Welcome to Hong Kong War Diary - a project that documents the 1941 defence of Hong Kong, the defenders, their families, and the fates of all until liberation.
This page is updated monthly with a record of research and related activities. Pages on the left cover the books that have spun off from this project, and a listing of each and every member of the Garrison. Comments, questions, and information are always welcome. Tony Banham, Hong Kong: tony@hongkongwardiary.com
Image:
January Images
BAAG Radio operators (via Elizabeth Ride), Leo Borisoff (second from left, courtesy Robert Sterling), George Moss' wedding (courtesy Peter Moss)
Pointie Talkie (via Elizabeth Ride), Jensen Bowl (courtesy Toby Brown), Obelisk Hill shelter (courtesy Philip Cracknell)
Progaganda leaflet (via Elizabeth Ride), Albert Jackson (via Ron Taylor), Researching FEPOW Conference (courtesy Meg Parkes)
January News
When I leafed quickly through my brand new copy of Patricia Lim’s excellent Forgotten Souls: A social History of the Hong Kong Cemetery, I realised how lucky we are these days. Twenty years ago there were no works of the quality of this or the new Hong Kong Dictionary of Biography, but now it seems that monthly we are blessed with new examples of these amazingly well-researched and authoritative volumes. Anyone arriving in Hong Kong for the first time today would probably assume that our local history had always been so richly supported, but the fact is that this is a recent phenomenon, and Hong Kong University Press should be credited for encouraging and driving this renaissance in Hong Kong studies.
30 Thomas King’s (HKVDC) son got in touch (he is also nephew of James King, HKVDC). He has a Christmas 1942 POW Camp menu in his possession which contains a number of signatures and numbers. One example (John Booth, Winnipeg Grenadiers, 4665) matches the number on my ‘smuggled list’ of Shamshuipo POWs. This is the first confirmation I have had that these are the official Camp POW numbers. 30 Bob Tatz kindly sent a letter with the exact wording of the Japanese Ambassador to Canada’s apologies to the Canadian ex-POWs: “As Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary representing Japan, I would like to state a heartfelt apology for our country having caused tremendous damage and pain to Canadian former POWs including you, who have undergone tragic experiences in the camps both in Japan and Hong Kong.” 30 Picked up my copy of Patricia Lim’s “Forgotten Souls” today. Looks very good.
29George Gardiner’s (Royal Scots, Lisbon Maru) great nephew got in touch.
27 Archie Hart notes that his father James Hart, Hong Kong veteran of the RASC (bayoneted and left for dead at Eucliffe) is 96 today. 27 Ron Taylor (UK) kindly sent a photo of Albert Jackson, Middlesex, who was lost on the Lisbon Maru.
25 Carol Hadley of the HKVCA kindly conveyed the sad news that Grant Shepherd, RN, a Lisbon Maru survivor who migrated to Canada after the war, passed away on the 23rd. I corresponded with Grant for many years (using real letters!) and always enjoyed receiving his notes. My favourite single quote from all those letters: “I don’t think I told you anything about our two daughters. Moira is the elder and was born in Winnipeg in 1953. She and her husband have a son and daughter in that order. Their home has been in Regina since 1982, and both children are in their twenties. Linda is the younger daughter and she too was born in Winnipeg, in 1960. She and her husband have one son who just turned eleven years of age, they live and work in Winnipeg. We are proud of them all – but don’t tell them that every day. Honestly though, we have much to be thankful for.” 25 Philip Cracknell kindly sent some photos of the shelters on Obelisk Hill which were used by D Company, Royal Rifles. 25 On the Stanley Group, Brian Edgar brought up the interesting question of Commander Faure who was one-time editor of the Hong Kong News. He notes: “C. M. Faure – the former editor of the Japanese-run Hong Kong News, who had used his position to signal as much of the truth about the course of the war as he could – had been arrested on February 18 and was in the Happy Valley station when Grayburn was brought in. He testified that Sir Vandeleur was detained in a dirty ‘cage': you had to crawl on all fours to get into it, there were sacks on the floor – presumably as bedding - and each prisoner was given just one bowl and one blanket. There were ten people to a cell, and the stench was so bad the warders had to hold handkerchiefs to their noses when they entered. There was not enough light to catch the lice that infested every individual. Washing facilities were always inadequate and at times there was no water at all. The food provided was so scanty that Faure estimated he lost half a pound in weight every day.”
24 Had a great walk with Brian Finch and his daughter Cathy, together with our two sons and their friends. It was a very cold, gray day, and we were well into the clouds as we stomped round The Peak in an atmosphere of dripping vegetation and tendrils of mist. Brian is a post-war member of the Middlesex Regiment and is doing what he can to memorialise the Lisbon Maru and the efforts of the Chinese population of Zhoushan to save the British POWs who were on board when it was torpedoed. 24 Rob Widders notes that his new book on Irish FEPOWS has been published.
23 Roy Rooker’s (Middlesex, Lisbon Maru) step-niece got in touch. I had already been contacted by Rooker’s grandson so am trying to put the two sides of the family back in touch.
21 Dennis Morley of the Royal Scots and Lisbon Maru sent me a photo of the latest visit – last week – from Keiko Holmes. 21 Brian Finch reports meeting a ‘new’ survivor of the Lisbon Maru: Reginald Smith of the Middlesex Regiment.
20 Gordon Andreassend kindly sent me the biggest surprise of the year (so far – early days yet!) – Surveying & Built Environment, Volume 21, Issue 2, December 2011. Published by the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, this special issue celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Hong Kong with a number of excellent and thorough studies of the architectural remains visible today. It’s by far the most professional collection of such studies I ever expect to see. Funny, though, to see such good work and not be able to contribute to it! Reading it at home over the Lunar New Year holidays I found myself mumbling things like, ‘but that was Private William Wyllie, who was lost on the Lisbon Maru!’ much to the amusement of various kids, wives, pet rabbits, etc. 20 Harold Bidwell’s (Stanley Internee) family got in touch. Interesting, when checking the old newspapers, to see Bidwell described (in The Hong Kong Sunday Herald of March 16, 1941) as the: “Finest Attacking Player HK Rugby has Ever Known”.
19Carlyle Savage’s (Royal Rifles of Canada) granddaughter got in contact.
18A gentleman contacted me today noting that: “recently I discovered a ww2 bible with a soldier’s number on the stamped on the pages. After doing some searching on the net, I found your website about the Lisbon Maru and the photo of Sidney Charles who it belonged to. I was wondering if you had any contact with family members of Sidney Charles, as I would like to know if they would like the bible returned to the family.” I was in touch with Sydney Charles’ family when I wrote the Lisbon Maru book, but their email address no longer functions. If they would like to make contact again, then I would be happy to connect them with the custodian of the bible. 18 Annemarie Evans kindly sent a few CDs with her photos of the Stanley Reunion group, and copies of her recent Hong Kong Heritage programs with them. 18 Leandre LeBlanc’s (Royal Rifles) family made contact. As in the case of Raymond Parker below, my response went unanswered. Remember, folks, to set your spam filters wisely!
16 Kenneth Ho Mang Hung’s (HKVDC Field Ambulance) daughter-in-law got in touch. She notes that: “grandmother Ruby, otherwise known as Wong So Wan or Mrs Ho still lives in Hong Kong, she was an English literature student at HKU which is how she & Kenneth met.” 16 Ron Taylor (UK) was kind enough to put me in touch with the family of Raymond Parker (Middlesex, Lisbon Maru).
13Tom Dempster sent me a photo of the visit he had from Elizabeth McDonald, whose family he was with when the Japanese invaded. They hadn’t met for fifty or sixty years, and were reunited by this site. 13 Bought a copy of Next magazine today. It included a very positive article about research done recently on the B25 Bold Venture which was shot down during the war in the Castle Peak area. I was also very pleased to learn of a presentation by the American Air Attache in Hong Kong to the family of the pilot, Robert Jensen. Jensen – true to the best USAAF tradition - remained at the controls of the crippled aircraft long enough for his crew to jump, but died himself in the ensuing crash.
12 Tim Luard had his Admiral Chan Chak book launch at Kelly & Walsh. 12 Peter Moss was kind enough to send a large number of documents relating to his father, George Moss HKPF, in Stanley. These included several which are very useful to my current research into the 1940 evacuation of women and children from Hong Kong to Australia – one example being the wedding photo of George and his wife Kathleen (Tonge). No prize for recognising the site as St Andrew’s Church in Kowloon, little changed today. I was also able to find their wedding announcement in the China Mail of 9 February 1940.
10I’m glad to be back in touch with Gordon Vyner (son of Vyner Gordon of the HKVDC and Royal Scots). Gordon has been kind enough to send me a number of his father’s letters from the war years. One part of that dated Nov 28, 1941 might be of general interest: “Last night the members of the HK Club threw a cocktail party for the Canadian Officers which seemed quite a good idea, but turned out to be an awful scrum, you could hardly move. They all seemed a very decent bunch and I have undertaken to try and fix some tennis for them.” 10 Michael Martin asks an interesting question: Did the Hong Kong Chinese Regiment have its own cap badge? Military units value such things, but the regiment was only just recruiting when the war started.
9Meg Parkes notes that the next Researching FEPOW History Group conference will be Saturday 8 – Sunday 9 September 2012 at a new venue.
8 Bob Tatz notes: “Through my godmother who was in Stanley, Mrs. Olga (O.E.) Robinson, I got to know Mrs. Hellevich (Norwegian), who had a son about my age or a little older, also in Stanley Camp. My godmother kept in touch with Mrs. Hellevich in Bergen for quite a few years after the war. After Stanley Camp they were repatriated to Norway, but on the ship on the way home, apparently her son succumbed and died from severe hypoglycaemia on board the ship. His diabetes apparently wasn’t a problem in camp, but because he was separated from his mother due to his age on the troopship, she was unable to monitor his condition closely and he apparently had overdosed himself with candy and chocolate.” This was presumably Norman Hellewik, recorded as Dutch in the Stanley Camp records.
6 Today I went to Hong Kong University to pick up a number of items that Elizabeth Ride had lent for the BAAG exhibition (see November news). These included a number of Japanese propaganda leaflets, old currency, superbly detailed pen and ink sketches of BAAG life, and some very Q-like spy equipment. Amongst the latter were secret compasses (in the bottom of cigarette lighters, and hidden in cuff links), and a genuine pen gun (illustrated). Elizabeth notes: “You can read about the invention of the gun and stud by Clayton Hutton in his book ‘Official Secret’ published by Max Parrish and Co Ltd, London 1960.“ I bought a copy of the book for just three pounds on the good old Interweb, and am finding it fascinating! 6 Thanks to the Stanley Group I am now in touch with the family of Vitaly Veriga of the HK Police who was interned in Stanley (and whose wife Antonia was evacuated in 1940). 6 Finally got round to buying a copy of: 'My China Eye: Memoirs of Jew and a Journalist' by Israel Epstein today.
5We may have an answer, thanks to Craig Mitchell, to the ‘RRC 23’ question raised last month. Apparently: “The tag could be used for any reason, for example; 1: A soldier goes on leave. He hands in all of his kit, in his kit bag, and gets one of these numbered tags to hold and another tag (with the same number) attached to his kit bag. 2: In the pre-war army, rifles were held in the armory on base. One of these tags would be attached to the rifle and the other tag was held by the soldier. This ensured that the solider always received the same rifle, one which was the proper butt-stock length and which was sighted-in to his vision. Other examples exist but I think that this gives you the idea. I believe that this is a pre-war habit which was brought to Hong Kong with them (the initial idea was to garrison the island as the Japanese were not yet in the war) but those units that went to England did not follow this procedure.” 5 Bill Stoker, son of the Bill Stoker who was evacuated aged four and a half in 1940 (who himself was son of Bill Stoker of the HKVDC – who went on to become MD of the HK Electric Company), kindly put me in touch with the Moss family. George Moss (HKPF, Stanley Camp) was the middle Bill’s uncle.
4 David Bellis mentioned (on the Stanley Group) a copy of the 29 Dec 1941 Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reports "Ceremonial entry into Hong Kong by Imperial Japanese Army and Navy" on his site. It included a photo of captive children that could really only have been taken at North Point at such an early date. I asked Dee Dee Bak, who was captured in that area soon after the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong. She noted: “Not sure about the kids in the photo but the 3rd from the right looks like Julie Bonner whose Dad was I think a Tug Capt. from Taikoo Docks and killed. Mother later married Capt. Worrall and may also have been a tug capt. from Taikoo. The one next to her could be Mavis Thirwell also a Taikoo child. She certainly looks like Mavis. The child on the right sitting next to the standing teen looks like Delores, younger sister of Julie. Their mother was I believe from Peru. Did not know them at North Point but Delores became my best friend in camp.” 4 Looking at my collection of various photos taken by the Japanese in Stanley in 1942, I suddenly realised that I could match the fence behind the well-known one of some children with the fence behind a larger group. Don Ady (who was there as an American child) confirmed: “Tony is quite correct - that is the same fence, and I know it to be shots of some of the minority Americans. Both shots show the fence in the ‘back yard’ behind the ‘American’ buildings. That area is now for parking. These are shots taken by a Japanese photographer. There was a wrought iron fence set on a low concrete/stone wall on the side of Tytam Bay and wrapped around on the far end. In those days I didn't know the name of the bay or even the appellation of the ‘Married Quarters’ just across the road going in the more Westward direction of the prison.”
1 On the FEPOW community, this link appeared to a RAPWI story (starting on around page 36). 1 Bob Tatz visited Hong Kong in December. Today he sent me an email describing a walk through Wong Nai Chung Gap, and Coombe Road where (as a boy) he was rescued by Winnipeg Grenadiers during the fighting, noting: “I made an effort to identify where the Canadian soldiers took us off the road and went through the scrub down a valley and then up the other side to avoid some fighting taking place, I think Magazine Gap or somewhere nearby. I wasn't able to be sure where it was as the area has been so developed. Even #11 Coombe Road has totally changed from what it used to be, a single bungalow. I believe Roger Sewell lost one of his shoes when we fled #11 Coombe Road, and I vividly remember how some of the soldiers piggy-backed us through the scrub on top of all their battle gear they were carrying, in the dark cold early morning of 2 a.m. We could hear gun fire and see flames in the distance but don't know the exact location. The soldiers very probably saved our lives!”
January 1st, 2012 Update
Image:
December Images
Exhibition (courtesy Museum of Coastal Defence), Robert Bell (courtesy Bob Bell), Bungalow A Exhibits (author) Doery & Banham (courtesy Tim Ko), Stanley Internees at PB1 (courtesy Don Ady), Tim Ko & Banham at Jardine's Lookout (courtesy Geoff Emerson) A.L. Fisher (courtesy Louis Fisher), Five generations of Harts (courtesy Archie Hart), Elizabeth Ride signing (courtesy Hong Kong Heritage Project)
December News
The 70th anniversary of the battle dominated the month, but not only in terms of
memorials and lectures. As witness
of the ferocity of the fighting three score years and ten ago, no fewer than
seven grenades (British and Japanese), two mortar bombs, and a small cache of
live ammunition were dealt with by EOD in a month that saw part of the Wilson
Trail and Stanley Beach put off-limits until the demolitions were complete. A
timely reminder of the inherent dangers of old battlefields; any suspicious
object found should always immediately be reported to the police.
31 Ronald Hardington's (RA, Lisbon Maru) family got in touch.
29 Dave Deptford notes for sale in the current British Medals Forum website: "MBE Group 10 to F W Mitchell RN... Perhaps unique due to inclusion of the Delhi Durbar Medal... Reported to have been a Lt on Boom Defence Duties in HK, captured and eventually retired as Lt Crd. Asking price GBP1775."
28 David Bond, an ex Clearance Diver in Hong Kong and now specialising in maritime artefacts, notes of two he has sold on, one being the ship's badge of MTB08 and the other being one of the original solid brass badges from the gates of HMS Tamar. The MTB08 badge came with a note saying how [Lewis] Bush brought to to Japan and gave it to the cox, W Mitchell.
27 Kenneth
Gordon-James' (RA, Lisbon Maru) son got in touch.
26 Braved the
cold weather (yesterday was the coldest Christmas in Hong Kong since 1984) to
walk over to Quarry Bay via Jardine's Lookout and Mount Butler. Walking down
Mount Parker Road, I was reminded of Mycock's account of walking up it from
Woodside - surrounded by debris and bodies - seventy years ago.
Mycock was in charge of the refugee camp there, which is best remembered now
for the huge concrete outside cooking facilities.
23 The Hong
Kong Museum of Coastal Defence today began its new exhibition on the role of
Canadians in the 1941 defence of Hong Kong.
23 David Bellis
from Gwulo is testing adding R.E. Jones' (Stanley Platoon) diary to the site
day-by-day from exactly seventy years ago.
23 Martin Heyes sent this obituary of one of
the crew of the destroyer Kempenfelt, which came into Hong Kong with Harcourt's
liberation fleet.
22 Through Ted Terry (son of Capt. Edward L. Terry,
paymaster, Winnipeg Grenadiers, who died in POW camp in Hong Kong in Nov. 1942)
I am helping the family of the widow of Wilson Crabbe, HKRNVR, learn more about
Crabbe (her first husband) who died of diphtheria shortly after the sinking of
the Lisbon Maru. Ted Terry reminded me that his father's diary is now available
on the HKVCA website here.
21 Michael Hurst
notes that that the latest "Never
Forgotten" newsletter is now up on his website. To read it, click on the Fall/Winter 2011 Newsletter in the Newsletters section of the Society page, or click this link.
20 Albert
Fisher's (Royal Navy, Lisbon Maru) nephew got in touch, sending a coloured
image of him taken in Hong Kong in 1941. Family lore has it that Fisher was one
of the men with diphtheria, who was lying on deck with the other sick when the
torpedo struck. He did not survive.
18 No fewer
than 63 people (and the usual dog) turned up for today's walk with the Hong
Kong Club at Stanley. Despite the large crowd it worked well, one of the
members kindly letting us use his beachside garden as a speaking venue!We wondered if they might have the
foundations of PB28 abutting their garden, but further research - thanks to Rob
Weir - showed that this stonework slightly too far north. We visited the grave
of Dennis Clarke's older brother Anthony (who died in Stanley aged just two
weeks in 1942), and ended at Bungalow A.
18 Ferdinand
Lapsley's (HKVDC) grandson got in touch.
18 Tim Luard
has had some amazing publicity for his new book on Chan Chak and the Xmas Day
1941 MTB escape, including this article in The Telegraph. A half-hour radio
documentary about the 1941 escape by Chan Chak and the MTBs, written and
presented by Tim Luard, was broadcast on RTHK3 on Christmas Day. He will also
be in Hong Kong from January 5 - 20 to launch the book: Escape from Hong Kong: Admiral Chan Chak's Christmas Day Dash, 1941. With
him will be various descendants of members of the escape party, including his
wife, Alison McEwan - daughter of SOE agent Colin McEwan; Sheena
Recaldin, daughter of Information Chief (and later Colonial Secretary)
David MacDougall; and Warwick Ross, son of Ted Ross of the Ministry of
Information, MacDougall's assistant. Tim
is due to give a series of illustrated talks during his stay in Hong
Kong:
Jan 6: RAS, 6.45 (Harold Smythe room, St John's Cathedral)
Jan 9: FCC lunch, 12.45
Jan 11: RHKYC dinner, 1900
Jan 15: The Mueum of Coastal Defence, 1500
(free).
He will also be signing
copies of his book on Saturday, Jan 14, 12.00 - 1.30, at the
Maritime Museum in Stanley, which is planning a photographic exhibition about
the MTBs and the escape.
17 Today I
joined an Education Seminar at Bungalow B. Aside from an introduction about the
fighting in Stanley and around the school, I spoke largely about Bungalow A's
45 wartime internees (luckily Barbara Anslow had reminded me that the Hamson
and Woods families there were documented in 'Prisoners of the East' by Allana Corbin). Four
of the Bungalow's wartime compliment are still with us: Leilah Wood lives in
Saskatchewan, and runs a tiny farm on her own. Isabella Wood lives in New
Milton. Dennis Clarke (retired manager of the Conrad Hotel in Hong Kong) lives
in Macau, and his sister Gardenia lives in the US. Dennis kindly came in from
Macau to join us. I also had some photos of three more inhabitants, the
Danbrowskis, sent by the family.
17 Pam Bradley (see October) kindly sent some
photos of her father Fred Ambrose HKRNVR.
15 Robert
Bell's (Royal Scots, Lisbon Maru) son got in touch sending a number of
interesting photos. His father was liberated via Sri Lanka. He notes: "Following his
liberation he returned to Edinburgh, but found civilian life and the austerity
of post-war Britain a little too dull. By 1946 he was in Berlin working for the
Control Commission Germany, and assigned to an organization called PRISC
(Public Relations Information Services Control). It was in Berlin that he met
his future wife, who was also working for the Control Commission. He left the
Control Commission in 1948 to work for Press Wireless (an American news
agency), then moved to Frankfurt as the organization's manager for
Germany. In 1954 he relocated to Bonn, and after Press Wireless was taken
over by ITT, he remained in Germany until 1971 as the European Press Manager
for ITT. Returning to the UK, Bertie and my mother lived in London where
he worked for Cable and Wireless until his retirement in 1980. He died in 1989,
age 73, as the result of a stroke."
15 Today was
the official opening of the St Stephen's Heritage Gallery at Bungalow A.
15 Elizabeth
Ride kindly sent me John Pearce's 25-page Conditions In Occupied Hong Kong.
Compiled in March 1945, it was commissioned by MacDougall to aid in planning
for the recovery of Hong Kong.
