HONG KONG SURRENDER, 31 AUG 1945

Admiral Harcourt ,

'On 31 August, on Indomitable, I informed the Japanese Commander that he was to round up his troops and evacuate the Island of Hong Kong, continues Harcourt. 'He was in a rather truculent mood when he arrived, and introduced the ten officers with him as his "committee". I informed him that I did not deal with committees, that I only dealt with him, and that I should hold him personally responsible for the conduct of his troops. He tried to adopt the attitude that he was negotiating and made complaints. However, my orders that all Japanese were to be evacuated from the Island of Hong Kong to Kowloon by 4 p.m......'

Makimura (Director of the Foreign Affairs Department for Japanese-occupied Hong Kong) ,

On the following day, August 31, as promised, I went to the flagship anchored in the harbor, accompanied by several dozen staff officers, including the Chief of Staff. In just one day, the atmosphere in the harbor had completely transformed. The Rising Sun flag had been lowered, replaced by the Union Jack, and the harbor was filled with majestic warships and transport ships of various sizes. The meeting room on the flagship was filled with a tense atmosphere as Lieutenant General Harcourt took the floor first. He sternly issued orders regarding the occupation of the Hong Kong region, disarmament of the Japanese military, and detention of Japanese troops and civilians. It was truly a situation of victors and vanquished. In hindsight, we had been too naive. We had prepared various conditions for negotiation and hope, but there was no room for such discussions.

<sub>Sources :
1. "At the going down of the sun : Hong Kong and South-East Asia, 1941-1945" by Lindsay, Oliver
2. Keiji Makimura's memories of the Japanese surrender</sub>