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In 1941, with the assistance of the East River Column, anti-Japanese officers in the Chinese and British armies succeeded in breaking through the Japanese siege.

68 years later, descendants of those escapees retraced the steps of their forefathers, trying to continue the Sino-UK friendship established in the old days.

In December 1941, the Pacific War broke out as Hong Kong was invaded by the Japanese. After a hard-fought battle lasting 18 days, the British Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Aitchison Young, surrendered to the Japanese on Christmas Day 1941.

On that same evening, a group of 71 British and Chinese officers and naval crews decided to break the siege. David Mercer MacDougall of the Hong Kong Ministry of Information, Lt C J Collingwood, Major Colin Mitchell McEwan, Admiral Chan Chak and his ADC Henry Heng Hsu and his Coxswain Yeung Chuen were among them.

They made a dramatic escape by 6 Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs), 5 of which survived under heavy enemy fire and landed at Nan’ao, Shenzhen. Aided by local people and the Guangdong People's Anti-Japanese Guerrilla groups (later known as the East River Column Guerrillas), 68 of them walked for four days and nights from the coast of Nan’ao and managed to get to Free China in Waichow, now also known as Huizhou.

On 27 December 2009, nearly 70 descendants from 14 families of the original escapees gathered at Nan’ao, to retrace the route their forefathers used to escape from Nan’ao to Huizhou 68 years ago.

Memories From Father’s Diaries

The Hong Kong Escape Re-enactment Organisation (HERO) was founded by descendants of the escape party. Most of them didn’t know they had such a special relationship with China before they started collecting bits and pieces of information about the escape by hearing the stories or reading the diaries of their forefathers.

Back in 1996, one of the descendants, Richard Hide, put up a website to reveal the heroic escape his father took part in. As time passed, descendants from all over the world found each other through the Internet. Now, there are more than 100 members on this website, sharing information about their forefathers, such as diaries and pictures.

Alison McEwan, daughter of Major Colin Mitchell McEwan, discovered her father’s diaries while sorting through her mother’s belongings. In the diary, she read about her father’s thrilling experience in the escape. “My respect for my father led to the idea of retracing the escape route,” she recalls.

Alison’s husband Tim Luard, a retired BBC journalist, helped his wife acquire old maps of Guangdong and Hong Kong to discover the original escape route. After several years’ preparation, their plan came to fruition in 2008 as they undertook a 7-day walking tour to relive the original 5-day escape route.

Old witness tells the breathtaking story

Henry Heng Hsu, the last member of the escapees, passed away last year at the age of 98. Richard Hide, stressed that rather than reconstructing the distant past, their re-enactment intended to commemorate the achievements of their forefathers and express their gratitude to those who had helped their forefathers in the escape.

To their surprise, the descendants met an old witness of the escape at the spot where the MTBs landed in Nan’ao. Luo Deyan, 88, is a local villager whose family has been living in Nan’ao for generations.

“The local guerrillas thought they were Japanese and targeted them with machine guns. They waved white flags and communicated with the guerrillas, who helped them stay for one night in Guangyin Shan Temple before escorting them to their final destination in Huizhou.” Luo still remembers the details of that gloomy day.

Robert Macmillan didn’t want to miss a single word while listening to the stories from the old witness. During the journey, he constantly carried with him the photo of the escapees taken in Huizhou and told everyone he met that the man in the right corner was his father. Robert grew up in London and his father seldom mentioned the war. “The war was so cruel that the soldiers never wanted to talk about it,” said Robert. He was proud that his father worked in the navy. For himself, it was a pity that he was only a sailor.

The re-enactment group stopped by the Moon Bay Hotel. Luo remembered this as the place closest to the MTBs’ landing spot. This once small fishing village has now turned into a leisure resort.

Along the escape route, the re-enactment group visited the former East River Column command centre and the East River Column Museum on 28 December 2009, and continued the journey northward, passing Bai Yun Keng, Dan Shui, Si Shui, Xin Xu, to their final destination Huizhou.

Famous face in the re-enactment group

Admiral Chan Chak’s family had the most members in the re-enactment group, including six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. The winner of best actress at the 29th Golden Horse Awards, Lindzay Chan, was one of them.

Everybody who knows about the escape knows the heroic deeds of Chan Chak, Henry Heng Hsu and Yeung Chuen in the escape. Hong Kong Ming Bao once reported that Chan Chak refused to obey the order of Hong Kong Governor Sir Mark Young to surrender and immediately decided to break through the Japanese encirclement. However, Hong Kong and foreign news agencies have seldom mentioned the support that Guangdong anti-Japanese guerrilla groups offered to the escapees.

