that it has become very evident that we (The Canadian Forces) are being blamed by the Imperial troops for the early fall of Hong Kong. And while it is not definitely known that the Imperial staff are going to adapt this attitude in their official report every precaution must be taken to ensure that any attempt to make ‘C Force (Canadians) the scape goat is adequately challenged by a submission of the facts while they are still fresh in the memory. The second is that the G.S.0.1. Col Nunam informed the late Lieut Col Sutcliffe before we left Sham-Shui-Po camp that he had already commenced compilation of the official report