51
P.49
P.50
motor cycle to lok Ma Chau, reaching the foot of the Station path
soon after 6 p.m. I received a report from S.I. O'Connor and
made certain dispositions. I then went off to Autau to report
the matter to headquarters in Hong Kong. I collected equipment
and reinforcements and returned to the scene with last witness
and others about 6.50 p.m. I made certain dispositions and went
round with the D.I., N. (last witness). About 7.45 p.m. I
organised a party to reconnoitre the Station, and got up to the
back gate of the compound. We were not fired at going up.
I then decided to get hold of Sergt. Basting and his Thompson gun.
I could not locate B.543 in the Station. I had learnt he had
the Lewis gun upstairs, but had not heard any bursts of fire that
sounded like machine gun fire. It seemed impossible to get into
the Station under cover. I did not wish to risk the life of
any one of the attacking party or of any innocent person still
in the station. I had no reason to believe that either B.9 or
Mrs. Madgwick was still alive. Sergt. Madgwick had received no
reply to his calls and the other Indians had reported stepping
over B.9's body in the passage. It did, however, occur to me
that both might be no more than severely wounded. I knew that
the front door of the Station was locked. B.722 had the key, and
I don't think he was with me. The idea of rushing the Station
from the front as well as from the back did not occur to me.
It would have been possible to get round to the front door under
cover from Lewis gun, though not from rifle, fire. My idea of
bringing up the Thompson gun was to cover an attack on the
Station from the back. The gun didn't arrive, and about 8.15 p.m.
I went down myself to locate it, but without success. I then met
the D.8.P., K., who took charge and thereafter I acted under his
orders. I was one of the party that finally entered the Station
something after 11 p.m.
After I first arrived I heard a few shots and on my return I heard
more, but I could not be certain that any shot I heard was fired
in the Station itself."