It is said that Zeng Sheng, leader of the Guangdong anti-Japanese guerrillas, began to launch anti-Japanese campaigns in 1938. In 1941, when Japanese troops launched their massive invasion of Hong Kong, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in Yan’an and the Secretary of the South Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in Chongqing directed Liao Chengzhi, head of the Eighth Route Army Office in Hong Kong, to rescue celebrities from all walks of life and international friends detained in Hong Kong.

Zeng’s son, Zeng Deping, said that Liao Chengzhi asked Zeng Sheng for help in the breaking through Japanese encirclement and the escapees received information about the landing place ahead of time from the guerrillas.

The descendants of the East River Column also took part in the re-enactment. It is said that their forefathers once told them that in order not to be confronted with the main force of Japanese troops, the guerrillas had arranged two routes to ensure the success of the escape.

Mr. Philp listened attentively to Zeng Deping. He said that British people recognized that their forefathers received Chinese help after landing in Nan’ao, but few people knew that it was the Guangdong anti-Japanese guerrillas who helped. Most British people owe their gratitude to officers of the Kuomintang. This journey also solved the question as to how they successfully escaped after landing.

Donald Chan, son of Chan Chak and HERO chairman, said he hoped the escape route would turn out to be the road to promoteSino-UK friendship, so that more and more descendants of the escapees could follow their interests and know the pulse-stirring history by retracing the steps of their forefathers.

map stoney path

Escape route from Hong Kong to Waichow Stony path on the escape route

To remember the traditional Sino-British freidnship, nearly 80 descendants of the original escapees of British and Chinese officers and men from Hong Kong after the Japanese military attacks in 1941 plan to re-trace the steps of their forefathers at Christmas 2009, according to the Hong Kong Escape Re-enactment Organisation (HERO).

On the Dec. 7, 1941, the Japanese invaded Pearl Harbour, starting the Pacific War. The following day they attacked Hong Kong. During this crisis, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in Yanʼan and the Secretary of the South Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Zhou Enlai, in Chongqing, directed Liao Chengzhi, head of the Hong Kong office of the Eighth Route Army, to send guerrillas to infiltrate Hong Kong and Kowloon.

After a hard-fought battle lasting 18 days, the British Governor of Hong Kong Sir Mark Young surrendered to the Japanese on the Christmas Day 1941. That same evening, a party of British and Chinese officers and men made a dramatic escape by boat under enemy fire.

With the help of local Chinese people and what later became known as the East River Column Guerrillas, who provided food as well as intelligence and other assistance, they walked for four days and nights, covering over 115km on foot, before crossing Japanese lines and reaching the relative safety in Huizhou, Guangdong Province.

The international press celebrated this "thrilling escape" as an heroic event during a desperate period of the war. Following on from this success, Colonel Sir Lindsay Ride subsequently formed the British Army Aid Group which was instrumental in assisting further escapees.

Some of the party kept diaries during the escape, and others later wrote letters to their families at home. Using these diaries and letters, as well as official reports, their descendants plan to re-trace the steps of their forefathers at Christmas 2009.
HERO, the association formed by descendants of the original escapees, has planned the re-enactment with the help and advice of the China Culture Development Association, Beijing (CCDA) and the China Cultural Global Foundation (CCGF).

A long term exhibition, using many original artefacts lent by descendants of the escape party, has been established at the Museum of Coastal Defence in Hong Kong, and a copy of this will be exhibited in due course at the History Museum in Guangdong Province.

The three parties are working together to honour and commemorate this unique example of Sino-British comradeship against a common enemy, and aim to forge strong new ties between Britain and China for the development and exchange of cultural, economic, social, sports and political communications between the two countries.

Nelson Cheng, CEO of CCGF, says there will be nearly 80 descendents from all over the world taking part in this commemoration of the friendship between Chinese and British comrades.

Richard Hide, Chairman of HERO, stresses that had the escape 68 years ago not been successful, many of the descendents would not be here today. All the descendents and their families wish to express their gratitude towards those who assisted in the escape, and HERO hopes to help in continuing to strengthen the Sino-British relationship.

Original：http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-11/16/content_12465900.htm

Chan Sui-jeung，Centre of Asian Studies，University of Hong Kong

Ride-diary Ride-photo-with-locals

Abstract: The British Army Aid Group (BAAG) was formed in July 1942 at the suggestion of Colonel Lindsay Ride. After the fall of Hong Kong in December 1941, all personnel from the British side were sent into various prisoners-of-war (POW) camps on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon. Ride later escaped from his camp and arrived in Chongqing, where he formed this unit, with its headquarters in Guilin, Guangxi as a front-line base in the south. They mainly rescued POWs from the camps, smuggled medicine and other supplies in and out of the camps, and gathered intelligence for the Allied Forces. In the process, BAAG enjoyed the active co-operation and protection of the East River Column.