15 Phillip
Healy notes: "My reason for writing is to ask if you have read 'Stolen Childhoods' by
Nicola Tyrer, published a few months ago (Weidenfeld & Nicolson). This is
about children who grew up in Japanese internment camps. One of the accounts
she particularly features is by Bill Macauley, who was a teenager in Stanley
Camp and was separated from his parents for the whole of his internment." Ha
added that Macauley's father worked for the Chinese Marine Customs in Canton
and Macauley was a border at the Diocesan Boys School in Kowloon. In Stanley he
was looked after by the school matron and the Dean of HK Cathedral, Aleric
Rose. I haven't read that book. I'll look out for it.
14 Elizabeth
Ride notes: "By the way, my father's
handwriting leapt out at me in your November newsletter - the note in his usual
green ink on the Sutton cutting."
13 Archie Hart
sent me a recent photo of James Hart, RASC (he was Lt Col Fredericks' driver.
Fredericks lived at Overbays). Despite being bayoneted seven times at Eucliffe,
just south of Overbays, James is pictured together with four generations of
male descendants - none of whom would have been around, had the Japanese
thrusted harder, or Hart's Sam Brown belt been any softer.
13 Don Ady
kindly sent me some of the photos he took on our walk around Wong Nai Chung
Gap.
10 Thomas
Monaghan's (HKVDC, BAAG) nephew got in touch. I was emailed by Monaghan's
grandson some time ago, and it's good to be back in touch with the family.
9 Eric Baynes'
(HKVDC) son got in touch. I was able to send him a newspaper article about his
parents' wedding in Hong Kong, published on 8 August 1940.
9 Barbara
Anslow sent the Stanley Group her sister Mabel's copies of the famous propaganda
leaflets dropped by the Japanese on Hong Kong seventy years ago. "Elephant is
employed by you", starts one, aimed at the Indian Army, "and Englishman employs
you. Elephant is given food by you and you are given whip by Englishman.
Elephant obeys you and you are at the mercy of Englishman." It's like the Act
Of Union (1707) never happened!
9 Ron Taylor
(HK) gave a well-attended presentation today at the Volunteers Club House, Happy Valley, on The Fall of Hong Kong 1941
and the Role of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps.
8 Monique
Westmore - daughter of Armand Delcourt, HKVDC, who was bayoneted at The Ridge
and killed in the Eucliffe massacre - made it to the front page of the South
China Morning Post today, pictured standing next to the Free French Memorial at
Stanley Cemetery.
8 Japan, on the
70th anniversary of the invasion of Hong Kong, today apologised to
the Canadians taken prisoner at the surrender. There was overwhelming coverage
in the Canadian press, exemplified by this article.
8 Henry Ching
has released a second batch of his 'Occasional Papers' for the Hong Kong
Volunteer and Ex-POW Association of NSW. These cover Casualties to units of the Corps, Volunteer Families (whether resident
in Hong Kong or living overseas at the time of the battle) and their anxious
wait for news of their menfolk, and those members of the Association who took
part in the defence of the Colony, and the units to which they belonged -
mostly in the HKVDC. James
Hayes notes: "I am glad to report that, following the first batch of
OPs, Henry and I have received several letters of appreciation from members,
showing that people are taking a keen interest in the series.Some have provided valuable
information, such as the letter written in 1943 to the Penn family in Canada
from Benny Proulx which features in Paper Number 5.Landon Burch, whose name appears in Paper Number 4, has
forwarded rare copies of the Volunteer Yearbooks for 1934-35 and 1938, which
present a vivid picture of the Corps in the years before the War. Others have
asked whether the Papers will be placed on our website. They will! The series
will focus more on the background than on the fighting. The latter has received
attention world-wide, whereas details of the former are in danger of being lost
or forgotten.We aim to put this
right in succeeding Papers. Already, Henry has at least ten on varied subjects
in preparation, and more can be expected."
8 Elizabeth
Ride today signed off for storage by Sir Michael Kadoorie's Hong
Kong Heritage Project: 13 boxes of her "Sir Lindsay Ride BAAG Files", one box
of original archival materials (badges, photo albums and DVD discs), and two
printouts. These were collected and brought back to the HKHP office for
preservation.
6 Brian Edgar
sent the Stanley Group a link to: "Some correspondence between Ronald Sleap in Camp 'N'
and Pam and Mona Turnbull in Stanley. Still moving after all these years."
5 Had a very
pleasant drink with Dr Colin Day at the FCC this evening. Colin was the then
publisher at HKUP who gave me my first break in the world of history by taking
Not The Slightest Chance seriously. I was enjoying the conversation so much
that, not for the first time, I really didn't thank him profusely enough.
5 Stuart Braga
very kindly sent me a copy of Admiral Fraser's War Diary. (Fraser was
responsible for sending naval Task Groups 111.2 and 111.4 to effect the
liberation of Hong Kong in 1945).
5 Bill Lake
sent me this link to Bill Chong's (BAAG) interview.
4 Interesting
finds north of Stanley today included what appears to be the remains of a field
telephone, together with number '23' of something to do with the Royal Rifles
of Canada (illustrated)! Can anyone identify this label?
4 In the
evening my wife and I had dinner at the Country Club with three of the Ho Tung
granddaughters, including Valerie, Elizabeth Doery (author of Golden Peaches,
Long Life), and the current owner of Ho Tung Gardens. It was fascinating, and
they could not have been more pleasant.
4 My sons and I attended the Canadian Memorial Service at Sai Wan this morning. Lovely weather, as always. Three Canadian veterans attended (Ken Pifher, Gerry Gerard, and George Peterson), as did the Stanley reunion folks. One of the latter, Don Ady, recounted afterwards: "There, it
was a pleasure to talk to some of the Canadian vets, who, tough as
leather, had survived a Hell and Back experience. One of them in Japan
had dropped to 95 pounds before then gaining weight by the swelling of wet
beriberi. I commiserated with him that he'd not the time in three weeks
at Hong Kong to find a helpful local girl friend. No need, he'd
one in Canada who had waited for him through the whole war. The other
chap at my table recounted his one experience of a bite of fruit during
internment. With the guard looking the other way, he'd snatched a bit of
orange peel nearby on the ground, then popped it in his mouth to swallow
surreptitiously. When told of the Stanley tiger, they intimated they
would have eaten the tiger, not the other way around."
3 Returned from
a business trip to San Diego just in time to meet up with the Stanley Camp 70th
Anniversary Reunion group. Organised by Geoffrey Emerson (author of Hong Kong
Internment, 1942-1945: Life in the Japanese Civilian Camp at Stanley). Together
with Tim Ko, I took them for a walk round the Wong Nai Chung Gap Trail. The internee
attendees were Don Ady from the USA who was 9 years old in Camp. Victor Cross
from Australia who was 2 when interned in Camp with his mother. George
Cautherley who was born in Camp in 1942. Laura Ziegler Darnell from the USA who
was a child in Camp. Daphne Sewell Erasmus from New Zealand who was a child in
Camp. Richard Gunning from the UK who was born in Camp in 1941. Conner Hackett
from Australia who was born in Camp in 1942. Brooke Himsworth from the UK who
was born in Camp in 1943. Barbara Hume Laidlaw from Australia who was born in
Camp in 1942, and Alan Weir from the UK who was born in Camp in1944. It was
very frustrating for me as I knew several of these people via email, but had so
little time to meet them in person. Other attendees
included Monique Westmore from Australia whose HKVDC father was killed at
Eucliffe, Elizabeth Doery from Australia (whose Mother Jean Gittins was in
Camp, while Elizabeth was in Australia), Franklin Gimson's daughter, and Kirsty
Norman. Tim Ko made an insightful comment about Kirsty Norman's father: "(He arrived in HK and
joined the Prison Service just before the outbreak of the war) rose to become
the Commissioner of Prison Services in the 1950s until his retirement in
1967 or 68. He knew life in a prison/internment camp so well that he
made a lot of proposals and improvements for the prison during his time as
the commissioner."
1 Brian Edgar notes that he
has an annotated copy of Gwen Priestwood's book Through Japanese Barbed Wire. "On one of the blank pages at the front, the Mystery Annotator has provided a
'key':
Harold: A. J. Moss
Lucy Skinner: Elsie
Cholmondely
Grace Brown: Elma Kelly
Bathurst: Thompson." I
think all interested parties knew who Bathurst was, but the other three are
less obvious.
1 Gordon
Fairclough sent me some of his correspondence with the creators of the made for
controversy 'mocumentary' The Valour and The Horror. It's good to see that some
people made a stand for the truth. Gordon and Mr John Pearce are the only two
Shamshuipo POW Camp escapees I know who to be still around.
1 Barbara
Anslow kicked off the 70th anniversary month with this article from
the Telegraph of 30 November 1940:
'ALLIED FORCES READY TO HIT
JAPAN HARD
Opinion in Chungking, seat
of the Chinese Government, on the pessimistic reports from Washington on the
Japanese-American negotiations is divided. On the one hand, there is real
hope among many Chinese authorities that a much-feared Far Eastern Munich may be
averted.On the other hand, there is continued reserve among more sceptical
observers, who think the present 'near-breakdown' reports may be merely a final
attempt to extract maximum concessions from Tokyo.
Whether the Japanese are
yet fully prepared to invade Thailand from southern Indo-China is not
known.
CUTTING OFF SUPPLIES.
There are certain facts
about the Far Eastern situation, however, that are perfectly clear.
1. The American,
British and Dutch forces in the China Sea area today are sufficiently imposing
to deal Japan very heavy blows and compel her to risk disaster if she attempts
any further expansion southward.
2. American, British
and Dutch bombers, operating on a co-ordinated schedule, could cut off most of
the supplies of reinforcements from Hainan, Canton or Formosa which are vital
for Japanese forces in Indo-China.
3. American, British
and Dutch submarines are already 'poised' to make a cross-thrust at all the sea
lanes by which Japanese ships must reach Indo-Chinese ports.
4. American, British
and Dutch plans for joint steps to protect the Burma Road from attack are
already advanced.
5. Finally, it is
increasingly possible for the British to move from the Malayan peninsula to
give aid to Thailand if she is invaded.
These factors combined
must, it would appear, give Tokyo considerable pause before embarking upon any
new southern adventure.'
December 1st, 2011 Update
Image:
November Images
PB33a (courtesy Philip Cracknell), Perras's article, Hamilton plaque (both courtesy Richard Phillips) Japanese canteen, Flash hider (both courtesy Craig Mitchell), HMS Tamar (courtesy William Gould) Walker's POW Card (courtesy Richard Jones), Victory Parade orders (courtesy Michael Lawes), Bell's DR order (author)
November News
December is upon us – always the busiest time in Hong Kong for anyone interested in the wartime period, and this year – the 70th anniversary – is of course no exception. Amongst other activities we have Emma Oxford (daughter of Christmas Day escapee Max Oxford) talking at the Museum of Coastal defence on December 3 at 15.00 on the topic: 'Picking up the Pieces: Hong Kong rebuilds after World War II'. A couple of days earlier, the Stanley Internment Camp Reunion begins, and on the 4th most of us will be present at the annual Canadian Memorial Service at Sai Wan (for anyone still waiting for me to send photos of Sai Wan graves, I will take them then). On the 17th, St Stephen’s College Stanley is having its Educational Seminar, following the opening of the Heritage Gallery (Bungalow A). Lastly, alongside the HERO exhibition that is still running (till the end of next June) at the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, we now have an exhibition of British Army Aid Group Drawings from14 November to 18 December 2011 at The University of Hong Kong Main Library Entrance Foyer (the display includes twenty-two drawings which contain exhaustive and detailed information on the buildings, its surroundings and geographical locations in both Hong Kong and Kowloon. Other exhibits include Japanese military money, M19/SOE Escape devices, Surrender leaflets and Wartime certificates of BAAG members).
29 Cyril Champkin's (HKSRA) grandson got in touch. 29 Martin Heyes sent this interesting link to an article written by a man he met recently in Hong Kong.
28 Graham Woolgar sent a very interesting copy of a letter from the second officer of the SS Ethel Moller, describing how his vessel and her sister ships were scuttled in the harbour on December 12.
26 Richard Phillips kindly sent me an article from Vol. 11 No. 4 Autumn 2011 Canadian Military Journal. Called “Defeat Still Cries Aloud for Explanation: Explaining C Force’s Dispatch to Hong Kong”, by Galen Perras, PhD, it is something of a meta history of the topic, and correctly points out that a proper study of this question has yet to be published. Well worth a look. 26 Maureen Slack sent a copy of a letter she had written to the National Memorial Arboretum, suggesting a Lisbon Maru memorial. They note in reply that their role is only to house such memorials, and someone else needs to sponsor their construction and long-term care.
24 About a dozen live rounds of .303 were found today between Bungalows 3 and 4 at St Stephen’s College Stanley. Such finds are hardly surprising, bearing in mind the ferocity of the fighting there. The EOD disposed of the ammunition. 24 Had lunch today with Robert Wilson who is researching John Lander (see 5 below). He gave me just enough information for me to track down Lander’s son, who turns out to be a fascinating character in his own right.
22 Barbara Anslow, as usual, sent the Stanley Group a very thought-provoking Christmas email. This one was based on her sister’s (Mabel’s) account of the invasion. It is too long to include here verbatim, but this excerpt – and its telling description of how war disrupts life – is worth retelling. This was December 8 after Mabel had walked to work as transport was not available: “When it came time to go home, with the bombing that had been going on I was wondering what to do with no buses running, as didn’t fancy walking through Wanchai on my own. Virginia [Beaumont] suggested I went to the International Club in Central with her as she lodged there with other unattached females, so I marched off with her, although I had no overnight kit with me and never did get back to our flat.”
21 Today I took Gillian Chan and her husband for a walk around the Wong Nai Chung Gap Trail. Gillian is planning a book about the battle for school children in Canada. 21 Barry Alexander wants to know if Sergeant Sidney Gordon Dark (Royal Marines), who remained in HK during his captivity was the same Sidney Gordon Dark who - with his wife Mary Augusta Dark - served in HK from the late 40s as a civil servant. He notes: “They seem to have returned to the UK at around five yearly intervals on leave only to return the HK for further service.” 21 Glenn Simpson contacted me to discuss some aspects of war-gaming Hong Kong, including the role of Armoured Cars. Years ago I saw a badly photocopied article about Hong Kong’s Armoured Cars (“Leaping Lena” was one). Does anyone have a legible copy? I believe a post-war Volunteer wrote it. 21 Richard Jones made contact asking for a number of POW Index Cards to be translated. One was for Royal Scot Private Robert Walker. It was translated for us by a very helpful Japanese friend!
20 Took the Hong Kong Club walkers, and one dog, on the Violet Hill to Deep Water Bay walk (The Travelling Massacre). We were lucky with the weather, as the final descent to Repulse Bay is treacherous if wet. However, with 47 of us in total (plus hound), and most of the walk being along narrow paths, it was still a bit of a strain on the vocal chords! 20 I complained to Henry Ching (whose father is also included in the Dictionary of Biography) that Chinese names from the wartime period are a nightmare to decipher, as there often seem to be two versions. He noted: “There is a problem in particular with Chinese in Australia who ventured down under during the gold rush years. On arrival they were asked their names by the immigration officials. But if you ask a Chinese his name (meng) you will get his personal name. If you want his surname you must ask for his seng. The result is that the lists of Chinese who entered Australia in those days only show personal names in the format ‘Ah -----------‘. My grandfather, for example, whose home name was Shum Ah Ching (Shum being the surname), when asked for his name replied ‘Ah Ching’. He was so recorded.” 19 Philip Cracknell had an interesting canoe ride around Stanley today, looking for a cave described by boy internee Don Ady. In the meantime, he managed to take an admirably atmospheric shot of PB33a. At another stop, his comrades found a Japanese canteen lying on the surface where it had been abandoned seventy years ago. 19 Henry Ching notes that James M. Kim lived at the same premises as Leslie Fox of the HKDDC: 60 Nga Tsin Wai Road. Kim who was executed by the Japanese also lived there - his last message to his wife, scratched onto the wall of his cell at Stanley Gaol, gives this as her address, but 2nd floor. Henry notes: “I have also only just discovered that James Kim was in fact one of the 33 BAAG agents executed on 29th October, 1943. But he is in the BAAG records by the name of Yan Cheuk Ming.” 19 A note from Tim Luard that Escape from Hong Kong: Admiral Chan Chak’s Christmas Day Dash, 1941 is available for pre-order from HKUP or Amazon UK. He also notes: “I’ll be a guest on the Saturday morning travel programme, Excess Baggage, on BBC Radio 4 tomorrow at 10.00 GMT.” You can listen to it here. 19 Hong Kong Dictionary of Biography arrived. It’s an excellent first edition. Interestingly, Lander’s father (see 5) is one of the luminaries listed. 19 Richard Philips sent me a photo of the honour roll on the cenotaph in Haliburton, Ontario, Canada, on which the name of his Godmother’s brother-in-law (Elzie Henderson) appears.
18 Frank Porter’s (HMS Thanet) son got in touch, This is particularly interesting as Thanet left HK on December 8, shortly after the Japanese attack, Steaming to Singapore, she was then sunk in an engagement off Malaysia in January 1942. I have often wondered what became of the survivors.
17 The owner of Cecil Brydie’s (RN. Lisbon Maru) wartime medals got in touch. 17 Due to business travel I missed Ron Rakusen’s visit to Hong Kong. He notes: “One highlight of our visit was lunch at the HK Club with my ‘adopted’ mother – Phyllis Bliss. I have mentioned her to you before – her husband was killed in the fighting at Stanley – after the official surrender time! She escaped with her son Bryan to Free China and worked for the British Authorities there for the rest of the war. She will be 99 next June and is still very lively.” Phyllis shared a flat with Emily Hahn at the Helena May before the attack. 17 William Summers’ (HKPF) granddaughter got in touch via the Stanley Camp Group.
16 On the Stanley Camp Group, Barbara Anslow sent a very educational email: “In our room, as well as we 4 Redwoods, was an Hungarian lady Mrs. Kopeczky. Her husband was also in camp but they had not been able to find a billet together (probably they didn't arrive in Stanley at the same time), so he lived in the Indian Quarters at first; but after a couple of years they did get the opportunity of a joint billet I'm glad to say. Both became our dear friends. Mrs. K as we called her, had a tooth extracted in camp, without an anaesthetic; when we asked her how she could have borne it, she said 'I SCREAMED!'--- In 1946 when my mother returned to Hong Kong after repatriation, accommodation was very difficult to get; she couldn't live with my elder sister or me as we both had Govt accommodation. Mrs. and Mrs K came to the rescue, and welcomed my Mum to lodge with them in their flat, although she had to sleep on a camp bed. They eventually settled in Australia, and we always kept in touch. This was one of the good things to come out of the internment experience.” 16 William Gould’s (RN, Lisbon Maru) grandson got in touch, sending a great photograph of an April 1939 postcard of HMS Tamar (to which Gould was attached). 16 Elizabeth Ride asks: “about the name of the hill behind Whitfield Barracks, pre-war. Was it Whitfield Hill? The Chinese seemed to call it 'Mo Lo' (Indian).” Does anyone know? 16 Brian Edgar notes: “I've just posted a blog entry on Chester Bennett, the man selected by Gimson to return to Hong Kong to buy extra food for the Camp when the Japanese gave permission for just one internee to be sent. He then stayed behind, again at Gimson's request, when the other Americans were repatriated. It's fundamentally a one source article, which is always dangerous, so any corrections or additions would be welcome. I've also written about my parents marriage. It's rather speculative, but I do try to indicate what's fact and what's speculation. The facts of the matter are laid out in minute(!) detail [here].” 16 Stuart Braga has written an interesting article for the Casa de Macau, the Australian Macanese community organization, on the rescue of three American airmen, George W. Clarke, Don E. Mize and Charles Myers who had been part of a massive air raid on Hong Kong that lasted from 8.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on 15 January 1945.
15 Michael Lawes sent me a very interesting link to a site about HMS Wager. It seems that Wager did not come into Hong Kong with the relieving fleet – being in Tokyo for the surrender – but arrived shortly after. The web site includes the two-page orders for the surrender ceremony and march past in Hong Kong.
14 Received a very helpful email from Hong Kong evacuee Desmond Inglis. One of the most striking items was the description of coming home to Hong Kong in 1946 on the Duntroon: “which had served as a troop/hospital ship during the war and had some hasty repairs to convert it back to a passenger ship which resulted in a serious engine problem resulting in us calling at some interesting war time ports. Finchaven was obviously a military built supply port with a very substantial dock. We spent nearly a week there and the army laid on the jeeps to take the passengers sight seeing which turned out to be an eye opener of what happens (when a war ends) to most of the equipment. MTBs towed out to sea and set on fire as were the aircraft sitting in neat rows on the runways. A large hospital with all the beds neatly made and operating theaters with equipment all in place left for the jungle to take over. A trip to the beach where the troops had landed and not a tree standing for some 2 miles. Something a young teenager is not likely to forget. Morotai Island a much larger base at the Western tip of West PNG where the spare parts caught up with the ship so a much shorter stay. My most vivid memory - the execution ground where the war criminals were shot.”
13 Through the kindness of Ron Taylor (UK) I am now in touch with the son of the highly-respected Surgeon Lieutenant ‘Tony’ Jackson of Lisbon Maru and Osaka Stadium hospital (Ichioka) fame. They passed me his obituary from the British Medical Journal. His son was kind enough to send a very interesting email about his father, noting: “Before retirement he was not one to be looking back: I recall very many years ago he did go to a Lisbon Maru reunion – in Edinburgh, I think – as it coincided with a medical conference there. I remember him with a wry smile saying he had never seen so many ghosts in one place all at once! However once retired reflection and retrospection were more mellow he entered a bit more in the spirit of the thing and when invited by the very active Ex PoW network on the West Coast of the US, through a former teenage Marine who swore my father had saved his life (no, was the reply, you were just told to get better, and you had the character to do so!) and had kept faithful contact over the years, he very much enjoyed the reception and the esteem in which he was still held by these old men … who were still some ten years younger than he!” He continued: “In 1941 his mother had three of her four sons reported missing: one after losing his way in his Swordfish after loosening off his torpedo at the Bismark – prayed like hell, and lo and behold just as fuel was running out there in the grey north Atlantic was an empty lifeboat just floating about, ditched, and was picked up off Iceland after eight days – it was over a month before she found out he had survived, and he was already back on flying duty; in October HMS Glasgow blasted HMIS Prabhavati out of the water – my uncle Geoff was the engineer Sub Lt RINVR on board, and remains missing to this day; my father went missing in HK, and then later on the way to Japan, and then in Japan very little news got out … Not at all surprising those generations were none too keen to remind themselves of such painful times once past, but I guess all the more reason now to remind ourselves now that those times were indeed painful.” 13 Ronald Ross’ (HKVDC) grandson got in touch. Ross was married to Grace Raeburn Ross (nee Stratton), who was a nurse in the HKVDC.
11 Stuart Braga kindly sent me an article by Lieut. John Gibson, DSC, RNVR, called ‘Sweet Waters’, in ‘Blackwood’s Magazine’ of January 1946. In it he describes the entry of the fleet into Hong Kong harbour on 28 August 1945 and the days following.
9 Had a meeting with Elizabeth Ride, as we are trying to establish an appropriate home for the mass of documentation she has amassed on ‘Doc’ Ride and the BAAG. 9 My copy of Beyond The Call by Burke Penny has arrived. It’s the story of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals in Hong Kong in 1941, and looks very interesting. 9 Leslie Holmes’ (HKVDC) son got in touch. His sister helped me with details of her father for the Short History of 3 Coy. 9 Stephen Hume of The Vancouver Sun got in contact looking for connections between Vancouver and the fall of Hong Kong in 1941, specifically what happened to a nursing sister, Mrs. G. C. Fairburn, who at the University Relief Hospital in December of 1941.
8 Wayne Stebbe kindly sent a link recording the passing away of his father, Lawrence Stebbe of the Winnipeg Grenadiers, last month. Uniquely, they include two recordings made by POWs (include Stebbe) in Japan. I have the transcript of a third, but was unaware that any originals survived.
7 Emma Oxford confirmed she will be speaking at the HK Museum of Coastal defence on December 3 at 3pm on the topic: 'Picking up the Pieces: Hong Kong rebuilds after World War II'. The blurb reads: “Emma Oxford, author of a memoir of her parents, Wing Commander Max Oxford and his wartime bride, Audrey, talks about the rebuilding of Hong Kong after the Japanese occupation, and the role of the Christmas Day escapees and other survivors of the conflict. Friendships forged during the 1941 escape take on new significance in the postwar years: David MacDougall leads recovery and reform as the first postwar Colonial Secretary, Max Oxford returns to plan for the expansion of civil aviation, and their escape partner, Admiral Chan Chak, is now Mayor of Canton and a valued friend across the border. Emma Oxford discusses the challenges and opportunities facing Hong Kong as it recovers from the war and builds a prosperous future.”
5 Robert Wilson got in contact, seeking information on Olympic Gold Medallist (GB 1928) and fellow Colony rower, JGH Lander, who died in 1941 defending Hong Kong. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lander_(rower) ) Lander was in 1 Bty and was killed in the defence of the St Stephen’s Line in Stanley (his brother Peter had been killed in a Bristol Blenheim of 235 squadron Coastal Command just a month earlier). Robert notes: “The list of rowing captains of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club shows a J. Lander as captain from 1925 to 1931. There is also a record of the ‘great’ John Lander, the English Olympic champion, in the history of the Manila Boat Club and a farewell party for him in 1934 so it appears that JGH Lander went first to Manila and then to HK. If the Lander family was established in Asia it would make it more likely that J.G.H. Lander would find his way back to Manila and Hong Kong for employment, but were J. Lander and JGH Lander, in fact, related? His father could not have been the RHKYC rowing captain, so is the RHKYC record wrong? It's puzzling. Are the two Landers related only by coincidence, rowing and Hong Kong?” Robert then worked out that these two were in fact one and the same man. 5 Hong Kong escapee Gordon Fairclough notes: “There is an article in the Dec. 2011 Canadian Legion Magazine entitled ‘Surviving Hong Kong’ which details how the Canadian's got to be there in 1941, and how they fared.” The article can be found here. I have to say there are a number of points I wouldn’t agree with, but it’s not bad.
4 Barbara put an interesting newspaper clip about One Armed Sutton on the Stanley Group site. (Illustrated). 4 Martin Percival sent the Researching FEPOW History group the following link. It includes an interview with Lisbon Maru survivor Jack Hughieson of MTB 08.
3 Bob Tatz, back in Hong Kong retracing his boyhood years during the war, notes: “In going through some of my effects, I came across a pocket prayer book given to me at the time by a soldier. Inside the front cover written by hand is the following: J.P. Martin, 14411799 Pte., Signals, 2 Essex.” Martin doesn’t seem to have been here when hostilities started, but I thought I’d mention it in case anyone knew him.
2 T.K. sent me the Condon Report: “Major Reynolds Condon submitted the captioned report to US ARMY INTELLIGENCE on the British performance and his observations during the battle on 11 Aug 1942.” I had a quick scan, and it seems to be overwhelmingly negative. However, I note that the author only arrived in Hong Kong in October 1941, and therefore probably had little idea what was going on. 1 A gentleman is looking for information on Theodore Leslie Bell who he believes was killed in the 1941 fighting. The only problem is that he’s not on any of my lists of non-Chinese people in Hong Kong from 8 December 1941 onwards. I can only trace him in Hong Kong until 15 August 1941, but there the trail goes cold. Anyone have any ideas? Bell apparently married (secretly?) the daughter of this famous gentleman. 1 My eagle-eyed friends found a few more items of interest up in the hills including lots of spent cartridges, and a suspected Type 99 flash hider.
November 1st, 2011 Update
Image:
October Images
New Liverpool Memorial (courtesy Meg Parkes), Ho Tung Gardens gate (author), Shamshuipo Memorial (author) Leslie Hedges (courtesy Karen Nolan, nee Hedges), Harold Finch (courtesy Morgan Finch), Tom Childs clipping (courtesy Derry Danks) Type 56 fuse (courtesy Craig Mitchell), Mess Tin (courtesy Martin Dewick), .303 blanks (courtesy Philip Cracknell)
October News
This month marks the eighth anniversary of these monthly updates. They began in October 2003 with just 902 words and no photos, whereas today the average update is around three times as long and incorporates 10 photos. This must reflect the growth of interest in the period, but also the web’s ability to pull together like-minded people. Anyway, I’ll probably blather on at greater length about all this on the tenth anniversary!
31 Dave Deptford saw last month’s photo of the Dockyard Police medal and notes: “The full title is the Hong Kong Royal Naval Dockyard Police Long Service Medal. Instituted in 1920, I think the first awards were in 1922 and continued until the closure of the HK Dockyard (1961?)The issue therefore covered three reigns with the KG6 issue having two types (crowned and uncrowned heads). The medal was awarded for 15 years service and it is understood that about 280 were issued throughout its life. The medal itself is made of gilt bronze or silver (dependent on rank of recipient) and both named and unnamed issues are encountered. Whilst catalogues generally price this at GBP400+, a recent example to an Indian Sergeant fetched GBP1,100 at auction!”
29 Harold Finch’s (RN, Lisbon Maru) granddaughter got in touch. She kindly sent a photo of Mr Finch, who served aboard HMS Tern during the battle. 29 John Ross’s (civilian internee) family got in touch. Ross appears to have been visiting from Shanghai when the fighting broke out.
28 Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Lamb’s daughter got back in touch a few days ago, and today was kind enough to send some copies of photographs of her grandfather and other members of the Royal Engineers, several of whom were lost in the fighting or on the Lisbon Maru. 28 Gerry Tuppert let me know that Lawrence Stebbe, Winnipeg Grenadiers, passed away yesterday. Around five years ago I toured around the Wanchai Gap area with Larry and a couple of other veterans and have never forgotten our discussion. They were trying to recall which sergeant was shot in the mouth, and were very surprised when I told them who it was!
26 Alfred Collinson’s (RN) granddaughter got in touch. This is very interesting as Collinson was of course the senior naval officer in Hong Kong, and was one of the 14 senior officers to be shipped to special POW camps in Taiwan and later to what was then Manchuria.
25 Leonard Morton’s (RASC) granddaughter got in touch today. She was able to answer last month’s question about the fate of Fred Boughey, and included a copy of Morton’s POW Index Card (which shows that at the liberation of Sumidagawa he was handed over to an officer of the US Navy called Simpson.) 25 Today I visited the Shamshuipo POW Memorial park with members of the Canadian Consulate, LCSD, and a few other interested parties. 25 Michael Hennessy is researching family friend Rudy Choy – who worked for BAAG during the war. 25 Barnara Anslow reports seeing an obituary in today's Daily Telegraph under the heading IN MEMORIAM - THEIR NAME LIVETH FOREVER MORE: “BATER, Harold Charles SyCPO RN. Survivor of Japanese war crime following the sinking on 1st October 1942 of the Lisbon Maru in transit Hong Kong to Japan. 2,000 Japanese troops aboard all rescued. 1,834 Allied POWs aboard, 828 lost. Honouring also the brave Chinese fishermen who defied the Japanese and saved many. My father died in Japan 24 days later.” (SyCPO is a seldom seen, abbreviation but simply means Supply Chief Petty Officer).
24 Fred Ambrose’s (HKRNVR) daughter got in touch. Oddly enough, like Oliver below, Ambrose was based at the Aberdeen Mine Watching Station. 24 Brian Edgar, reading We Shall Suffer There, brought my attention to the fact that although the book says that the first edition of the Hong Kong Telegraph after liberation was August 31, there was also a special single-column joint edition of the Hong Kong Telegraph and South China Morning Post on the 30th. 24 Today the Hong Kong government declared Ho Tung Gardens a monument. Apparently this may require them to pay the current owner the property’s market value - an estimated three billion Hong Kong dollars.
23 Today I took the Hong Kong Club walkers around the Wong Nai Chung Gap trail for the first time in around three years. It was a very good atmosphere, and thoroughly enjoyable.
22 Martin Dewick and Craig Mitchell report some outstanding finds from the field, including a Japanese mess tin. 22 Today marked the 66th and last Hong Kong Veterans’ reunion of the Manitoba Branch. 22 Was invited to the party in December to celebrate the publication of the first Dictionary of Hong Kong Biography - for which I cheerfully wrote three entries (namely Maltby, Harcourt, and Fraser). Rats. I’ll be out of town when it happens! 22 Met with friends who live next door to Ho Tung Gardens, home of the HQ of the HKSRA during the fighting. Took a photo of the entrance gate to send to the family of Farrier Clifford Holmes, one of those killed there, and whose death is reported in the Barman book Resist To The End. Said friends gave me a present of a silver teaspoon from the Gripsholm, engraved with the name Chester Fritz, one of the American repatriates (he was repatriated from Shanghai, but on the same voyage ion which the Grispholm picked up the American Staley Internees).
21 I’m back in contact with Hong Kong escapee Gordon Fairclough, and Lisbon Maru survivor Jack Etiemble (both RA), which is very nice.
19 Charles Henry Hatfield’s family let me know that they are looking for the family of Dan Cavill, also of the Middlesex. The reason is that Dan provided author Tim Carew with an interview describing the death of Hatfield – shot in the water outside the Lisbon Maru – and they would like to learn more if possible. 19 Tony Bushell, Hong Kong evacuee and son of Harry Bushell, Corps of Military police, got back in contact.
15 Today the Liverpool Pier Head Repatriation Memorial was unveiled. It is a wonderfully appropriate piece of work, and how nice that it stands side by side with the memorial to Chinese Merchant Seamen! There was a fantastic turnout for the unveiling, as can be seen here, and anyone wanting to read more about it should turn to the http://www.researchingfepowhistory.org.uk/ website, as these people (who I am very proud to know!) were the prime force behind the memorial’s creation. Of course, many of the ex-Hong Kong POWs returned via Southampton on other ships, but ships like the Oxfordshire – named on this memorial - were common to all. The press also covered the event thoroughly, and it was very encouraging to note that whoever briefed them remembered to include the oft-forgotten Hong Kong RAPWIs, as demonstrated by this Guardian article. 15 Thomas Childs’ (RA, Lisbon Maru) great niece got in touch. Childs was killed as he tried to seek refuge on a Japanese patrol craft – as witnessed by fellow Gunner Jack Etiemble. She very kindly included a photograph of Childs’ family (he had eight siblings: six brothers and two sisters), and a newspaper cutting about the brothers – all of whom were in uniform. Private Ryan falls into perspective, set against a family with six boys in action. 15 Barbara Anslow (nee Redwood) mentioned that she has finished Major Ebbage’s book ‘The Hard Way’ and found it fascinating. She also notes: “In 1941 Captain (as he then was) Ebbage lived in the same block of flats in Gap Road as we Redwoods did. I didn't know him, but my younger sister Mabel did as she, like him, worked at Army HQ and they used to catch the same bus to work every morning.”
14 Received today my annual royalty statement from Hong Kong University Press. The tally sold for June 2010 to June 2011? 45 copies of We Shall Suffer There, 99 of The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru, and 112 of Not The Slightest Chance. Quickly catching up on JK Rowling now! 14 Diana Fortescue sent the Stanley Group this interesting obituary of her father Tim Fortescue (a Stanley Camp survivor).
12 Glen Stein notes: “I saw the below on http://www.military-medals.co.uk/campaign.html today: Naval General Service Medal 245. N.G.S. 1 Bar Palestine 1936-1939. C.C. Brydie. L.S.A. R.N. Recipient was taken P.O.W. by the Japanese at the Fall of Hong Kong. On 27-9-1942 together with over 1800 other P.O.Ws he was herded on board the ‘Lisbon Maru’ bound for Japan, and locked in the holds. Because of terrible overcrowding, and the fact that most of the draft were stricken with some disease and malnutrition, and the fact that the prisoners were only allowed on deck once a day, conditions became abominable. On 2-10-42 the ship was torpedoed off the China coast, and the prisoners were left to their fate. They eventually broke out of the holds but over 800 of them, including recipient, lost their lives. Sold with a very full account of the conditions and disaster and subsequent events, as narrated by survivors. A very harrowing story. Commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. (NEF) £385.”
11 Gerry Tuppert was kind enough to pass me the bad news that Edward Shayler, Winnipeg Grenadiers, passed away (on the 9th). I was fortunate to meet him on several occasions and knew him as a fine gentleman in the best Canadian tradition. 11 Charles Hatfield’s (Middlesex, Lisbon Maru) granddaughter got in touch. I shared with her Tim Carew’s account of his death.
10 Craig Mitchell notes finding a number of spent cartridge cases: “80 odd 303's mostly R^L, some GB and a few DAQ and a single Kynoch 303 round. A couple of Grenade Firing cartridges. 8 x .45 cals (7x RA 41, 1x REM-UMC CAP). 3x Pat.37 fastenings. I did find a British No.56 fuze which was used on Shrapnel Shells. Interestingly the manufacture date is December 1899....... during the Boer War! This was supposed to have been obsolete by 1920. I also found a [shrapnel ball] and what looks to be a Filler Cap, which I'm still trying to identify.” The No 56 fuse is almost certainly from an 18-pounder shell, from the obsolete 18 pounder used in the area of the finds by 965 Defence Battery. Anyone interested in .303 headstamps can look at this useful site.
9 Michael Hurst notes that the new Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society website www.powtaiwan.org has been relaunched with a new look and more content. 9 Philip Cracknell reports finding two spent CII .303 grenade launching cartridges. These look in many ways like standard blanks, but in fact held a heavier charge to get the grenade moving. They were near a pre-war silver pocket cigar cutter (unfortunately the latter was not monogrammed).
7 Returned from a business trip to see that George Kelling had kindly sent me a copy of The Journal of Military History for January 1996, which has an article by Christopher M. Bell entitled: ‘Our Most Exposed Outpost: Hong Kong and British Far Eastern Strategy, 1921-1941’. Should be interesting. George also included a photograph of him and Lisbon Maru survivor/escapee Jim Fallace. 7 Gordon Dempster, son of Henry Dempster HK Royal Naval Dockyard Police, saw the medal in last month’s post and sent his father’s: “chest ribbon showing the Royal Naval Dockyard Police Medal Ribbon. It's the yellow one with the two vertical dark blue stripes.” (Illustrated - vertically, unfortunately, to fit the available space). 7 Robert Widders notes that his: “book, which is about the 650 Irish citizens serving with HM Forces who became FEPOWs [which is now renamed] The Emperor's Irish Slaves, is due for publication on February 1st.”
2 Mick Nolan was kind enough to send a photo of his father Signalman Leslie Haig Hedges, Royal Corps of Signals, who survived the Lisbon Maru.
1 Brian Edgar sent the Stanley Group this fascinating link about Stanley Internee Bill Macauley. He also noted that Gwen Dew’s book ‘Prisoner of the Japs’ is now available online here. 1 Chris Harley sent a very interesting email noting that Captain Hermann Balean’s (RAMC) grave at Stanley had been changed from the Civilian Roll of Honour to a military grave (which is correct, as Chris pointed out, the London Gazette of 5th August 1947 states ‘Hermann Balean to be Lt RAMC 8th Dec 1941’ – he would have been 66 at that time, probably hence the assumption that he was retired and a civilian). I asked if Hermann was related to Geoffrey Terril Balean of the HKVDC Field Ambulance, and Chris replied with this link which suggests he was, and this one about Hermann himself. Chris also pointed me to this very interesting group. I know a few Hong Kong cases which should really be investigated when time permits. 1 George Oliver’s (HKRNVR) grandson got in touch. He notes: “My mother, Phyllis Bazeley – nee Phyllis Mary Oliver, was born in Hong Kong in 1923. Her father, my grandfather, George Kenneth (‘Ken’) Oliver, worked for Swires. As war beckoned my grandmother (Mary Elizabeth Oliver) brought my mother and her brother back to England while my grandfather stayed on in Hong Kong. However, no news of my grandfather Ken Oliver was ever received following the Fall of Hong Kong and he was presumed to have perished.” In fact Oliver was on the Minewatching station at Aberdeen, and the men there re-formed at the Repulse Bay Hotel before it came under attack. According to the internal files of the CWGC he was lost in the Repulse Bay area on December 22.
October 1st, 2011 Update
Image:
September Images
Poltock cartoon from James Wakefield's book (courtesy Paul Wakefield), photos from Stanley, Feb 1942 (courtesy T.K. Wong), Japanese Shrine (courtesy T.K. Wong) Bungalow 3 (author), Ma Chun Kwai's BAAG chit (courtesy Simon Ma), Percy Grierson (courtesy Jean Tuckey) The I.B. Trevor (courtesy Dennis Tsun-Lam Cheung), R.C. Gairdner Cup (courtesy Marc Sullivan), Students with Vickers (courtesy T.K. Wong)
September News
This month's theme - which I didn't have time to develop as much as I would have wished - is 'memorials to wartime members of the HKVDC'. I am sure there are many of them: roads and buildings, as well as the more obvious war memorials. And then there are the unexpected ones, such as the train and cup referred to below. Knowing the readership of this site, I expect many more of these long-term marks on Hong Kong’s history will be revealed.
But the bigger news, perhaps, is the 'new' Lisbon Maru survivor who has turned up!
29 Today should have seen me speak at Delaney’s on the subject of the Lisbon Maru, but unfortunately we had to cancel as the Typhoon 8 warning was up for a full 12 hours beforehand.
28 Bernard Ward's (RA, Lisbon Maru) niece got in touch.
26 Leighanne McKinlay-Wilkins, granddaughter of Lisbon Maru survivor Norman Lester, Royal Signals, visited Hong Kong and was kind enough to bring a typed-up copy of her grandfather’s diary (including a man-by-man listing of the fate of the Company) which I picked up today from her hotel. The papers also included a newspaper article covering the Hong Kong Signals Company's first post-war reunion in 1969. Interestingly, Norman rescued Duncan McKinlay (RA) in the waters outside the Lisbon Maru, fell in love with the photo of Duncan’s sister Annie, and - on his return to the UK - married her. This isn’t the first such story I have heard. A number of men seem to have married their mates' sisters! 26 Craig Mitchell reports finding what looks like a key tag. One side has the W^D mark of the War Department, and the other says N.A. RE8 P.B.2. I have not seen anything quite like this before, but our supposition is that it is the key tag from a pillbox.
21 Slightly off the usual topic, but it was interesting to see this story about a member of the USS Grouper’s crew in the press today. 21 And another slightly off-topic one, this time from Martin Heyes, concerning an airman who just passed away – and yet he won an AFC for the same flight that Gray, one of Hong Kong's five GCs, won the AFM for. It seems so odd to think that they flew together all those years ago, but Gray lost his life in Hong Kong in 1943, and Burnett lived until today.
17 Jean Tuckey sent a good photo of Percy Ware Grierson (see last month).
16 Spent an enjoyable couple of hour at St Stephen's helping the students shoot a short documentary about the campus’ wartime history. Geoffrey Emerson had already covered the Internment Camp period, so I focused on the fighting. Unfortunately it was a hot day, so my shirt got progressively darker in colour as the interviews progressed! It will be interesting to see the final product, which will be shown in 'Bungalow Number 3' when its conversion into a heritage centre is complete. We also visited the bungalow, being repainted now as its floor has already been repolished. It has a high, arched ceiling, and a wonderful 1929-style functioning fireplace.
15 TK sent an interesting photo of a group of (probably) Eurasian students with a Vickers gun. He wonders if anyone can identify time, place, or people? 15 The local press report the finding of an explosive device, measuring 9 inches by 4 inches, on Black’s Link.
13 The Stanley group has been having a discussion about the Hong Kong Fellowship newsletters. It seems that between Brian Edgar, Barbara Anslow's family, and Geoff Emerson, we can account for every issue except number 8.
10 Douglas Stimson's (RN, Lisbon Maru) nephew got in touch, noting that Mr Stimson is 92 and still very chipper! He’s the first 'new' survivor to have turned up for a couple of years, so very exciting news. As a Stoker on HMS Thracian, I am hoping he'll have some stories to tell.
9 A correspondent asks: What happened to the mainland soldiers who arrived over the border in Hong Kong before December 8th and were interned in refugee camps? Did they have any role to pay in the defence of Hong Kong? I only have anecdotal answers; can anyone provide something more solid?
8 On The FEPOW Group I was sent this link (which I realise I should have been aware of previously). It's worth a look. Four Hong Kong POWs are interviewed, three of whom I new personally. 8 Craig Mitchell reports finding a 'funny object': "It looks a bit like a small Bed knob or possibly the Rim on the top of a small Flag Pole or the handle off a walking stick, although I couldn’t find anything similar. It is made from Brass. The total Diameter is 45mm and the bottom smaller hole is 30mm." 8 Via his son-in-law, T.K. sent translations of the names (at least, those that are visible) of the Japanese soldiers remembered on the memorial mentioned below. I mashed them together. He also included two photos - that I have not previously seen - taken in Stanley Camp on 3 February 1942.
7 Simon Ma got in touch, with regards to his father who served in BAAG. He included a chit to that effect, but when I mentioned this to Elizabeth Ride she immediately knew where the Ma’s fitted in, though it isn’t a pleasant story. She noted: "By chance I have something about Ma Chun Kwai which I found in the NA at Kew this summer (NA WO343/1/199). His father, Ma Tai, had a tenuous connection with the BAAG and was executed by the Japanese. For that reason, the BAAG had him on a 'List of names for consideration to be included in the Hall of Honour in the City Hall Garden of Remembrance' (it should be easy to check if Ma Tai is there). Ma Tai's citation goes: 'Ma Tai: an ex-labour contractor of the Kowloon Wharves & Godowns Ltd who was father of a member of one of BAAG's Field Intelligence Groups. His son, Ma Chun Kwai, was a member of the same group as Chan Wing Chiu, Chau For, Lau Kwong and Wong Man (see cases stated above) who was arrested on the same day in the same circumstances as the aforementioned four, but Ma Chun Kwai made good his escape. Ma Tai, the father, was arrested a week thereafter in substitute, on account of his blood relationship with his son Ma Chun Kwai and also on account of the fact that he has been carrying out ad hoc underground activities for the group [of] which his son was a member. Ma Tai was subsequently executed while in captivity'."
6 David Bellis from www.Gwulo.com sent this very interesting link to a Hedda Morrison photo. The detail is incredible, and now I finally know which Stanley buildings pre-dated the war. David notes: "The VIA website has 309 photos she took in Hong Kong, all viewable at high resolution. They’re a bit fiddly to get to. I've written some instructions here." 6 Dave Deptford reports yet another Hong Kong Fellowship Newsletter for sale on eBay. This time I contacted the seller who replied: "I'm a professional book dealer, specialising in military publications. I have a number of contacts who regularly bring me items, one of whom [brought] me some Hong Kong-related matter. I am almost at the end of it, unfortunately. As a dealer it is a bit of a lottery as to what turns up." 6 Henry Ching sent a few interesting pages from Joan Dowbiggin's memoirs. 6 Rosemary Hobson (nee Woods) says: "I just wanted to say that I think the Thomas Edgar the baker who was not initially interned was a friend of my father and mother, Thomas 'Chippy' and Rose Wood. We lived in adjacent blocks of flats overlooking the Police Cricket Club grounds in Happy Valley at one time. My stepmother Jean Wood, nee Rainey and my sister Sylvia and I were in the French convent, as was Mr Edgar, from some time in 1942 until 1943 when Rosary Hill was opened as a refuge we Woods went there as Jean volunteered (was asked? She was sent to HK as a nursing sister with the Colonial Nursing Service, arriving in 1940) to help with the medical side of the home, and Mr Edgar must have gone to Stanley, where I am told we also should have gone. In 1949 when I was a probationer nurse at Windsor, I met Mr and Mrs Edgar again at their house in Windsor. I don't remember meeting their son, but I was at their house for a very short time..."
5 Andy Robertshaw of the Royal Logistic Corps Museum kindly supplied some pages from the RAOC Gazette mentioning Captain Bonney, who was lost in the Violet Hill area during the fighting in Hong Kong. 5 T.K. Sent a fascinating picture of Japanese young ladies at the original shrine to Japanese war dead on Jardine's Lookout, with Mount Nicholson in the background. 5 The Convenor of the HSBC Golf team sent a note that on Saturday they: "are playing against the HK Golf Club for the R C Gairdner Cup. Gairdner worked for the Bank from 1938-1968 and was Captain of the Golf Club in 1963. It would be good to know a bit more about him but all I've found so far is Robert Campbell Gairdner, L. Cpl, V/5333 Argyle, HK Volunteer Defence Corp, No. 1 Company." I supplied a few more details, and in return they sent some photos of the cup itself. It transpired that Gairdner worked for HSBC in the East as a member of the Foreign Staff (now known as International Manager) for 30 years from 1938 - 1968. He was the Captain of the RHKGC in 1963 and instigated the Trophy to be played annually between HSBC and the HKGC. The trophy was first presented in 1964; won by the HKGC. Gairdner retired in 1968. 5 On the Stanley Group there has been a question about whether there were stonemasons in the camp. "In the book 'Silks, Satins, Gold Braid etc etc' by Jim Shepherd, at Page 105 appears - '...I would be failing if I did not pay due respects to another brother officer by the name of Robinson, who was in fact a White Russian who changed his name by deed poll. He took it upon himself to quarry into shape suitable headstones for all those who died in the Camp'. G F Robinson, Sgt E 24 B 20,04 1908, enlisted 27.5.1930,employed with Anti-Piracy Contingent and regraded to Sub Inspector post war, awarded Colonial Police Long Service & Good Conduct Medal 1948,retired shortly thereafter. Regret I don't have his Russian name."
4 Here's a real detail test about Number 1 Coy, HKVDC: "Soon after 0100 hours [on the morning of Dec 9] the attack came almost simultaneously on the knoll and the [Quarry] Gap. Sgt Curtis' party had only just reached their position on the knoll and had barely time to get the gun in action before the rush swept on to them, but they inflicted considerable loss on the enemy at point-blank range, and then fought it out with bayonets. There were two survivors." Can anyone name the survivors from Curtis' section? I'm sure it’s in Penn's report somewhere, but I could only find one page of it in my files. 4 Henry Ching has been leading a drive to create a perfectly accurate list of the HKVDC Nursing Detachment and their appointments. I think we are getting close, but there are still a few questions. The annoying thing is that I have pretty much full documentation somewhere from the Braude family, but my paper files (bursting supermarket plastic bags of letters, more like) are such a mess. 4 Dawn Eyre is asking if ex-POW Fred Boughey is still around. Fred was a Sapper who was on the first draft to Japan, but I have not yet tracked down him or his family. 4 Dennis Cheung, who came to yesterday’s lecture, sent to interesting photos of the KCR No. 56 Diesel Locomotive named 'I B Trevor' after the HKVDC officer who also worked in a senior position for the railway. He was in the Railway Operating Detachment Cadre of the HKVDC Field Engineers.
3 Burke Penny - nephew of Don Penny, RCCS - sent more evidence of the value of Red Cross parcels, quoting (among other things) the late Chuck Roland's book: “Ray Squires, who was an orderly, and then placed in charge of the Jubilee hospital, wrote in his diary about how things were going in the hospital. On Nov. 11 there were 301 diphtheria patients, and on Nov 23 he mentions getting 'a little Red Cross food', then on Dec. 11 'Things are improving, more Red Cross food... It's nearly a week since we had a death, that's a wonderful improvement.' (On Oct 17 he noted they had had five deaths in one day.) In Walter Jenkins interview with Dr. Charles Roland, he said, 'When you get right down to the bottom, like we would have died, we all would have died in Hong Kong, you know, if it hadn't been for the Red Cross.' Similarly, at Bowen Road, the late November parcels made a big difference. In Roland's book he quotes Maj. Bowie, 'The value of the contributions made by the Red Cross Society to the well-being of patients and staff can hardly be overestimated'." Burke's blog can be found here. 3 At 15.00 at the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence I gave a little talk on Hong Kong's Evaders and Escapers, and what they got up to after they left. This is very much work in progress, though I hope a book about it - based on BAAG at its core - will be out around 2015/16. Putting together a presentation like this is a good way of structuring the research - though I am afraid that much of what I said, after that research is finalised, might need to be revised! Afterwards I had a proper look at the Chater diary and the scrapbook that Bill Lake has been telling me about. The former is fascinating, like all such diaries, but the latter includes many unique items. Bill also sent this interesting link about Douglas Clague, one of the men I discussed. 3 T.K. sent an interesting photo of Canadian soldiers digging in on the South East slope of Parker. Will have to see if I can find the location.
2 Jim Wakefield's son (see last month) got in touch, noting: "He also won in a camp raffle, one of 4 unique books, made and illustrated by the POWs during their interment. He gave it to the Imperial war Museum about 10 years ago, but not before I scanned the whole thing and made a very close copy of it for his birthday. I have the copy now, and all the images on CD. It is a remarkable achievement, even more so when you realize when and where it was made, with begged, borrowed or stolen materials." He included the cover and three pages from the book. There are 42 illustrated pages altogether, and 10 pages of lists of names from the raffle. They included an excellent water colour by John Harris, who later became an award-winning architect, and a rather nice cartoon by William Poltock of the Rajputs - unfortunately we don’t know what play he was referring to! (Though Major Alan Mills was the commander of 26th Coast Battery of 12 Coast Regiment). 2 T.K. Wong sent me a copy of that well-known 1946 photo of The Ridge with all the bullet and mortar damage, together with a shot of the same location taken in 2005. I wonder if anyone has any other photo of The Ridge from wartime or earlier?
1 Peter Lyon, with whom I was corresponding last month about Harry Griffiths and family, adds: "My family has a long history in Hong Kong, starting from the late 19th century, working in the shipyards, shipping, government and with the China Light & Power Co. An uncle and aunt, James and Jean Chalmers were, I believe, interned for a while at Stanley and happily survived." James and Jean were in Block 3, Room 30. 1 I decided that the Dockyard Police medal photo that I received on the last day of August is too important to miss, so added it to the site (illustrated).
September 1st, 2011 Update
Image:
August Images
Interviewing the late Jim Wakefield (courtesy Rowena Banham), .480 bullet (courtesy Craig Mitchell), Barclay Medal Group (courtesy Mark Sellar) Barclay's MI9 questionairre (courtesy Mark Sellar), Mr Organ's dogtag (courtesy Keith Grant), Japanese troops captured at Fanling (courtesy K.T. Chan) Page from a wartime scrapbook (courtesy Bill Lake), Mr P. Remedios D'Almada and author (courtesy Corinne Remedios), Donald Kerr - moustache - and other pilots (courtesy Bill Lake)
August News
August, for me, tends to mean a family holiday followed by a major business trip. This year was no exception, with two weeks in the UK and Rome, followed by a trip to Washington (24 hours travel each way) finally giving me time to finish Ebbage's book. I couldn’t recommend it more. Firstly, it is intensely satisfying for me personally to see NtSC and WSST used (by the editor) as they were intended - as reference books to check facts, and detail, and add context. Secondly, there are aspects to the book - such as Appendix One, dealing with The Ridge - that materially improved my understanding. And thirdly, there are wonderful accounts of individuals and events; page 176, for example, introduces us to two wonderful Cornish members of the HKDDC who cheerfully looked after Shamshuipo's plumbing, and page 191 considers the possibility that the delivery of Red Cross parcels was responsible for the end of the major diphtheria and dysentery epidemics.
And for anyone who is interested, I am giving a talk on Saturday September 3 on the subject of the escapees from Hong Kong, and what they did afterwards. It starts at 15.00 at the Lecture Hall (2/F of the Reception Building) Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, which seats 50 people with free admission based on first come first served.
30 Peter Lyon contacted me with a bit of a mystery. His grandmother and aunt were evacuated from Hong Kong to Australia in 1940, where his grandfather joined them in 1943. But we can't discover where said grandfather (a Merchant Marine Captain named Harry Griffiths) was in between! A family photo shows the three of them with the annotation 'With love from Mother and Daddy. Just repatriated from Canton via Shanghai. Australia. 19th February, 1943', which strongly implies he was in Canton. However, I can't see him in any civilian internee lists anywhere in China. As he was born in 1873, he may have been allowed to stay out of camp? 30 John McDonald’s daughter Elizabeth kindly sent me photos of his medals. This is the first time I have ever seen the Royal Naval Dockyard Police medal! The name of the recipient is inscribed on the rim.
26 William Frederick Simmons' (Stanley Internee) Grandson got in touch. Simmons was company Secretary of Hong Kong Tramways.
24 Jean and Rex Davies' (HKPF, Stanley Internees - Jean was Alice Jean, and Rex's real names were Ridyard Blinkhorn) daughter got in touch. She herself was an evacuee.
23 Bill Wall's (HKPF, Stanley Internee) great niece got in touch with the Stanley Group.
22 The Researching FEPOW History Group sent out their Newsletter today. I was glad to see a short obit of Jim Wakefield, who attended the last two conferences. 22 Bill Lake notes that he has received a War Scrap Book, with many fascinating letters, photos, illustrations, and newspaper articles. He sent half a dozen photos of the pages.
21 Today I met Philippe Diniz D'Almada Remedios of 5 Coy, HKVDC. Kindly arranged by his family and Keith Hemshall, we had a very interesting chat: or, to be more honest, I pretty much sat back and let Philippe tell his wonderful stories of how he and the other POWs managed to come out on top after almost four years as POWs at Shamshuipo. Among many other things, Philippe also let me know how his cousin Luigi D'Almada Remedios was severely injured by a bomb that left Zinho Gosana (standing next to him in the same gunpit) entirely unhurt.
19 Paul French notes: "As we corresponded some time back regarding Roderick Egal, the Shanghai Free French leader, Battle of North Point veteran and Hong Kong internee I thought you might find this link and article of interest in your research. Incidentally we, at the RAS Shanghai, are still working on a book on Egal." 19 Brian Edgar has started on a very interesting account of his father's life. Thomas Edgar was a baker in Hong Kong, who initially was able to continue work outside Stanley Camp. Barbara Anslow remembers the Edgar family fondly: "I knew your Mother very well in camp, as we both belonged to the same Catholic Women's Group. One day when calling on Lena, I met your Dad, and recorded 'Mr Edgar most charming and friendly.' Your parents gave me tea - such a memorable occasion that it is recorded in detail in my diary - viz; 'Lovely tea; lettuce and tomatoes, bread and butter, bread and beancurd, tea with cube sugar, and little tarts.' I imagine it would have been rice bread, and the lettuce and tomatoes homegrown outside their bungalow - luscious!"
18 Craig Mitchell reports finding a fired unjacketed lead bullet, of around .48 calibre, in a stream. I wondered if it was most likely from a Japanese Type 18 rifle of 11mm calibre, but Craig has examples of these and thinks this is different.
17 Donald Hill's (RAF) daughter got in touch. Hill famously left the encoded diary that was left undeciphered until a few years ago.
16 Steve Verrals sent the sad but not unexpected news of the death of Phil Bruce, author of the excellent HKVDC history 'Second To None' and founder member of the Hong Kong Branch of the OMRS. 16 Michael Morris sent some welcome news: "Just to let you know that my father, Sapper John Morris, 22 Fortress Company RE, celebrates his 91st birthday today. Still marching under his own steam." 16 While searching through old Hong Kong newspapers, by chance I found an article about the invasion of Hong Kong in 1934 (an exercise, of course). It makes interesting reading, in the light of what happened seven years later. 16 Jonathan Moffatt notes that the latest Royal Marines Historical Society Journal has an article about the rounding up of Japanese POWs in Hong Kong in 1945, written by Colonel Robin McGarel-Groves, OBE, the man responsible. Interestingly it contains exactly the same photo as the one mentioned below! 16 For some reason, The Telegraph always does the best obits. Martin Heyes was kind enough to send this one, of Simon Warrender who arrived with Harcourt and was involved in the liberation of Shamshuipo.
15 Keith Grant, grandson of William Henry Organ, HKDDC, who died as a POW in Japan, kindly sent photos of the dogtags that WHO was wearing on his death. They appear to have been issued by the dockyard, but I have never seen anything exactly like them. Does anyone have any ideas? In a note to Keith, Organ's daughter remarks: "When he died, an English doctor took it off him and sent it to Grandma after the war along with dad's pipe and the letters that he'd received from us." 15 K. T. Chan sent me an interesting photo of Royal Marines escorting armed Japanese soldiers onto a train at Fan Ling.
14 A neighbour of James Norman Ford (HKVDC) got in touch. She notes: "James Norman Ford was born in Hong Kong 21st December 1919 at 4 Chancery Lane son of Walter Leon Ford & Agnes Ford, father shown as Interpreter. This information was on his revised birth certificate dated 18th September 1939. The original certificate shows James as Leung Be, father as Leung Wing Cheung alias Leung (Shui?) & mother Fong Kam. A reply to James's letter sent to the International Red Cross dated October 1945 Manila states that his mother, Agnes Ford, died during the Japanese Occupation & that his younger siblings were safe." As a POW, Ford went to Japan on the fifth draft. Chancery Lane, where he was born, is just down the hill from where I am writing this. Checking available archives, I see that a Walter Ford applied for a trademark registration in Hong Kong in 1920. That's all that turns up.
13 I see that the Fall/Winter catalogue from Hong Kong University Press includes both the Hong Kong Dictionary of National Biography (for which I wrote three articles), and Tim Luard's 'Escape From Hong Kong' (the first full-length account of Chan Chak's Christmas Day MTB-based escape). Both books are due in December.
10 Robert Davis kindly sent a photo of RSM Robert Challis. He notes the following details: "Robert Herbert Challis was born 11 Jul 1905 in Wealdstone, England. As I mentioned, he married my father's aunt Isabella (Belle) Moss and had two daughters Thelma and Yvonne. Today, both Thelma and Yvonne live in Somerset. After Bob returned from the war, he and Belle divorced. Bob married Marie Masters in 1947. According to Thelma, Bob remained in the army [until 1951/52 and was posted to Germany with B.A.O.R.] Bob and Marie moved to New Zealand in 1951 with her son from her first marriage, Keith Rosebery (then 15 years old). Note that my dad incorrectly thought he moved to Australia. They settled in Wellington where he managed a country club and was on the council. They apparently had another son named John… Robert's daughter Thelma corrected me that Christopher Challis is not the brother of RSM Robert Challis. Christopher is Robert's nephew. That is, Christopher is Robert's brother's son."
6 Geoff Emerson asks: "Dr Louise Law, the wonderful Principal of St Stephen's College, Stanley, has asked me to find out where the phrase for St Stephen's before the war 'Eton of the East' came from and when." Ideas or information would be welcome!
5 Bill Lake is in contact with the family of Robert Curran, RA, who was on the Lisbon Maru. He sent 'before and after' photos of Curran, the 'before' being the same as I used as an illustration in the Lisbon Maru book when he was still a Gunner, and the after showing Curran receiving an award as an RSM (illustrated). Bill also sent a photo of some members of the 14th US Air Force (Flying Tigers) prior to a bombing raid. He notes: "In the middle of the group is Lt. Donald Kerr (the downed American pilot) who escaped through Sai Kung. He is the one with a moustache and immediately on his left is Lt. Teng who was his wing man."
4 Dave Deptford alerted me to this new book, Children of The Camps. I haven’t read it yet, but it may be of interest.
2 Mark Sellar of Aberdeen Medals notes: "In today's post I took receipt of below group of medals to a veteran of the Battle for Hong Kong. The awards comprise: - British War Medal. Silver issue (Eng. Lt. J. Barclay. R.N.R.) - Mercantile Marine War Service Medal (John Barclay) - Interallied Victory Medal (Eng. Lt. J. Barclay. R.N.R.) - 1939-45 Star - Pacific Star - Defence Medal - War Medal - The King's Badge 'For Loyal Service' Currently all I know about John Barclay, is that he was a Scotsman from Banff, Scotland who had been born circa 1880. During the Great War he had served variously in the Mercantile Marine and the Royal Naval Reserve - in which latter he was an Engineer Lieutenant (commissioned rank). The inclusion of the 'King's Badge' would indicate that he was either wounded or injured during the Second World War, the injuries being sufficient to warrant his subsequent discharge as being unfit for further military or naval service." He also sent a photo of the medals, and a link to Barclay’s MI9 form via the new COFEPOW POW Database.
1 Henry Ching passed me the unwelcome news that Jim Wakefield, RE, passed away on July 18 at the age of 95. I last saw him in October 2010, and he was still quite sprightly. Henry passed me a short notice from the Administrative service that stated: "Mr Wakefield joined the Hong Kong Civil Service as a Staff Officer in 1945 and retired at the most senior rank of the Administrative Officer Grade in 1966. During his years in the Administrative Service, he had served in a number of important posts including District Commissioner, New Territories; Commissioner for Resettlement; Commissioner of Labour; Commissioner of Mines; and Principal Assistant Colonial Secretary. He will be remembered as an honourable public servant who had made valuable contribution to the development of Hong Kong." I will remember him as a wonderful gentleman, old fashioned in the best sense of the term, who left me feeling - as his interviewer one autumn day in the middle of England - rather inadequate by comparison.
August 1st, 2011 Update
Image:
July Images
Alf Brown and wife 'then and now' (author), Ebbage book cover (author), Hong Kong from Google earth showing Cadogan-Rawlinson's retreat to JLO (Chris Ono & author) Lyle's ID Card (courtesy Donald Lyle), Rose Wood's grave (courtesy James Hobson), Swiftsure (courtesy Stuart Braga) Great Green snake (author), Colonial Badges (courtesy Steve Verralls - see last month), Medical Department names, 1934 (author)
July News
Doreen Steidle, Canadian Consul to Hong Kong, has come to the end of her term here and left us this month after completing her three year posting. From the viewpoint of my twenty+ years in Hong Kong, all I can say is that she has achieved more - in terms of memorialising the 41-45 period - in her short stint here than anyone else, and has done so with great grace. I’ll never forget - for example - that when Patsy Osborn (Osborn VC's daughter) visited us and had a heart attack, it was at Doreen’s house that she convalesced. Oh, Canada!
31 Jack
McGowan’s (Stanley Internee) great niece and nephew got in touch, noting: “At the 'movies' as they are
called these days, the atrocities of the war were shown and us kids were not
supposed to look!!After the war we went to
meet uncle Jack on his return from Hong Kong and this apparition from those
films walked down the platform toward us! Just a living skeleton!!” I found
details of his job on a 1934 article about Hong Kong’s Medical Department.
Interestingly, McGowan and wife were in the Repulse Bay Hotel siege.
30 Although not
directly related to the Hong Kong POWs, this news is still big enough to be
worth sharing. From Meg Parkes at the Researching FEPOW History group: “Thanks to the efforts of
Keith Andrews, a large part of the missing Bureau of Record and Enquiry
documents, compiled by Capt David Nelson and the Bureau of Record and Enquiry
in Changi POW camp, has finally surfaced at The National Archives (TNA).
They were part of a large release of papers to TNA in April this year. Keith
came across the material and realised what he was looking at. He has spent the
last couple of months trying to determine what new information these records
hold. Go to: www.researchingfepowhistory.org.uk
for further details about what Keith has unearthed and how he intends to share
this information as widely as possible.”
28 Bill Lake
sent links to two YouTube documentaries on the American 14th airforce and the
Flying Tigers.
26 Lawrence Tsui let me know that: "AU Ping-wah (區炳華) former member of the British Army Aid Group (英軍服務團) passed away in Toronto on 4th July 2011 at the grand old age of 97. He was a L/Cpl of the HK Volunteers Defence Corp during the Battle of Hong Kong. He joined the BAAG in Free China in January 1943 and served until the end of hostilities. He was BAAG Agent No. 1069, operating the Outpost at Shaping covering the general area surrounding today’s Heshan / Jiangmen in the West River (Sijiang) region. He came under Major Colin McEwan OC Forward Area Post (FAP-2) centred at Samfou & then Yanping. Evasion work took on increasing importance as USAAF based in SW China stepped up bombings of Japanese positions in the region. Au worked with Sgt. Lam Ho-fat (RA Reg. no. 6073, who was BAAG Agent No. 1068) operating another Outpost at Sze Wui. They rescued various groups of downed USAAF fighter pilots and escorted them to Kweilin & Kunming. In relation to this task, they had to actively liaise with local guerrillas for co-operation & save passages. Au served until the end of hostilities. He was described by Sir Lindsay Ride as one of the most valuable member of the BAAG, that he had consistently rendered loyal & valuable service, much of it was dangerous and in exposed area. Au received a C-in-C Commendation from Gen. Sir Claude Auchinleck, GOC India in April 1945, for meritorious service with high courage, determination & resourcefulness. The late Mrs. Au Lau So Yiu also worked for the BAAG as a nurse & teacher. After the War, Au returned to his pharmaceutical business. Together with his wife, they founded the Baptist Zion School in Hong Kong."
24 Ah, the perils of life in Hong Kong! Walking down Glenealy we were menaced by a Great Green Snake. Now, these things aren't believed to be venomous, but when one rears up you don't instinctively think: "Ah, a Green Snake, much like it's deadly cousin the Bamboo Pit Viper, but longer and with a smaller head". Instead, you think "Eek!" 24 Tried one more of the 'then and now' mash ups, this time of Alf Brown and his newly-wed wife outside Legco. It's definitely harder than it looks! Looking at their daughter's email (she sent the original photo in 2007), she noted: "My mother was Anna Genevieve Siow. She was born in Seremben, Kuala Lumpur. I'm not sure why she went to HK, but suspect she wanted a complete change from her genteel background & the French convent where she'd been educated. My father, Alfred Sidney Brown, was born in Chesterfield. Probably to escape the mines (his father had been a coalminer) he joined the Royal Artillery & became a L/Sgt in the 12 Regiment stationed at Mt. Davis. My parents married in HK. My parents' marriage broke up in 1946. They had only been married 2 months then my father was captured at the fall of HK, so probably hardly knew each other when they re-met 4 & half years later."
23 Fred Fabel's (AEC) son got in touch. As he, his mother, and his two older brothers were all evacuated from Hong Kong, the email was especially welcome.
21 Slightly off the usual topic, but an amazing story from Pearl Harbour nevertheless.
20 Stuart Braga notes: "I had the pleasure of meeting at church last Sunday Norman Barker, who was the radar operator on Swiftsure on 30/08/1945 as she entered Hong Kong harbour. He told me that the radar had broken down, the rotating am having jammed. Admiral Harcourt, entering potentially hostile waters, naturally ordered that it be repaired at once. Barker was sent aloft. He knew what to do and soon had the problem fixed, and remained at his station in case the problem recurred. As Swiftsure entered Lyemun Pass, Barker saw the barrels of the shore batteries on both sides at point-blank range less than a couple of hundred yards away. He knew that the Japanese were unlikely to offer resistance, but no one could be sure, even though the Australian corvettes had gone in beforehand to sweep the channel. He said that he gave him a very uncomfortable feeling." Stuart attached a very atmospheric photo of Swiftsure passing Lyemun.
19 Thanks to her son, I am now in touch with evacuee Rosemary Hobson (nee Wood).
18 James and Clifford Stopforth's (both RAOC) great niece got in touch. Clifford was lost somewhere along the Ridge / Overbays / Eucliffe massacre, and James was executed in 1942 for trying to escape. 18 Robert Davis notes that he has contacted Robert Challis’ daughter. Hopefully some photos of Challis will result.
17 John Handford's (Middlesex, Lisbon Maru) family got in touch via Ron Taylor (UK). 17 Jill Fell notes that there was a branch of the Steele-Perkins family in Ceylon during the war. This could be the Steele-Perkins family who evacuated from Hong Kong, as I believe they left for India from Australia at some point. 17 Barbara Anslow notes, having seen last month’s videos: "seeing those passengers disembarking in Manila in pouring rain took me right back to the day we arrived when there seemed to be a cloudburst."
16 Dave Deptford let me know of yet another The Hong Kong Fellowship News Letter (this one of 8, August, 1945) for sale on eBay. "This newsletter has paper covers and is in good condition, although there is slight wear to the spine and an application slip has been removed from the back page - no text affected. The booklet contains 15 pages of information about Hong Kong POW camps. There are sub-sections on; The War is Over; Thanksgiving Service; Message from HKF; Relief Supplies; The Story of the Fall; HK in the Hands of the Japs; Stanley Camp; Bishop of Hong Kong; HKF Service; Extracts from Letters - Stanley Camp; POW Camps - Camp N; Hoten Camp; Osaka; From all Quarters." (He updated me later that it sold for GBP57, whereas the one he purchased earlier in the year was only 12!) 16 David Bellis of Gwulo has been exchanging emails with Barbara Anslow about the ARP tunnels in Central. The relevant page on the site is worth a look.
14 Christopher Ono in Toronto got in contact, asking very specific questions about the Winnipeg Grenadiers' attack towards Mount Butler on 19 December 1941. As everyone knows, Osborn's VC citation states that he lost his life on Mount Butler. Although I have studied every known first-hand account of that battle (and spoken to a number of people who were there), I can't guarantee that I have the perfect answer, but I think it is much more likely that CSM Osborn VC lost his life (in the selfless defence of the men under his command) on the southern slope of Jardine’s Lookout. In my emails to Chris I noted: "It doesn't appear that they got to Mount Butler at all. My reasoning is: - No eye-witness accounts that I have seen seem to refer to Mount Butler. The descriptions all seem to fit Jardine's Lookout better (even those that name 'Mount Butler') - The archaeological trail runs out at the col between the two hills. I have yet to find any sign of fighting north east of it (until Mount Parker Road, but the finds there are not Canadian), but plenty south west. - Other forces who retreated from Quarry Bay through this area (5/7th Rajputs, 1 Coy HKVDC) make no report of encountering Canadians until reaching that col. At the col, Cadogan-Rawlinson reports spending 30 minutes with the Canadians there. Now, I long ago learned it is never wise to be dogmatic about the battle of HK. New reports, or finds, could turn up at any time. But that's my conclusion for the moment. When Harry Atknson marked the place where Osborn was killed, he did so very close to Park View. In fact, archaeological evidence suggest that the hollow a bit to its east is more likely as grenade shrapnel and Canadian .303 have turned up there. For the Winnipeg Grenadiers movements, I won't pretend certainty. Trying to summarise my current understanding of the situation as rough percentages: - Did the Canadians capture the summit of Butler? 5% chance - Did any Canadians set foot on some part of Butler? 20%+ - Did the WG get as far as the [col between Butler and JLO]? 99%+ - Was there a battle at the summit of Jardine's Lookout? 99%+ - Was Osborn lost on Jardine's Lookout rather than Butler? 90% - Was he lost in the vicinity of the position marked by Atkinson? 65%” This one will run and run, until either more eye-witness reports turn up, or the archaeology (which currently shows no fighting on Mount Butler) changes. Interestingly, much of my exchange with Chris centered around annotated Google Earth images of the area in question! The ground looks far simpler on a computer screen than when you are staggering up it with sweat in your eyes.
12 Louis Wong contacted me again, reminding me of his meeting with: "Mr. Iggleden, the senior visitor that I spoken to on my last working day (Nov 16, 2007, Friday) at H.K. maritime museum in Stanley Plaza." Mr Iggleden's father - Percy Iggleden - was missing in action on December 23, 1941. "So I immediately took him to read the [sample copy of NtSC] in the museum gift shop and started looking from page by page, incredibly found his father's name on the list!" Perhaps more incredibly, by looking at my evacuees I now know that Louis' visitor that day was Gordon Iggleden, Percy's son, who was born on 26.4.37. I hope he makes contact some day!
10 My copy of the Victor Ebbage booked arrived. That was quick! I am thoroughly enjoying it. Excellent job. I am on page 120 already, but couldn't resist skipping ahead to read appendices and endnotes. One thing that made me chuckle was an attempt to interpret the term 'Dahn Omer' as Cantonese! It's Cockney for Down Homer ("Wot you doin tonight, Joe?' 'Stayin dahn ome'). Even ORs in pre-war HK could afford live-in young ladies to cook and clean and generally 'look after' them. A surprising number of these commercial relationships with 'dahn omers' ended up genuinely affectionate, to the point where - as the book notes - many of these Down Homers took great risks to supply food to the camps (and actually did the same on the front line in Wanchai). As the uber-pedant of Hong Kong history, I am amazed that I haven't found anything else to 'complain' about. I was also grateful for the kind words in the acknowledgement; I have done far more for some other people (including editing entire books) with less thanks - and none, on more than one occasion! (Note that Ebbage's pass had a very similar serial number to Lyle's. That may be a clue).
9 Remade contact with the family of Captain T. E. 'Chippy' Wood, as it turned out two of his children were evacuated to ‘Australia’. Chippy features in the famous Bell diary, and I was able to send them a couple of relevant pages. In fact - and the reason for the quotes around Australia - the evacuees only made it as far as the Philippines before learning that their mother was seriously ill. They returned, and their mother died in December 1940 and is buried in Hong Kong. 9 I suppose if you take a large enough group of people, there are going to be some interesting connections. This month, it turns out that one of the evacuee families, the Woods, had a daughter married to John Bulkeley (the American Medal of Honor winner who the film "They Were Expendable" was about). Another (not evacuated, or rather evacuated, but from Singapore) was married to John Galvin - who was in the Guinness Book of Records for owing the most money ever to the American Internal Revenue!
7 Colonel Hennessy's family note that they were able to secure the wedding post card mentioned for sale on eBay last month. 7 Henry Ching mentioned: "a recently published book by V.S. Ebbage entitled 'The Hard Way: surviving Shamshuipo POW Camp 1941-1945'." I have ordered a copy from Amazon.
6 A regular contributor sent this link to a device found in the hills that he is trying to identify. It appears likely to be a spring fuzee from a Vickers machine gun. 6 Greg Leck mentioned a story I had never heard before, of the SS Pakhoi leaving Hong Kong immediately before the Japanese attack - with escaping civilians on board - and getting captured and taken to Amoy. 6 Dave Deptford notes that Sargent's medals (see last month) attracted 27 bids and realised GBP535.
5 Donald Lyle kindly sent a copy of his father's service pass (see last month). I now have half a dozen of these, but am no wiser as to what the FPRO number is at the top, or whether M.2. 276 (the serial in this case) has any specific meaning.
4 Edward Stanley Brooks' (HKPF) family got in touch via Keith Andrews.
2 Today I heard the bad news that Phillip Bruce, highly respected Hong Kong historian and author of the superb official HKVDC history 'Second To None' is quite ill in hospital. If anyone would like to get in contact with him, please let me know.
1 A holiday in Hong Kong today, to celebrate our throwing off of the British yoke (type of thing). Decided to take a walk up Violet Hill, but it was so wet and muddy that I turned back and walked round Wong Nai Chung instead. At the reservoir between PB1/2 and Sir Cecil’s Ride I spend a long time looking for wartime remains, but found nothing at all. Perhaps those times are past. 1 Bill Lake found a great photo of the Rev Kiyoshi Watanabe, taken in Hiroshima, that I hadn't seen before (illustrated).
July 1st, 2011 Update
Image:
June Images
Stanley Cartoon (courtesy Bill Lake), Sendai POWs (courtesy Gerry Tuppert), C.Y. Chan receiving BEM (courtesy Mike Chen) Good Housekeeping (courtesy Stuart Braga), Medical chest (courtesy James Strachans), BAAG letter (courtesy Lawrence Tsui) Norman Lester (courtesy Leighanne Wilkins), Stanley Fort (courtesy Andrew Suddaby), The Allams brothers (courtesy Ben Savelkoul)
June News
Yet again (see June 18) the question of the preservation of historical sites comes up. Singapore has its Fort Siloso and Battle Box (and other sites), but we have only the Wong Nai Chung Gap trail and a handful of signs at Pinewood Battery. The opportunity for developing an extra dimension to the tourist industry - while boosting local understanding of heritage - has never been greater. As Mainland tourists become more sophisticated, they'll be looking for more than just yet another opportunity to purchase European brand name trash (in our rapidly dulling shopping streets, which look more and more like bland identical airport departure halls each year). Western tourists too, fascinated by the British Colonial period - fact and fiction - are hardly addressed at all; so much potential, so little imagination.
30 Keith Hemshall reports recently meeting the 88-year-old Mr Remedios of the HKVDC. I await details with interest.
28 Robert Challis's (Middlesex, Lisbon Maru) great nephew got in touch. Challis was the RSM of the Middlesex (when you consider that the Middlesex were universally regarded as the best quality battalion in Hong Kong, their RSM must have been an exceptional character). When the officers were posted away from Kobe, Challis became the senior POW. Interestingly, two sisters married Cecil Davis (the previous RSM) and Robert Challis (his successor)! Challis took his family back to the UK in 1938, and then returned to Hong Kong. The marriage did not survive the war, though, and Bob migrated to Australia. He was the brother of cinematographer Christopher Challis.
27 For the first time I attended the annual Canada Day Reception at Exchange Square. I was there simply to thank the outgoing Consul - Doreen Steidle - for the amazing work she has done in her three years here. I am not naive enough to assume that a Consul's job should revolve around the commemoration of World War Two events, thus all that she achieved in that area - and it was a great deal - was clearly done as a night job. She leaves next month, and we wait in hope to discover the quality of her replacement. As she left, she sent a 'state of the nation' report to the HKVCA from which I will quote a short passage: "Many visitors have noted that two existing Government of Canada memorial plaques at the Wong Nai Chung Gap, one at Lawson's Bunker and one at Jardine's Lookout, have become difficult to read over time. We agree and, with funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and Veterans Affairs Canada, we have commissioned new and more deeply engraved plaques. These renovated plaques were installed in late May, and already we have received comments that they are much easier to read. Pictures of the new plaques can be seen here." 27 Dave Deptford sent me this very interesting link to a set of medals and associated documents on eBay. My records show that Mr Sargent died of beri beri at Osaka #3B Oeyama, but the owner believes he died at 'Lapan' an 'island in Indonesia'. I wonder where that idea came from? No such island exists, and - to the best of my knowledge - no HK POWs were transferred to SEA.
26 Bill Lake sent a link to an audio interview with Stanley Internee (and Ho Tung family member) Jean Gittins.
25 Ian Lyle's (RAPC) son got in touch. Among other interesting things he notes: "I have my father's pay book and certificate of service book and obtained a record of his service from the Army Personnel Centre, Historical Disclosures Section, Glasgow. The army number you have quoted is incorrect and should read 3054817. He joined the Royal Scots in 1935 and transferred to the Royal Army pay Corps in 1937 but seemed to have always considered himself to be a Royal Scot. He seems to have been a 'courier' whilst in the Pay Corps and apparently was authorised to hand over money to people who were providing information/ intelligence."
24 Had an interesting email from Ben Savelkoul looking for information about Arthur G. Allam, RE, who died 4 September 1942 and is buried at Sai Wan. He notes: "I have adopted his brothers grave in Brunssum War Cemetery, The Netherlands, his name was Herbert H.R. Allam, and I made a website about him and also wanted to add his brother's info to it." Ben kindly sent me a photo of the two brothers, whose sister Kathleen survived the war.
21 Arthur Strachan's (Indian Medical Service) son got in touch, with a fascinating set of photos of his father's wartime surgical equipment chest. Unfortunately his father never spoke about his time here, so the exact provenance of the chest isn't known. Odd to receive this in the same month as Faye's (June 6) communication about Woodward - whose name appears next to Strachan's in the IMS list on this site. The key point is that this amazing item (see the photo above, which is simply of one of the drawers of implements it contains), due to family reasons, is for sale. If anyone is interested, or can think of a museum or institution that would be interested, please get in touch via me.
21 Martin Percival notes that the provisional date for the next Researching FEPOW History conference is 8/9 Sept 2012.
21 Michael Hurst notes that the Taiwan Spring-Summer POW Society newsletter 'Never Forgotten' is now up on his website.
19 Frank Willison's (HKPF) niece in law got in touch.
18 Lawrence Tsui kindly sent me an article of Fr. Bernard Tohill SDB of St. Louis' School, Western, regarding his experience as a priest during the Japanese occupation. It is a very interesting account, covering both the refugee area around North Point and Mount Parker Road, and also Stanley. One note struck a chord: "We were entrusted with some message for Bishop Valtorta and then went down to the Carmelite Monastery to see if they also wanted us to relay any messages. The Sisters were surprised to see us and said they had head that we had been killed. We found Fr. Hessler in the sacristy, and while we were chatting with him the Sisters brought in some tea and hard biscuits. We also found some Canossian Sisters and their orphans saying in the convent; they had been evacuated from their convent at Shaukiwan just before the invasion and had come to Stanley. The Carmelite Sisters had received them with open arms". HKWD stalwarts - compare with the 3 October 2009 entry, and you will note that this is exactly what the Sisters told us then.
18 Dave Deptford sent this eBay link to a postcard showing Colonel Hennessy and his wife (illustrated). I passed it to Hennessy's grandson, who believes it was "their wedding photo to thank folks for gifts". 18 Annelise Connell sent out the following link to a site to encourage the government not to see Government Hill. Each to his or her own, but personally I'm not convinced of the value of the three wings (completed between 1954 and 1959). The trees, of course, would be the developers' first victims, and that would be a shame. The tunnels are interesting, but it's a real stretch to compare them with 'Underground Berlin'. Berlin's wartime catacombs are a couple of orders of magnitude bigger, and were used for far more - and more diverse - activities for far longer. Also, there are other tunnel areas - Star Street and Ventris Road for example - which are more representative. But turning one of these into a visitable tourist attraction isn't a bad idea; though to work it would need some sort of museum or above ground link as well. Of course, if the BattleBox still existed - or Government House could be turned into a museum of war and occupation, that would be different...
17 Martn Heyes passed me an email from Ron Taylor (HK), containing notes from Gimson's diary. Here's one example, in which Gimson comes out in a rather better light than the CP (Commissioner of Police): "I then saw the CP who was particularly interested in the problem of members of his Force who were injured while performing work in the camp. This question is a difficult one and I am not certain whether a satisfactory solution will be found in the camp. He also raised the question of a marriage of one of his Sergeants to a girl in the camp who claims she is pure European but is strongly suspected to be a Eurasian. The CP is adamant that if the marriage takes place the Sergeant cannot remain in the Police Force. I shall have to support his attitude however I must admit my sympathies are with the Sergeant."
15 Today I was passed the sad news that Ross Lynneberg passed away at 09.00 in his native New Zealand. Ross was one of the main contributors to the Lisbon Maru, book and a lively and entertaining correspondent for many years.
12 Gerry Tuppert (son of William Tuppert RRC) notes that: "I was looking through my Dad's album to see if Vilma Sequeria (widow of HKVDC, Vicente Antonio Sequeira) recognized anyone from the Sendai mass pic. Well she picked out her husband and four other relatives. Then presented me with a copy his wartime recollections (see attachments). It would appear the Portuguese were a well-bonded group, some thing that helped them immensely during captivity. The other attachment to be forwarded along is a Sendai #2 pic, of I think half of the British contingent incarcerated at that camp." Gerry added that it would be good to have these photos added to the Sendai #2B page on www.mansell.com. It's not a bad idea: Sendai might be unique in having (I believe) photographs of all surviving POWs as of 28 August 1945.
12 Steve Verralls notes that: "Barry Renfrew, the author of Forgotten Regiments has produced a new book on British colonial badges and entitled 'British Colonial Badges'. The book is a lavish one with many photo plates showing rare and interesting badges including those of Hong Kong and China." He also attached a few images from the book.
10 Bill Lake sent me this link. I have seen the footage before, but not previously in Spanish! He also sent this excellent link of film of the evacuation of women and children in 1940.
9 Lawrence Tsui (son of Captain Paul Tsui, MBE, of the BAAG) sent me a letter from the Colonial Secretariat clarifying the position of BAAG as a regular force. Lawrence notes, echoing the feeling we all have: "I've missed so many former BAAG Chinese agents as well as their widows & orphans, whom I knew as a kid (including Francis Lee who was my brother's godfather; Madam X - namely Tang Wing-wan; PL - Y. C. Liang; Au Fai (No. 2 of J Group; Major Lai Yuan-lung, MBE who was Liaison Officer of the Nationalist Forces); they were frequent visitors to our home. How I wish I started this project a few years earlier."
9 Stuart Braga notes that he has an unusual relic of the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong: the back cover of Good Housekeeping August 1941. "Accompanying this is a scrap of paper on which [my uncle Paul Braga] wrote, 'Shortly following the surrender of Hong Kong, Japanese soldiers entered our house and ordered us to leave. The officer wrote this order on a page of a magazine which we have kept for its interest.' (The date was probably 11 or 12 December 1941). In excellent handwriting, the Japanese officer wrote, at the top of the back cover of Good Housekeeping: 'Japan great soldier come here tomorrow morning sleeping this house from there ago house.' Below this, Paul wrote: 'This one Portuguese house.' This message appears to mean: 'The soldiers of Great Japan will come here tomorrow morning and will be sleeping in this house. [You will] go from the house.' Thinking to preserve this relic, Paul wrapped it in greaseproof paper, in which it was kept until today. Unfortunately, this had the reverse effect from what he intended, and the wax has penetrated both pieces of paper in the 70 years since."
7 Jean Tuckey says: "I know I contacted you years ago about Capt Percy Ware Grierson ships captain who was interned at Stanley. I have since found his death certificate and now today his headstone. It is intriguing in that he died in 1950 - was released in 1945 and did not return to his family in Australia. I have long wondered why, and still do. His tombstone was erected by one Helen Yuen and further along there is another tombstone with the wording Captain Arthur Hall died 1943 erected by his loving wife Helen Yuen. I know I wont find anything about her but am wondering if you have any notes on Arthur Hall and why he and Percy were cared for by Helen were they both in Stanley, were they friends, did he continue living in their home after Arthur's death? His Granddaughter is delighted with all I have found so far and is as intrigued as me. He scuttled his ship the Ming Sang before being interned. I know it was re launched under another name finally and then mined, but why did he stay in Hong Kong and who is Arthur Hall? Percy died of arteriosclerosis and heart failure."
7 Norman Lester's (Royal Corps of Signals, Lisbon Maru) granddaughter got in touch, sending a couple of good photographs. She adds: "He was in the water, and had gone back onto the ship to get a photo of his mother and some other items. Got back into the water, hid holding onto a rope. He saw a 'body' floating in the water, unconscious. Saved the man's life. The man he saved was called Duncan McKinlay, they became good friends."
6 Faye Powell notes that she was at: "the Australian War Memorial last week and came across this - seems it came into the collection in Aug 2009. It's 36 pages long and is 2 items in a wallet. Captain J J Woodward - 1. 'Black and white photocopy of a 36 page typed document titled "Report of service from December 1941 to September 1945 of Capt J J Woodward, IMS/IAMC written by Captain J J Woodward who worked as a Medical Officer with the Indian Medical Service as part of the Royal Army Medical Corps (British Army) during the Second World War." It is an account of his 44 months as a prisoner of war of the Japanese, from the fall of Hong Kong on 25 December 1941, until his release by American Forces on 31 August 1945'
2. 'Bound and typed memoir titled "Hong Kong, Japan 1942-1945 - a POW Memoir, originally written by Captain J J Woodward, including a preface by Woodward's son, John M Woodward in 1983.' She adds (I have read it and it covers the medical condition of the men as well as general camp descriptions and comments on the actions of certain Japanese, British and Indian individuals in Hong Kong and Japan - the Kawasaki Tokyo 23D Camp).
6 Martin Clark sent a very interesting email: "I have been trying to trace details of the wartime sweetheart of my late aunt. In her effects, there was a lighter inscribed 'A. M. M.' wrapped in a small piece of paper stating 'Mellis Alexander McKenzie died prisoner of war on the Lisbon Maru 1942'." It is interesting partly because McKenzie actually survived the sinking.
5 Ian Gray's (Royal Scots, Lisbon Maru) great niece got in touch.
5 Suzannah Linton, who has been studying the Hong Kong War Crime Trials in depth, notes: "with the help of Dr. Donal Lowry, a historian, I have been put in touch with Major Murray Ormbsy, a 91 year old former prosecutor and judge on the military tribunals! Amazing, isn't it. He's still very alert. I will hopefully interview him in July, and some of the many questions I have about the whole thing may perhaps be clarified."
4 Andrew Suddaby sent a set of annotated photos of Stanley Fort to me, Tim Ko, and Rob Weir. These come from a gentleman called George Boote who served in the Cheshire Regiment in the mid 1980s and was stationed at Stanley.
3 Dr Sophie Couchman, part time Curator at the Museum of Chinese Australian History was kind enough to connect me to the grandnephew of Chan Cheung-yiu of BAAG. I forwarded this to Elizabeth Ride, the daughter of BAAG's founder. She quoted Chan's CO (Sandy Urquhart) as telling her father: "If you intend to mention any of our Chinese staff, I think Chan Cheung Yiu merits notice. He was our senior Chinese Wireless Operator and worked like a Trojan; very willingly, very reliably, and very cheerfully. He kept aloof from all the intrigues, and I did not find him mixed up in any of the hanky panky which went on at AHQ". The family also kindly sent me some personal information, including a photo of Cheung Yiu receiving his BEM.
3 Adam Richards sent the "St David's Day Order of Proceedings" in 1943 in Stanley camp, where his great-uncle was David Morgan Richards, then president of the St David's Society of Hong Kong.
1 Bill Lake has finished transcribing the John Charter diary, and was kind enough to send me some very interesting medical statistics from it covering nutrition and diseases. He also added a cartoon, showing the entire Stanley camp existence from January 1942 till the end of the war - summed up in a simple page. The biblical reference is of course 'Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever'. On the medical records, Charter stated: "A most interesting chart was circulated the other day, relating to the food and health of the camp. A copy was submitted, a few weeks ago, to the Japanese with the request that it be forwarded to the IRC in Tokyo. I daresay, after the war, a much fuller statement about the whole position, as regards food and health in the camp, will be published. Deane-Smith is largely instrumental in preparing these statistics and intends to write a complete nutritional treatise based on the facts and figures obtained in this camp. In fact I believe he has already planned the skeleton of the thesis. He will be able to inform me of any publications on the subject and I must try and get hold of them for the purpose of inclusion with this diary; for food seems to have played the most important part in camp life - food and news (and just now we seem to be getting precious little of either). The chart was full of graphs and tables giving all kinds of interesting information. I copied down some of them in case they are never officially published and hope to get a few more later if I can lay hands on the chart again. Incidentally, Deane-Smith should be able to collate some useful information because conditions here have been fairly unique: it is not often that a fairly large and representative number of people is kept on certain quantities of inadequate foods, the exact amount of which is known, for a period of years, with occasional periods of extra food and periodical changes in the basic foods - meat, flour etc. However, I'm afraid his information will be chiefly of a negative character: if they could dose us with all the different types of vitamins and different types of food and tabulate the results they would have some useful statistics; but unfortunately they have none of the necessary foods and vitamins. So it looks as though we are not even to be allowed to be useful human guinea pigs." 1 For the next edition of The Old Cranbrookian, Janet Howse was kind enough to add this text: "An Australian historian, based in Hong Kong, is working on a doctoral thesis on the topic of the evacuation of British women and children from Hong Kong to Australia in 1940. Most of the children were of school age and the biggest concentration of boys came to Cranbrook School. Using the original Scholars' Register, we are able to locate the names of boys, their dates of birth, arrival and leaving dates at Cranbrook and their previous school. Only one photograph of any wartime 'overseas' boys was published in The Cranbrookian in December 1941 and no others are held in the Archives. If any Old Cranbrookians who were wartime evacuees from Hong Kong or mainland China have any material about their evacuation, including photographs, memorabilia or memoirs, the Archivist would be very interested to hear from you. Of the 63 boys in the photograph, so far the Archivist has been able to identify that 23 were from Hong Kong or mainland China and arrived at Cranbrook during 1940 and 1941. Can anyone help with identifying the boys in the photograph?" Well, I'm not actually Australian, but when I pointed out this minor quibble to Janet she assured me that they weren't prejudiced!
1 Dave Deptford sent me something I hadn't seen before - a link to a news sheet from The Canadian Prisoners of War Relatives Association. This showed a global view, but of course included Hong Kong. A second item from the same source was a letter from the UK to Dorothy Stark (this was presumably Dorothy Kelvin-Stark) at Stanley Camp.
June 1st, 2011 Update
Image:
May Images
Tsimshatsui Mashup (author), Cranbrook school boys (courtesy Janet Howse), Organ & Pester (courtesy Thelma Stewart) Boys anti-tank round (anonymous), Galloway's grave (courtesy John Starrett), Ship Street house (author) Kerr talk poster (courtesy Bill Lake), Castongay's book (courtesy Yves Chevarie), Brian Finch's walk (via Frank Lee)
May News
Galloway's headstone, plus Mark Weedon's comments about his stepfather's post-war career, again made me think about the possible final stage of this research: the post-war lives of all concerned. NtSC covered the fighting, TSotLM and WSST covered the POW/Internee story, the current project is on the evacuated families of the garrison, and the fifth and (perhaps) last is the story of BAAG and the secret war. But completing the story, one day, of 'what happened next' to all concerned is very tempting.
31 Richard Peasley, a police officer in Hong Kong in 1984, notes that some twenty sacks of deliberately buried ammunition came to light in Tai Po in that year. Presumably those who disposed of it hoped to be able to return. I wonder how many other caches like that are still to be unearthed?
30 In a discussion with Barbara Anslow, George Fowler's name came up. He was a Volunteer who was killed in a flying accident with the Air Unit on 24 August, 1940. I had always wondered if the Commonwealth War Graves Commission included records for those killed in WWII in Hong Kong before December 8th 1941, and now I know. They don't.
29 I take back what I said: Barbara Davies wrote a nice article for the SCMP about the dedication of the HKVDC memorial in the UK on the 25th. 29 Thelma Stewart, daughter of William Organ who was lost in Japan, kindly sent me a number of photos of Mr Organ, the family, and their friends from the Dockyards, such as John Pester from the Dockyard Police.
27 Today was marked by the POW and Volunteer lunch in Sydney, and The Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) Association's (to give them the full title) 157th Foundation Day Dinner. The latter takes the form, as far as possible, of a Mess Dinner and Doreen Steidle (the Canadian Consul, who has done so much so well in her short time here) was the chief guest. I was honoured to be invited to both, and rather ashamed that I couldn't attend either.
26 Ron Abbott got in touch again, seeking more information about Royal Scots Pipe-Major Duncan Rankine who survived the Lisbon Maru. Ron believes that: "In 1945 he moved to Canada and served as P/M of the Irish Fusiliers of Canada (the Vancouver Regiment) between 1950 and 1951. He then went on to become Pipe-Major of the 2nd Bn. Royal Highland Regiment, the Black Watch of Canada between 1953 and 1959. He served with the Canadian Army during the Korean War."
25 Today a memorial to the HKVDC was unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum at Alweras, Staffordshire. Alas, it doesn't seem to have made the headlines anywhere.
24 Brian Finch (a Chinese linguist from the post-war Middlesex Regiment) is in town. In October he will be doing a walk to raise money for the surviving Zhoushan fishermen - who took huge risks to rescue Lisbon Maru survivors. Details here (it's slow loading, but worth the wait). 24 Faye Powell says: "I came across a picture of Edward Bellamy's grave in Hong Kong Happy Valley cemetery died 1971. Do you know if that is the same Edward Bellamy of the RN Dockyard Police?" I think it must be, but I have not yet made contact with the family.
22 Cortia Cheng, Project leader of the Heritage Trail and Committee member of the Heritage Gallery (of St Stephen's College, Stanley) sent the following email to Michael Martin's Stanley Group: "I am looking forward to seeing you this November when you visit Hong Kong. Our College was part of the Stanley Internment Camp in the period of 1/1942 - 8/1945. It has its historical significance in the history of the Japanese occupation. Barbara, we have met before when you last visited our College. Thanks for your diary and photos (School Hall). We established this gallery with an aim to arouse the public's awareness about the heroic acts of the soldiers and the sufferings of the people during the Japanese occupation. It is open to public free of charge. The gallery will be divided into two sections, namely School history and World War Two. The World War Two section covers five parts: the Battle of Hong Kong, St. Stephen's College Massacre, Stanley Internment Camp, Liberation and Commemoration. We are now collecting some artifacts and information related to the Battle of Hong Kong and the life of internees in Hong Kong at that time. If you have any artifacts which you want to donate or loan to us, please contact us directly or through Mr Tony Banham and Mr Geoffrey Emerson, our consultants. If you can't, can you allow us to have a scanned copy or the photo(s) for reference?" This is the Bungalow A museum, and I am looking forward to seeing the final version (having last visited while it was still being renovated).
21 Ron Rakusen sent me this extremely helpful link covering the details of the reoccupation of Hong Kong.
17 David Bellis from Gwulo sent this interesting photo. The building in the middle looks like the old Duro Paint Factory, and the one on the left (half obscured by the RFA) is that which I referred to as 'Commercial Press' in NtSC. However, when I look closely at 'my' Commercial Press photo, I see that the building appears to bear the legend 'Harrisons, King & Irwin'.
16 Suzannah Linton has now moved from HKU to Bangor University in Wales. Suzannah, (in case you are reading this) your email system is rejecting mine, so I can't answer your question on the war crimes trial of Sakai! 16 Andrew Suddaby sent photos he had taken many years ago of W. Grott's signature inside PB1 on Jardine's Lookout with the date 11.4.40. Presumably Grott was a volunteer who returned to the UK before the outbreak of war, but thus far I have found no mention of him anywhere. 16 Elizabeth Lai sent a transcript of part of her father's (Sergeant John McDonald, Dockyard Police) POW diary. Running from June 1944 to the end of the war, what strikes the reader hardest is the permanent diarrhoea of this period, plus outbreaks of beri beri and pneumonia. 16 A very rare find from the hills today - a Boys Anti-Tank rifle .55 calibre round. A 1937 design, becoming obsolete at the beginning of the war, the Indian units (at least) were still equipped with these, and they could be effective against lighter tanks such as the Japanese Type 97. Rob Weir kindly checked his records and discovered that Hong Kong's garrison had 51 of these weapons, though this is the first evidence I have seen that they were used in battle.
13 Derrick Rothwell, who kindly sent me so many of William Ward's (RE) photos last year, sent a copy of the scroll (illustrated) that the families of all men killed received with the note 'The enclosed Scroll is sent by Command of The King'. I hadn't realised until seeing the envelope, that these scrolls were sent out by the Department of Pensions.
12 Ian Waters sent me a fascinating copy of a letter he wrote when he was five years old in 1949, mentioning having tea with Anthony Banham 'he came from China'. Small world! 12 Bill Lake notes: "Just nearing the end of the diary I am transcribing and came across this sad paragraph, did you already know about this? In every thing I have read, I have never come across something so graphic: 5th Sept '43 The other day, in the paper, it stated, quite blandly, that all Chinese eating houses had been ordered to erect wire netting round all upper floor balconies to prevent the numerous cases of suicide that keep occurring. The horrible truth is that many of these Chinese - the comparatively poor, though probably educated - come to a final end of all their resources and decide that oblivion and death is the best alternative. A man and wife, or perhaps the members of a family, will then go to a restaurant and wring their last natural satisfaction from cruel humanity by ordering and consuming a meal - the funeral feast - after which they evidently make a dash for the balconies and throw themselves over. Apparently by no means all of them die and I expect the authorities find these broken and maimed specimens of humanity are an encumbrance. Another appeal in the paper to the Chinese to cease burying their dead in waste ground, ruined buildings, cul-de-sacs etc, casts another sinister shadow. They say the Japanese authorities will assist the destitute properly to bury their dead. Good God! If in their fear, and their endeavour to retain the remains of their relatives in accordance with the Chinese customs of ancestor worship, they have been hiding the dead in those crowded slum areas, the danger of disease breaking out is alarming. No wonder the Japanese are waking up and doing something about it; for they are a meticulously clean and hygienic people." Bill also sent an advertisement for a talk (on Tuesday 17 May) at the HK University of Science and Technology by the son of Lt. Kerr who was the downed American Pilot that escaped through Sai Kung in 1944. The second part of the talk will be about the East River Detachment. 12 Well, here's yet another count-the-mistakes newspaper article. From not knowing Osborn's name, to calling Nam Koo Terrace Nam Koo Mansion, to believing what it says on Maxwell's headstone, this one has it all. I always wondered: why do publishers commission outsiders to write this stuff?
11 Janet Howse of the Cranbrook School Archives, Bellevue Hill, Australia, was kind enough to send me a 1941 photograph of 'The Overseas Boys' showing all 63 of the refugees & evacuees studying there at the time - most of whom appear to have been evacuated from Hong Kong. 11 Roland Jones' (HKDDC) step granddaughter got in touch. Jones was lost on Armament Tug Gatling in Aberdeen. 11 Philip Cracknell reports finding a Ying Wah Girls School badge at an inaccessible point in a battlefield. Very odd.
9 Willie Starret, and Ewart Starrett's (Winnipeg Grenadiers), great nephew got in touch. Ewart died at Wong Nai Chung Gap and Willie died at the Black Hole. He kindly attached a picture of a Hong Kong veteran's (William Galloway) headstone that he took yesterday in Ottawa while visiting Beechwood Cemetery. 9 Henry Ching kindly sent me the results of his work into the dates of formation of the units and auxiliary units of the HKVDC. These evolved and changed over the years, with the very last change being when the HKDDC were gazetted as an auxiliary unit of the HKVDC (according to their war diary) on Dec 8, 1941. As far as I know, no other paperwork concerning this survived.
8 Waiting while my wife shopped in Wanchai, I dashed into Ship Street. This was the little lane where the last barricades were put in place to stop any further Japanese advance on Dec 24/25 1941, and where - famously - the Wanchai ladies brought tea to their Middlesex 'chums'. I was glad to see one old house still there - a Tong-lau - that would have witnessed it all. 8 Yang Jing, Director/Associate Professor, Mukden Allied POW Camp Studies, Shenyang University, China, is trying to get in touch with the families of the high-ranking officers held there. He can be found here.
6 Dave Deptford was kind enough to post me a copy of The Hong Kong Fellowship Newsletter. I see that their President was none other than Lieutenant General Grasett, and one of the VPs was Arthur Morris from the Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank. It is a pulling together of all available news from the POW camps, together with interesting snippets about the Red Cross - including the fact that at the date of writing - July 1944 - they had amassed stocks of Red Cross Parcels at Vladivostok, but were unable to get them transferred to Japan.
5 Yves Chevarie, grandson of Laureat Bacon RRoC rifleman E-30652, got back in touch noting that he: "Just bought your book 'We Shall Suffer There' and I noticed that my grandfather's first name had been unfortunately misspelled in the Roll of Honor for 1942, North Point, page 81. It is written Bacon, Lerreat and it should be Bacon Laureat. It would be great if you could correct it in a further edition!" I will. He continued with this translation of a paragraph from the book 'Prisonnier de guerre au Japon (1941-1945)' written by Renee Giard, Bernard Castongay's wife, from Bernard's own war diary. "Wood and cement had been delivered to the camp in the purpose of building 'toilet'. There are 50 Chinese working. First sunny day since a long time today. My friend Bacon told me: 'While I was in the mountains, I broke my knee, and after two days being in the hospital, the Japs took it [St Stephen's Hospital / College]. When they came in, they took the male nurses out and they tortured them to death. There was an old wounded man lying in his bed not to far from me and he has been hit with a heel between his eyes and they broke his glasses. The day after, the peace has been signed and we got out to have some fresh air and I saw 15 dead male nurses with there eyes outside there orbits, broken teeth and ears and lips cut off. It was horrible to see that. Later we burned the bodies." Yves included the POW index card for his grandfather, and a scan of Gastongay's book's cover.
4 Emma Pruen, Granddaughter of Lt. Col. Macpherson has been making a short film about her grandfather's life. See here. 4 I see today some great new reviews on Amazon.com for We Shall Suffer There (UK, US, CA), The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru (UK, US, CA), and Not The Slightest Chance (UK, US, CA). (I was also mildly surprised that hardback versions of NTSC are being sold for over $180 in the States!) 4 For a while now I have been wondering about following the recent trend for mashing-up WWII photos with modern ones (you can find many examples on the web, such as these). It's harder than it looks! My first attempt matches the old Peninsula Hotel pretty well, but clearly more effort is required.
3 Francis Hardy's (RN, lost on the Lisbon Maru) nephew got in touch, sending a photo. 3 Eric Bloomfield was kind enough to send me a copy of Gumbird's post-war report (see last month) on his POW experiences. It was very interesting, and I wish I'd had it when writing We Shall Suffer There as it had some good new information about the Shinagawa / Omori / Nagoya #10B transfers. Among many fine pieces was this on the B29 raids (the effectiveness of which was the immediate cause of that final transfer): "It was always a grand sight to see these enormous planes fly over Tokio, the searchlights made them look weird and ghostly, and despite the heavy anti-aircraft they would fly majestically on. Occasionally a direct hit would cause one of these floating castles to burst into flames and then I felt as though I were part of the plane, and my heart would miss a beat as the crew endeavoured, in vain in most cases, to fight the fire. I will never tire of thanking then men who made these raids possible, and to the crews of these B29s I can only say that you raised the morale of hundreds of prisoners of war while you were doing your duty." 3 Lisbon Maru survivor Dennis Morley sent me a list of behaviours of the Japanese after the tsunami. I found the same on the web here.
1 Mark Weedon, son of Martin Weedon (commanding B Coy Middlesex), and step-son of escapee Tony Hewitt (the Adjutant of the Middlesex), noted that the latter's penultimate army job was as Military Liaison Officer at the British High Commission in Canberra. He went on to close down the army base in Singapore before retiring. 1 Geoffrey Emerson has published the following details of the proposed Stanley gathering at the end of this year: (B = Breakfast. L = Lunch. D = Dinner): Mon. 28 November - Arrive & Check-in Hotel. Tues. 29 November - Welcome lunch at Crown Cellars, Shouson Hill. Talk by Tony Banham & Briefing by Geoff Emerson. After lunch, visit to Stanley Military Cemetery with Geoff. Return to hotel, rest of day free. (BL-) Wed. 30 November - Free day for rest and own activities. Chinese dinner. (B-D) Thurs. 1 December - All day in Stanley with Geoff Emerson - St Stephen's College, Lunch, Stanley Prison grounds. (BL-) Friday, 2 December - Free day until 6 pm. Lecture at Royal Asiatic Society meeting (topic to concern civilian internment). Dinner. (B-D) Saturday, 3 Dec. A.M. - Walk the Wong Nei Chong Heritage Trail with Tony Banham, OR visit the Museum of Coastal Defence with Geoff Emerson. Lunch at the Jumbo Floating Restaurant, Aberdeen. (BL-) Sunday, 4 Dec. A.M. - Attend the Canadian memorial service at the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery, Chai Wan, HK. Farewell lunch at Stanley, Murray House. (BL -) Monday, 5 Dec. Check-out of Hotel. (B--) The cost of Package A (including seven nights hotel) will be HK$12,900 and Package B (without hotel but all other activities noted) will be HK$6000. The hotel will be a good 3 or 4 star hotel located on HK Island and breakfast will be included. With Package A, the price is for two people sharing a room; the single supplement will be HK$4900 (seven nights).
May 1st, 2011 Update
Image:
April Images
Royal Scots cap badge mash-up (Author), Britnell's birthday card (courtesy Marilyn Metcalf), Captain Flynn (courtesy Patrick Flynn) BMH (courtesy Marilyn Metcalf), Repulse Bay Lido (courtesy Marilyn Metcalf), 2 Coy in 1939 (courtesy Kay Hasler) Helmet (courtesy Craig Mitchell), 106 Fuse (courtesy Craig Mitchell), Devil's Peak (courtesy Glen Swemmer)
hong kong world war two .303
April News
Since first becoming interested in Hong Kong's wartime experience - twenty something years ago - I have picked up debris from the fighting all over the place. I do not use a metal detector, and I strongly advise people not to. Those who use detectors do so at their own risk, and most are kind enough to report their finds to me as almost always we can learn something from them. Many interesting items still turn up, but often in the context of unexploded ordnance that gets less stable with age. With that in mind, on this site I have instituted a new policy of still reporting the more interesting finds, but no longer even giving a vague idea of where they turned up.
29 Dave Deptford let me know that Col E. H. M. Clifford, R.E.'s medals are for sale: "Comprising MC (WW1), WW1 medals, WW2 medals and 1953 Coronation (Group 8) for sale as Lot 738 in DNW on 18th May 2011. Estimate GBP1200-1500." I know little about Clifford, except that he was among the senior officers sent to Taiwan and then Mukden.
28 The Royal Society of St George laid a wreath at the Stanley Military Cemetery today, followed by afternoon tea served at the Shek O Country Club hosted by Jim Wardell.
28 Today my wife kindly posted six copies of the Short History of the HKDDC to the people who helped me write it.
28 Glen Swemmer sent a nice set of photos from a recent visit to Devil's Peak and the Japanese tunnels there.
28 The Canadian Consulate report progress in the wording of the proposed plaque at the site of North Point POW Camp. Although this camp housed many nationalities, for a while it was purely a Canadian camp, and is thus the perfect place for such a memorial.
27 Dave Deptford notes that he purchased the 'HK Fellowship Newsletter' and will send a photocopy.
27 Robert Widders notes that his new book on the Irish FEPOWs will be published shortly. (Click on Books)
25 William Long's (HKVDC) niece got in touch. She described how her aunt's first husband was killed mine-laying off Kappel 29-April-43, and she met Mr Long in Australia after the war.
25 Kathleen Crawford (nee Matheson) sent me two interesting newspaper clippings from the evacuation.
24 June Williams, daughter of Frederick Winterton, of the prison Service who lost his right hand opposite the Stanley Police Station in the last desperate fighting on 24/25 December 1941, got back in touch.
23 The Royal Society of St George carried out the traditional St. George's Day Observances at the Cenotaph in Central, followed by an equally traditional English breakfast at the Hong Kong Club.
22 Les Bowie got back in touch. Stepson of William Parkin, RAMC, (who was killed in the St Stephen's massacre), he notes that his photo appears in the September 1st update of this site (scroll down). He is the boy on the far right side of the Stanley photo. His mother is the lady in the front. He also sent me a faded newspaper version of the same picture that he has kept all these years.
21 Arthur Britnell's (RAMC) daughter got in touch. She notes that he helped rescue the assaulted nurses, as recorded in Phyllis Harrops's book, before being interned in Sham Shui Po until liberation. I was able to send her copies of those pages, and in return she sent me many fantastic photos of her father, and from his POW diaries.
19 Ian McNay has very kindly invited me to the Hong Kong Volunteer and ex POW Association of NSW luncheons: "The Association has two luncheons in Sydney during the year - Foundation Day commemorating the 99 people who answered the call to form a first Volunteer Force in HK and Liberation Day - a commemoration of the Liberation of Hong Kong in August 1945. The dates are last Friday of May for Foundation and last Friday of August for Liberation." If my business trips to Australia coincide, I would be honoured to attend.
19 Eric Bloomfield notes that he has come across an interesting document, a five page 'history of the life of' Corporal Abraham Gumburd, 6203907, 1st Middlesex. Apparently it was written on 20 August 1945 immediately after Gumbird's liberation from a camp in Japan.
19 Kay Hasler was kind enough to send yet more great photos - recently discovered - of Ken Mitchell (2 Coy, Scottish, HKVDC).
18 On Michael Martin's Stanley Camp group Brian Edgar notes that: "I recently discovered that Margaret Hearson - who was the subject of a question a while back - retired to my home city of Exeter and died in 2007 at the age of 94". We are still trying to learn more about Pearl Calvert, who does not appear on any of my lists. 18 Working with the indefatigable Craig Mitchell it seems we have located the site of Postbridge.
17 John Bradford in Australia today proved that perseverance pays off. See this short TV report on what he has achieved in terms of recognition fro the Australian POWs who lost their lives attempting to escape from POW camps in the Far East. 17 TK notes finding a book by Canadian poet Gary Geddes, which is simply called 'Hong Kong' and describes the battle through poetry.
16 Mavis Stuchbury kindly sent two photos of wartime evacuees John and Jennifer Black. I corresponded with John until his untimely death a year or two ago.
16 Philip Cracknell reports finding an oiler from an SMLE (a number have turned up recently) and - amazingly - a British-style helmet found on the surface. I say 'British-style' as the location could equally well have been occupied by Canadian troops. About 50% of the helmet survived the 70 years of exposure, and as far as I know this is the first to be found since 2004.
15 Martin Dewick reports finding a flash suppressor (also known as a flash hider). I have an identical one, but have been unable to link it to a Second World War weapon. It looks post-war to me.
15 Elizabeth Ride kindly gave me a 13-page BAAG report on what each building in Hong Kong Island was used for by the Japanese occupiers. Interestingly, the building on the site that mine occupies today was used as the Foreign Affairs Department's Officers' Quarters.
13 Julie Summers notes that she is in touch with the niece-in-law of Stanley Internee George Shaw of the Colonial Nursing Service.
12 Today I was invited to give a lunchtime lecture at Glenealy Primary School. The year 4s there are studying migrations, so I told them about the forced migration of women and children (many of the latter being the audience's age) from Hong Kong to Australia in 1940. It was a very enjoyable session, with some lively Q & A. My favourite question? "What would have happened if the men had been evacuated instead, and the women and children had been left in Hong Kong?"
12 Dave Deptford notes a second 'Hong Kong Fellowship' newsletter for sale on eBay!
11 This morning, for just the second time, I took the Hong Kong Club walkers to the summits of Mount Nicholson and Mount Cameron. It really is a good walk, with great views. Thirty-something started, and around 22 made it. Pretty good as the weather had suddenly turned hot. As we neared the top of Cameron we saw someone surprisingly far ahead of us, and one of the group shouted: "Are you with us?" He replied: "No, I'm the last one up from last year!"
11 Interesting correspondence with Ron Bridge over the fate of nurse 'Sarah' Gubbay who passed away in hospital in 1942. Ron points out that her name was actually 'Sallie', and the CWGC have now corrected that on their site. He also notes that she died of wounds sustained by bombing of the Bowen Road Hospital on December 16, 1941. She is buried in the Jewish Cemetery.
11 Craig Mitchell reports a nice cache of finds including some fuzes and buckles, and what looks like a Japanese 13mm machine gun bullet, but with a cannelure. I always thought a lack of cannelure was what distinguished the 13mm from the American 50 cal, so am a bit confused by that!
10 James Flynn's (Punjabis) son got in contact, sending a nice photo of his father taken shortly post-war. All his father's wartime papers went down when the Tiklawa sank when repatriating 800 Indian POWs from Hong Kong.
9 Marjorie Cook's (Stanley internee, nee Warne) family got in touch. Marjorie's second husband was William Savage of the HKVDC. My correspondent also notes that her uncle, Leslie Warren, "sent his wife and children home in 1938. He stayed on in Hong Kong till late 1941, when he moved his business to Penang. After the fall of Penang, I believe he was recruited into the SOE because of his fluent Cantonese. He was involved in the defence of Singapore and after three months escaped to Ceylon in a fishing boat, where he met up with my father."
9 Philip Cracknell reported some interesting finds, including a variety of SMLE rifle-fired British .303 and Bren gun fired Canadian .303. As always, the headstamps and firing pin shape give the provenance.
(Illustrated. SMLE at top, Bren at bottom).
8 David Morgan Richards' and Mary Adela de Courcy Richards' (Stanley Internees) family in California got in touch. They note that the couple had a daughter who seems to have left Hong Kong before the war, and isn't in any of my records. They'd like to trace her. They thought that David was an ex-teacher at St Stephen's College, but a little research shows that he was the headmaster of the (then) news Central British School at Ho Man Tin - now KGV.
7 Wes Injerd asked a question about British internees at Bilibid camp in the Philippines, and I routed it to Ron Bridges who knows much more about the camps outside HK than I do. He notes that he has 150,000 names on his files altogether, but of the civilian internee component: "All British civilians (19,480 plus 1,551 commonwealth) with basic details: Name forename and one camp are contained in a Memorial Book which I produced which is in St Michael's church Cornhill London with copies at the Imperial War Museum London, Guildhall Library London, AWM Canberra, NZWM Auckland, Changi Museum Singapore and CWM Ottawa."
5 Martin Heyes found this excellent link. Derek Hill, RA, quoted here gives one of the best accounts of returning to the UK (post liberation) I have yet heard: "We embarked on the 'Empress of Australia' after all the very sick had sailed on hospital ship. Landed in Manila where we were looked after by the Americans, a daily issue of 40 cigarettes, 4 cigars. 1 ounce of tobacco and three cans of beer. Then on the USS Admiral Hughes to Vancouver, across Canada by train to Truro New Brunswick, living like kings all the way. Then the 'Isle de France' to Southampton. We pulled alongside midmorning crowds to meet us and one ex 12 battery Fred Farminer and his wife. Sadly he was calling over asking about our pals and I had to return the call each one of whom was dead. I then realised how quiet everything had gone, and a Major suggested I meet him later. Up to London two afternoons later, it was dark on arrival at Victoria, someone said 'Anyone for Liverpool Street?' - yes - I climbed into the back of a truck and it dropped me off some way from the station, I waved farewell to the lads and started to make my way in the pitch dark in a strange country after nine years and all that had happened in between; I also realised I was on my own, and after all those years of close company I felt really frightened. However arrived home at Felixstowe at midnight on 29th Nov 1945. Mother, Father, and Sister to greet me, I phoned Newcastle the next day to contact my Joan Mary, she was in the A.T.S. Radar. What an elegant voice, I thought I was talking to the Queen 'Meet me on Kings Cross on Friday at 7 p.m.' 'Yes Ma'am'. I waited on that station gazing round wondering what I should discover after almost 10 years when I received a tap on the shoulder and there she was pretty as a picture with beautiful bright blue eye, I had to salute her, she was a Lieutenant. We married on January 9th 1946 and I saluted her for 52 1/2 years. She passed away June 12th 1998. I was invalided out on war pension in June 1946, so that is the very end of my Gunners tale. I shall be 82 in November and consider myself one of the most fortunate, apart from my eyesight - which you can tell by my terrible typing is pretty feeble, physically I'm very well, I cycle a lot (I have to, my Joan did all the Driving) until recently I've grown all our own vegetables and I go swimming in the pool. We live a couple of hundred yards from the sea."
5 Philip and Jen Burton have announced that they have deposited the transcript of WISP (William Sprague's, HKVDC, diary) with Roderick Suddaby at the Imperial War Museum. They have also kindly passed a copy to me.
5 Here's a good page from Gwulo, and a good place from which to navigate to other interesting pages.
4 Searching through old newspapers I finally came across a list of Hong Kong evacuees who got as far as the Philippines in July 1940 before turning around and returning to Hong Kong on August 4 of that year. To my surprise there were more than 80 names there, and I am in touch with one. I also used to be in touch with Bill Dudman from this group, so Bill, if you are reading this, please get in touch again!
4 Craig Mitchell notes, on a venture today into the hills: "The first thing I found, I think comes from an artillery shell, It's the part that screws into the top of a shell which the fuze then screws into and weights a ton... I'm still trying to positively ID it, maybe from 150mm Howitzer. We didn't find much else until near the end when I stumbled on an area with loads of .303s right near the surface. I called [person B] over to search the area and he found a lovely [Royal Scots] cap badge, in great condition. He is currently getting it cleaned up. That was clearly [the] find of the day, and up there with the best. [Person B] was very pleased (he is a lucky [gentleman]). I did also find a nice bit of a British No106E Fuze, which I'm guessing came from Happy Valley." So I took a photo of the newly-found cap badge and married it to one kindly given to me by Royal Scot Dennis Morley some years back.
3 Alec Henderson's (Winnipeg Grenadiers) wife Eldeen was kind enough to get in touch. She notes that: "Al told how he had rigged up a hot plate to warm some drinking water. At one time they were given a bit of a Red Cross parcel. I know he used the hot plate to warm up something from that treat but I can't remember what. He told about them being lined up and beaten on occasion because of something that irritated the Japanese. I don't think Al ever worked in the mines. He did work in a factory which meant he could steal material to make the hot plate plus they stole lunches from the Japanese workers. Stealing the lunches bothered him as the Japanese were hungry too." 3 Geoff Emerson continues to work on plans for the Stanley Internment Camp gathering at the end of this year. The currents activities include a Welcome Lunch on Tuesday, 29 Nov, a walk around Wong Nai Chung Trail on Saturday, 3 Dec - (followed by lunch at the Jumbo Restaurant) and a final gathering - Sunday, 4th Dec - following the CWGC Canadian service, with lunch at Murray House, Stanley.
3 Luba Estes, daughter of Lieutenant Skvorsov who created those famous sketches of life in Shamshuipo, has declared herself fully in favour of some of her father's artwork being used in the proposed new POW memorial at Shamshuipo.
2 Edward Joseph Fisher's (HKVDC, 3 Coy) adopted son got in touch. He notes: "his father Frederick Alfred Fisher died in Stanley and his fellow inmates carved a granite headstone."
1 Jon Cooper of the Adam Park Project in Singapore got in touch. It would be very interesting to consider possible Hong Kong candidates for such research.
1 Andrew Suddaby reminded me that he had mentioned the graffiti in PB1 as long ago as 2002. But I can't find 'Grott' in any of my records. Does anyone know who he was?
1 Brice Waldron kindly sent me the Spring 2011 'The Die-Hards' newsletter, which included Bruce Finch's article on the Lisbon Maru.
1 In reply to Richard Hide's question: "is it possible to establish if [Admiral Chan Chak's award] was the first Military Division Honorary KBE to a Chinese National", Alison Banks of the Honours Secretariat, Protocol Directorate, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, noted that she: "asked the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood if they would be able to help with this" and got the following reply: "According to an earlier record we have, there was at least one previous Honorary KBE (Military) awarded to a Chinese national - to Major General Tsai-li T'ang on 3rd March 1920. There may have been others but it would appear that Vice Admiral Chan-chak Chaushek wasn't the first."
1 TK attended the symposium today at UOT. He notes that over 200 people came, and was kind enough to send me abstracts of the talks.
1 Wes Injerd kindly put a link to the new 'Exhibition' page on the late and brilliant Roger Mansell's website.
April 1st, 2011 Update
Image:
March Images
Joe Howell (courtesy Janet Howell), Chan Chak's decorations (courtesy Richard Hide), Whittaker's MI9 Questionnaire (courtesy Jonathan Moffat) Inside PB1 (courtesy Craig Mitchell), Chan Chak with Smollett? (courtesy Richard Hide), Innoshima HKVDC (courtesy Wayne Carew) Hung Hom pre-war (courtesy TK), Waldron in later years (courtesy Bruce Waldron), 6.5mm charger (courtesy 'ethical detectorists')
March News
Diplomacy is an old science. With China rising fast, and Hong Kong a place where the western world shed blood in a shared conflict, the opportunity to put two and two together should not be too hard to see. The Canadians have been masterful - and entirely appropriate - in placing memorials to C Force all around the HKSAR. But what about the Brits? With our long shared history (1841-1997), shouldn't we be thinking about memorials too? The Indian forces also shed blood, though with partition coming so soon after the war, there are clearly challenges in memorialising a combined Indian/Pakistan past.
Meanwhile, this month sees a new feature on the site. Click on Exhibition in the left margin. I don't know how regularly I will be able to refresh the exhibitions shown here, so I'm starting off with something very special.
30 The Chinese International School has an internal display of the photos exhibited at the annual Canadian Memorial Service at Sai Wan last December. There's an interesting video about it here.
29 Visited the official residence of the Canadian Consul to see some draft plans for a new POW Camp memorial. Very, very impressive. There's still a lot of work to be done, but things are looking extremely hopeful.
29 Sadly, Allan Garradley notes: "My uncle Bert passed away Sunday morning 27th March 2011. He was 91years old. Sad to say another survivor of the Lisbon Maru gone". In memory of Gunner Bert Garradley, 56662 R.A. Their name liveth for evermore.
29 Craig Mitchell reports finding an armour-piercing .303 round. He notes that it has the headstamp: "K 1941 WI. The K = Kynoch and the WI refers to Armor Piercing MK1 (incendiaries have a 'B' prefix and Tracers have 'G'... from that factory)."
28 Michael Soares notes: "My father's family goes back several generations to Hong Kong and Macao. My father was jailed by the Japanese when they invaded HK." I am hoping to find out more.
27 Returned home after a business trip to San Francisco, to find twenty offprints of my Short History of the HKDDC for the Royal Asiatic Society's Fiftieth Anniversary Journal. To be honest, looking at this slim volume I'm a bit embarrassed that we have waited so long for it.
27 Needing some fresh air, I headed up Violet Hill to try and find evidence that D Coy Royal Rifle's of Canada attacked the Japanese there along a certain path. I failed miserably in that endeavour, but found a nice piece of driving band (illustrated). Looking at it, it's not surprising that thousands of people have hiked past it over the years without realising what it was. Typically, it has fractured along the rifling. By the size (about 1.5 inches - or 3.8 cm to the Imperially challenged) it is most likely from a large-calibre British shell.
25 Ron Rakusen notes that he just bought a copy of the iconic photo of Wendy Rossini at Stanley from eBay here.
24 John Matthews, son of Clifford Matthews of the Winnipeg Grenadiers, got back in touch. John helped with interviewing his father - who was with Osborn VC when the latter was killed - for Not The Slightest Chance.
23 While with Elizabeth Ride on Sunday I noticed a reference to a Mogra who was clearly the father of Jimmy Edulji Mogra of 3 Coy. She delved further and found a reference to him in BAAG files as: "A British subject of mixed race formerly resident in Canton, but lived in Kweilin for the past 10 years. Has done business of all kinds with the Kwangsi Provincial authorities, being at one time their adviser on transport matters."
22 Francesca Sankey got back in touch, quoting an email from her father: "There were 7 Prata brothers in 1936/39. The two eldest, Frederico and Henrique were Portuguese Citizens and were exempt from service. Of the remaining 5, Mario Americo was in the Police Auxiliary Force. Alberto Maria was staff of the RN Dockyard and member of their ARP Civilian Defence force. Neither Mario nor Alberto were called up on 8th Dec 1941. The remaining three were:
Fernando Augusto No. 3605 No. 6 AALA Portuguese Coy, HKVDC
Manuel Gonzaga No. 3606
Alfredo Jose Maria No. 3604
Fernando was recalled on 8th Dec 1941 by his employer HSBC and saw no action. On 12th Nov 1943 he was arrested, together with a friend, 'Spuggy' da Silva of the Dutch (NTD) Bank, by the kempetai on 'suspicion of espionage' and was taken to Stanley Prison where he was interrogated and tortured. On 12th Jan 1944 Fernando was tried by a Japanese Military Court and sentenced to 2 years' imprisonment and was released by the British Re-Occupation Forces in late '45. He did not divulge the whereabouts (buried) of the contents of the HSBC Safety Deposit boxes from the vaults of HSBC. For more details please see HK Archivist File PRATA HK Police Court case file no. 30/1946 Rex vs Harry Hyndman Sect (missing) No. GR108/2566/1946. Prisoner Harry Hyndman - Petition and SCMP dated 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 8th September 1946."
21 Andrew Jackson's (Royal Scots) Granddaughter got in touch.
21 Richard Hide sent some photos of Admiral Chan Chak's medals.
17 The Ravenhill family are asking about Great, Great Uncle Collingwood Ravenhill. He served in Hong Kong in the late 1930s, and I was very pleased to be able to show them details of his wedding, and his HKSRA service, despite this being outside my normal comfort zone of 41-45!
17 Who is the officer standing next to Admiral Chan Chak? Richard Hide wants to know. After a great deal of research, Vaughan Ashby suggests: "It is clear from your photo that Chan Chak's CBE was military version, with the central grey stripe. We can therefore assume that the medals worn by both in your photo show the ribbon of the CBE. As we know when Chan Chak won his, this dates the photo as after the fall of HK. We also know for sure that General Smollett had the CB, CBE, DSO and MC. I went on the Google and looked up the CB (Companion of the Order of the Bath) and 'lo and behold', the ribbon is a single dark red colour, similar to that of the VC but a bit lighter. The blow-up photo that you have just sent me shows a plain dark coloured ribbon worn in front of the CBE. It also shows that the 3rd medal, which I had not previously had a good look at, is very probably the DSO. In which case it is in the correct order of precedence in his array of medal ribbons. I had imagined that he won all these medals later on in the war, but maybe not. I am sorry I have taken a bit of time and a roundabout route to get to these conclusions but my excuse is that it is not easy to judge the colour of medal ribbons off old black and white photos! So what have we got? We can now be sure that we have a Major-General, almost certainly of Durham Light Infantry, wearing, in your first photo, the ribbons of the CBE and DSO. In your second photo, taken later, he appears also to wear the ribbon of the CB. We know that in 1937 the 1st battalion Durham Light Infantry were posted to China and remained there until 1939 and that their C in C was Major General Alexander Telford Smollett, CB, CBE, DSO, MC, who later went on to serve with the Highland Light Infantry. We can assume he won his MC at a later date since this medal is definitely not in your photos. I rest my case, Your Honour! What you may wish to do is research the dates on which Smollett won his CB and CBE. Your photo of him with Chan Chak will therefore fall somewhere between these two dates. How were they photographed together? Maybe Smollett was on his way to somewhere else later in the war and stopped off to have a 'photo opportunity' with Chan Chak? This we will maybe never know but it is obvious from the photo that they knew each other well..." 17 At PB1, Craig Mitchell dropped a camera down through the commander's observation tower, and found some interesting graffiti inside. The names of 'G White', 'Hicks', and 'Grott' were visible. The first two were involved in the epic defence of the position in Dec 19, 1941. A date of April 1940 was stenciled by the names. Could this really be genuine?
16 Edgar Joseph Woollcott's (Royal Engineers, Lisbon Maru) nephew got in touch.
16 The 'ethical detectorist' crew have one new member, and had some finds today - including yet another Japanese 6.5mm charger.
15 I asked three old friends, Tom Dempster, Elizabeth Doery, and Henry Ching their memories of the racism implicit in the original evacuation of British women and children 'of pure European descent', and received some very interesting replies. I would be interested in any other views that those who recall those times have.
15 Barbara Anslow notes: "Have had news from Australia of the death last week of an ex-Stanley internee, CHIN YU WILLIAMS, at age of 86. I got in touch with her some years ago by email since when we've corresponded every Christmas. We knew Chin Yu in Stanley as 'Betty MacGowan'; her father (not in camp) was Chinese. She was a beautiful teenager then, with thick glossy long hair. She and her younger brother were both repatriated to America in Sept. 1943. After the war, we were astonished and delighted to learn that Betty was a famous London stage actress, using her Chinese name. She married her leading man and had a family." Brian Edgar added this little obit, and added that she had a daughter - also an actress, who died tragically young. Link. 15 Rebecca Peill asked how her Dad, Arthur Ernest Peill, got home from Hong Kong in 1940. Unfortunately he's not in any of my lists.
13 Leonard Jordan's (RE, Lisbon Maru) got in touch via Ron Taylor (UK). Jordan's wife and four children were evacuated to Australia.
13 Geoff Emerson put a notice about the proposed Stanley gathering at the end of this year, on the Stanley Group site.
13 Looks like I'm set up to speak at the Museum of Coastal Defence on September 3 on the context of the Hong Kong POW escapes. 3-5pm, in their Lecture Theatre, 50 seats first come first served.
11 Michael Hurst let me know about this very interesting event at the University of Toronto. Unfortunately I didn't get to hear about it early enough to advertise it on this site. Link.
8 Simon Bretherton, who lived in Hong Kong as a youngster (his father was in the police 1954-76, notes: "there is much debate among my contemporaries who all lived at Caldicot Road, known too as Pipers Hill on the Tai Po Road (3 1/2 miles out of Kowloon). As adventurous nippers we, against all orders, regularly explored the caves dug amongst the hills over looking the harbour, we only ever found Ammo boxes with Japanese markings and assumed the caves were dug by them. It is know believed the caves were dug by Brit and local defenders before the attack." As far as I know, these would have been dug by the Japanese towards the end of the war.
8 Had a slightly bizarre experience today. Was walking home along Bowen Road in the evening when a small petal blew down from a tree and brushed my face. Thought nothing of it until I got home and realised my neck was itchy - and found said lacquer tree petal trapped in my shirt collar, which was pressing all the juices from it into my neck... Luckily it's my fourth or fifth such encounter, and doesn't seem to be too bad (yet. For those not in the know, this is our local Poison Ivy.)
8 Craig Mitchell has been helping try to find the site of the house known as Postbridge during the war. Having looked at an old hand-drawn map and the ground today, the area now occupied by Celestial Gardens seems most likely.
6 Janet Howell, Joe Howell's daughter-in-law, kindly sent (via Stuart Braga) a photo of Joe and several of his letters.
5 Jonathan Moffat let me know that: "I was at Kew on Thursday... The attached - on two emails - is a Lib. Q. attachment by Captain John G. Whittaker - the last two pages readable; you may be able to decipher/rescue some of the rest." The questionnaire details the well-known escapes from Shamshuipo, and the escape committee, but also had a unique comment on failed escapes. I had heard rumours of these, but this is the first 'official' list of names I have seen: "In either January or February '42 the following other ranks made attempts to escape but were unsuccessful:
L/Bdr Thompson 12th Coast Regt RA
L/Sgt Salisbury T 5th AA Regt RA
L/Sgt Fuller 5th AA Regt RA
L/Bdr Evans D 5th AA Regt RA
L/Bdr Thompson. As far as I know this NCO walked out of Shamshuipo Camp through the wire into the town at night. About an hour later he ran into a street patrol and was taken into custody. He was interrogated by the Japanese and in due course was sent back to Camp after being knocked about to a slight extent.
L/Sgt Salisbury, L/Sgt Fuller, L/Bdr Evans. These NCOs, as far as I know, on leaving Camp through the wire on the west side of Camp swam in the direction of Lai Chi Kok beach till they struck land. They, then, heading for the New Territories border wet up over Tai Mo Shan. The second evening after leaving Camp, feeling hungry, they came down to a village near Taipo and asked for & were given food by some Chinese. They left the village and were soon afterward picked up by a Japanese patrol which had been set on them by the Chinese villagers. They were brought back to a Gendarmerie post in Kowloon where they were questioned and eventually sent back to Camp. I understand that thirty were considerably knocked about - Sgt Salisbury, in particular, who was the Senior NCO." 5 Michael Martin posted an interesting photo to the Stanley Camp Group. He notes: "Hong Kong Police Reserves - circa 1940 or 1941. Most ended up in Stanley Camp. My grandfather (A J Savitsky) is 2nd row, 5th from right."
5 Dave Deptford sent a link to an item for sale on eBay. It's a newsletter of some sort, entitled 'Hong Kong Fellowship'. I know that some societies of ex-HK refugees sprang up in Australia (where the evacuees were), and realised that they had some sort of newsletters. I wonder if this is where it's from? Unfortunately the photo is just too small for me to make out the names. However, the text appears to begin: "The Hong Kong Fellowship was formed to bring together those whose relatives and friends are prisoners in Japanese hands. Information concerning the Hong Kong prisoners is collected from every available source." Dave pointed me to a set of these in the Braga collection, where it said: "Among the treasures are 8 of only 9 issues published of the Hong Kong Fellowship Newsletter published by the British government during World War II and privately circulated to relatives of prisoners in Japanese camps."
4 A number of interesting conversations with Max Braga, about the friendship between his parents, Jack Tibbs (who died as a POW in Japan, and whose parents oddly enough moved to my small North Norfolk village), and Signaller Joe Howell (who was killed by shellfire at Stanley on December 25, 1941). Has also revealed that Max's maternal uncle Ernest Morris lost his left arm when HMS Thracian was bombed in Aberdeen. Max notes: "[Joe Howell] and Jack Tibbs spent a lot of time with us and, as my mother stated in her letter to which you refer, they did indeed become close friends of ours, so much so that, if my memory serves me correctly at this distance in time, I and my sister Janyce called them 'Uncle' Joe and 'Uncle' Jack. I remember Joe as quite tall, slim, with fair or light brown hair and glasses, and Jack as stocky, with black hair and seemingly always smiling or laughing. I recall an occasion when, together with my mother's brother Ernest Morris, who was a naval officer serving with [HMS Thracian] in Hong Kong at the time, we all went to the beach at Castle Peak in Kowloon for the day where we used a red canoe and a rowing boat. Joe, Jack and Ern took turns using the boats and occasionally taking my sister and myself with them, enjoying races in the boats, whilst our parents enjoyed swimming and organising a picnic." 4 Wayne Carew (Duncan Boag Izatt's - HKVDC - step-son) got back in contact, passing on a few photos from Hong Kong's Public Records Officer, including a well-known one of the 'Genki Boys' at Innoshima. One of the others was the photo of the HKVDC returnees on the deck of an aircraft carrier (HMS Ruler), under a Grumman Avenger, on their way back to Hong Kong at the end of 1945. I was looking for this one as a potential illustration for We Shall Suffer There, but at that time couldn't recall where I had seen it!
2 Doreen Steidle notes that her speech from the Canadian Memorial Service last December is now online here.
1 Referring to last month's post, TK says: "Do you know the background on Fred Hardin's picture? The peak on the background is Victoria Peak or simply the Peak. The beach was located on the present day Chatham Road (quite near to Hunghom). The picture must be taken around or before 1930s. I saw that beach on my collections of old photos of HK."
1 This afternoon I spent in the welcome company of the Canadian Consul, looking at a possible site for a new plaque about the Canadian contribution to the defence of Hong Kong
March 1st, 2011 Update
Image:
February Images
Fred Harding (courtesy Simon Harding), Commodore's House (Author), Burnett letter (courtesy Irene Thomson) Harding on beach (courtesy Simon Harding), Private Herity (courtesy Richard Wright), Japanese interpreters (courtesy Jen & Philip Burton) 6.5mm charger, Type 88 fuse (both courtesy Craig Mitchell), Neve's grave (courtesy Philip Cracknel)
February News
See the entry for the 24th, and the planned unveiling of the new HKVDC memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum at Alweras in Staffordshire. As this is where the Researching FEPOW History conference is held every two years, it's a fitting location - though it would be nice to duplicate the monument here in Hong Kong.
27 Does anyone know the fate of the War Department vessel French? The HERO people are asking, and I have no details.
26 Anson Ng gave a talk today at the Museum of Coastal Defence today about the BAAG, Chik Kang and the 'Reds'.
25 Via Simon Jones, I received two more photos of Major Neve.
25 Craig Mitchell again reports interesting finds, including fuses from a British 2-inch mortar and a Japanese 37mm.
24 Colonel J R Heywood, OBE, ED notes: "You may wish to know that a memorial is being placed in the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, in memory of all those who served in the HKVDC and those who sacrificed their lives in defence of Hong Kong in World War II. The memorial has been completed and will be installed in the Arboretum this week. It will be unveiled on the 25th May 2011 by Field Marshall Sir John Chapple and a dedication service will be conducted on that day by Canon Stephen Sidebotham, formerly the Dean of Hong Kong Cathedral. A wreath will be laid by Major Francis Crabb OBE, ED a surviving member of the Corps. The unveiling will be followed by luncheon at the Arboretum to be attended by a number of relatives of former Corps members and former members of the Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers)." Francis Crabb is ex 2 Coy, of course. If anyone wants to attend, let me know and I will put you in touch with Colonel Heywood.
21 From Dave Deptford, the first Hong Kong Chinese Regiment item I have ever seen: Link.
19 Joseph Howell's (RCS) daughter-in-law got in touch.
19 Via Michael Stewart, I am in contact with the daughter of Sergeant Charles Douglas Walker who was attached to Number One car of the HKVDC Armoured Car Unit. This car was heavily engaged in Wong Nai Chung, and was eventually lost there later on Dec 19.
18 Had an email today from James Scott, an American writer working on a book on WWII submarine forces in the Pacific. He notes: "One of the sub crews I am writing about ended up in the Omori POW camp". He sent me the Omori Report of Recovery Team 56, and in return I sent him some pages from Lewis Bush's reports that I hope will be of use. 18 Received another very interesting email from Jack Mitchell, HKVDC, today, noting (among other things): "The Small Playground at Wan Chai Gap: Did you know that the Playground is built over a war-time food storage godown?"
17 Stanley French's (RN, Lisbon Maru) grandson got in touch.
16 Had an interesting meeting today with Chris Munn of HKUP, to talk about projects old and new. Most positive was the fact that HKUP may consider an expanded and revised version of NtSC!
15 Peter Cunich tells me that - finally - the 50th Journal of the Hong Kong RAS is to be published shortly. This is the one that includes my short history of the HKDDC.
14 George Allan McCaskie's (BAAG) family got in touch. Elizabeth Ride helped with the details they were searching for: "George Allan McCaskie was a Malayan Civil Service Cadet, learning Cantonese in Macau when the war started. My BAAG papers include a 12-page report written by him on the conditions in Macau, and containing a short description of his escape on 24.5.42 from there via Samfau and Kweilin to Chungking. From there he was posted by the Military Attache to BAAG HQ in Kukong, joining on 5.7.42. There are records of his interviews there with Chinese Servicemen who had escaped from Hong Kong. He was left in charge of the Kukong post when the BAAG HQ moved to Kweilin in late August 1942, but died of typhoid there on 5.9.42. The funeral was held at the Ho Sai Methodist Hospital on 6.9.42." Post war he was buried in Sai Wan link.
13 Ex-journalist Richard Wright got in contact from Canada noting: "a friend of mine was working in a West End of Vancouver rooming house many years ago and found a box of papers in the garbage, when the box bottom fell out, and knew the papers were too important to be incinerated. There was a diary from Hong Kong, photos, papers etc. He loaned me some of these documents pertaining to [Private] Herity and for several years I used them to write stories on Remembrance Day. In 1993 the HK vets Association called me, and then some months later his daughter, who was living in BC and had had my articles passed to her. Her mother was still alive. Her dad, Private Herity, had been buried in the Military Cemetery in North Vancouver. He died April 17, 1964."
12 Philip Cracknell kindly set a photo of Neve's grave to the family.
10 I was contacted by the Canadian Consulate on the question of the location of a plaque to be presented by Parks Canada to commemorate C Force.
8 Gordon Harold Reynolds's (BAAG) daughter-in-law got in touch. 8 Warwick Ross (son of Ted Ross, Ministry of Information - who was on the famous MTB escape of Christmas Day 1941) is making a film about the event link. 8 Picked up a book called George Cross Heroes, and naturally looked to see if the Hong Kong recipients were there. They were, which was good, but I saw in Douglas Ford's chapter a quote from his brother Jim Ford, MC, that included the publisher's note 'no relation'. I let them know that Jim was Doug's brother, and had a very nice reply.
7 Ian Blair's (Punjabis) grandson got in touch.
7 Craig Mitchell reports finding a full Arisaka 6.5mm charger. 7 Via Simon Jones, today I received two chapters of Richard Neve's account of his life and evacuation from Australia. One chapter included moving detail of Richard hearing of his father's death. 7 Philip and Jen Burton, daughter and son in law of William Sprague (HKVDC Armoured Cars), got in touch again about the latter's diary, sending a newspaper cutting of three of the Japanese POW Camp interpreters awaiting trial after the war. In response to last month's comments about Hubbard and book binding, they note these two entries: "2.11.44. Saw Capt Hubbard of the F.A. staff about making a book of P.O.W paper to continue this diary in. He is a charming chap & readily offered to make it.
21.11.44. So here I am coming to the end of this book. I started writing every line & thought it wouldn't at that rate last out the imprisonment. At half line spacing I didn't doubt that it would see me thro' - but it was not to be. So I close it in the hope that not many pages of the new book which Capt Hubbard of the F.A. staff has made & bound for me, will be necessary before the war is over & we are all on our way to happy reunions with our loved ones."
5 Philip Cracknell was kind enough to contact me, saying that he was in touch with one of Major Neve's relatives. Mr Neve, of course, was wounded by a grenade on December 20 at Shouson Hill after leaving his car - with Godfrey Bird - when inspecting units there, passing away as a result of infection on January 23, 1942. I sent the family a few documents from my collection, including Bunny Browne's recollections of the man, and the report from Queen Mary's Hospital. As a bonus for me, I am now in touch with Neve's son who was evacuated to Australia.
5 Walking home from work I took a photo of the Commodore's House at the junction of Bowen Road and the Peak Tram Track. Does anyone know what it was used for during the war?
4 Craig Mitchell reported a number of interesting finds, including a fired Type 88 fuse, a Japanese type 89 fuse holder, a pre-war fork, a Japanese knife, and part of an RAMC shoulder flash. 4 Dave Deptford sent me a note: "Please see eBay 190496303821 in HK Militaria - WW2 medals to Ernest Charles GRAFTON Pte 6202775 1MX captured HK Dec 41 and allegedly on the Lisbon Maru, to Osaka 1B where he died of amoebic dysentery 13.10.1942... this group is accompanied by his brother's medals, involved in Market Garden." Interesting for me, as I used to live in Holland and studied the Market Garden campaign (which of course culminated at Arnhem) quite thoroughly. Vandeleur Grayburn's (of Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank fame) nephew won the Victoria Cross there. (Dave later updated me that Grafton's medals were sold for GBP250 only). 4 A medal collector contacted me, asking for information on Fred Henry Harding, HKDDC, whose medals he had recently purchased. He included several interesting photos, including Mr Harding's Dockyard pass, and another of him sitting on an unidentified beach. According to my records, he was a POW in Shamshuipo until the end of the war.
4 Peter Howson was kind enough to drop me a line on one of the survivors of the Lisbon Maru: "News has reached me of the death of Fred Keel. I have no details of the funeral, which sadly I shall not be conducting. He will be sadly missed. I think that he was the final Inverness link with the war in Hong Kong."
3 Martin Heyes sent me this video of a guided tour he conducted along the Wong Nai Chung Gap Trail link. It's a bit odd seeing someone else conduct people around what I think of as 'my' trail!
2 Henry Ching let me know that 3625 Cpl P. A. Yvanovich of No. 6 (LAA) Coy had passed away about a month ago, just as I was writing to him to ask if I could purchase a copy of his memoirs. Henry noted that Yvanovich was descended from 'one of the 99'. When I expressed ignorance, he explained: "The 99 were the men who responded to the Government's circular in 1854, resulting in the raising of the Hong Kong Volunteer Corps on 30th May of that year. In the centenary year, 1954, the new toast 'The Ninety Nine' was introduced, to be given at each Defence Force mess dinner. This became established practice, and 'The 99' is still the toast at any formal dinner of ex-members of the Defence Force or at Regimental Association dinners, following the Loyal Toast. The 99 names are listed in the Centenary Number of The Volunteer (Journal of the RHKDF)." I really should have known that!
1 Through Ron Tayor (UK) I got back in contact with the family of Royal Scot Alexander Buchan Burnett. He is noted as being captured on December 10th, 1941, which must have been at the Shing Mun Redoubt or Golden Hill. They sent me several photos (illustrated) and letters. One of the letters is of that depressing set, sent three months after the Lisbon Maru sank (taking Mr Burnett with it) offering 'reassuring news' that he was a POW.
1 Ron Parker was kind enough to put me in touch with the son of Sergeant Ozzie Clark, C Coy, Royal Rifles of Canada. 1 Jim Trick from the HKVCA kindly noted that there was a bug in my website, with some text cut off on the home page. Went in and fixed it, and also fixed some formatting issues that have been dogging it for a while.