Original: http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2009-12/28/content_12716117.htm

Colonel Ride 2

Colonel Lindsay Ride

After the fall of Hong Kong in 1941, Japanese held their British army prisoners in Argyle Street Camp, North Point Camp and Sham Shui Po Camp. Non-millitary personnel and other British civilians were held in Stanley Internment Camp, while Indian officers were imprisoned in Ma Tau Wai Camp. In Feburary 1942, when the Hong Kong-Kowloon Brigade of East River Column was established, an international working team was also formed to rescue imprisoned foreigners in Hong Kong.

Guerillas of the East River Column rescued many prisoners-of-war from January 1942. The most notable among them are Sir Lindsay Ride, Sir Douglas Clague, Professor Gordan King, and David Bosanquet. Most of the rescued personnel were escorted to Da Peng by musketeers of East River Column by boat and then progressed to Waichow of Free China.

Colonel Ride 1 huangzuomei

After escape from prison camp: Colonel Lindsay Ride Huang Zuo Mei: Head of International Working Team

Rescued prisoners-of-war by East River Column

Time	Occupation	Name	累计	Note
01/02/1942	英战地医院	赖特上校 (Colonel.T.Ride)	1	护送到内地
	赖特的华人秘书	李玉弼先生	2	护送到内地
	海军	摩利上尉（Morley）	3	护送到内地
	海军	戴维斯中尉（Davis）	4	护送到内地
	英国士兵	霍支斯(P.Hodeiy)	5	曾加入游击队工作
	英国士兵	格尔拉夏 (A.Gallaher)	6	曾加入游击队工作
		斯克利维恩上尉(Capt Scriven)及一组人	7	送重庆
	英国海军军官	都格拉斯中尉(Lt.J.DonglasR.N.R)	8	护送至内地，通讯处香港海军司令转
	英国海军军官	夏斯特中尉(Lt.J.W.Hursto.B.E.D.S.E.R.N.R)	9	护送至内地，通讯处上海英领事馆转
	英国海军军官	汤姆生中尉	10	护送至内地，通讯处上海英领事馆海军办事处转
	英国海军军官	何来特J.11O998，皇家海军部电报员	11	护送至内地，通讯处伦敦邮政总局转
24/03/1942	香港警察司	汤姆生(W.P.Thompson)	12	从赤柱俘虏营逃出，送到内地
		波利斯屈特夫人(Mrs Green. PriestWood)	13	从赤柱俘虏营逃出，送到内地
1942年	上海银行	芬恩维克 (T.J.J Fenwick)	14	内地
	上海银行	摩利逊(J.A.D.Morrison)	15	内地
14/04/1942	渣甸公司香港义勇军	波生吉(D.J.BoSenet)	16
	英国陆军军官	比尔斯中尉 (Lt.G.L.GPearceR.A.)	17
	英国陆军军官	怀特中尉(Lt.L.S.White R.A.)	18
	英国陆军军官	祁德尊中尉(Lt.G.D.CIagne R.A.)	19
1942年8月中	英国士兵			送大后方
	英国士兵			送大后方
18/10/1942	印度人皇家炮兵		20
	印度人皇家炮兵		21
28/10/1942	受英团指示去九龙破坏无线电台	陈伟泉先生	22	从香港安全回沙鱼涌
30/10/1942	印度人皇家炮兵	孟雅星(Mehnga Singk)	23
	印度人皇家炮兵	拉西加星(LashkarSingk)	24
	印度人皇家炮兵	拿瓦恩特星(NavantSingk)	25
	印度人皇家炮兵	达立普星(Dalip Singk)	26
	印度人皇家炮兵	山托先星(Santokh Singk)	27
09/11/1942	印度人上海银行清算处更夫	搭拉星	28	惠州
	印度人屈臣氏药房车夫	毛汉甸	29	惠州
14/11/1942	香港义勇军	麦尼民	30
	香港义勇军	巴拉斯加氏炮兵第三连	31
01/12/1942	丹麦人	却觉臣	32	惠州
	丹麦人	安德逊	33	惠州
	丹麦人	夏时津	34	惠州
02/02/1943	印度人		35	同时被救送内地,留下一封印文信感谢
	印度人		36	同时被救送内地,留下一封印文信感谢
	印度人		37	同时被救送内地,留下一封印文信感谢
	印度人		38	同时被救送内地,留下一封印文信感谢
	印度人		39	同时被救送内地,留下一封印文信感谢
	印度人		40	同时被救送内地,留下一封印文信感谢
12/02/1943	中华电力公司无线电工程师	华德叔	41	此3人中1为俄国人,2位挪威人
	船长	空尼伦	42	此3人中1为俄国人,2位挪威人
		伯罗德逊	43	此3人中1为俄国人,2位挪威人

* All information and material are provided by China Culture Development Association and Party History Research Center of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee.