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JUNK-SINKING
INQUIRY
THE HONG KONG WEEKLY PRESS &
The Chairman invited Signor A.
B. Laborinho (Portuguese Consul) to take a seat at the Counsel Table, after which the first witness was called.
OLD MAN'S STORY Lee Mun, 60 years old but carry- ing himself well, said he was born in Snaukiwan and had been a fisherman all his life, as had his father and grandfather before him. licensed His junk, No. 3407, was either in Shaukiwan or Aberdeen, and he
worth estimated it was about $10000. Shaukiwan was his home port and on September 19 ne left it in company with a junk owned by one Ying Kit. They reached Che Long light-house on the 21st. The next morning they began fishing early. About 9 a.m. a submarine came towards them. As she approached witness ran down to one of the holds. He heard gunfire and a shot struck the junk in the bow. Another fol- lowed which hit it amidships and a third struck the stern. The junk
sank.
"My wife and three daughters were in the stern cabin when the third shot struck," continued wit- ness, "and they were all killed. I know they were killed because I looked into the cabin and saw them lifeless in a welter of blood.
"I saw some men in uniform on the submarine but I could not dis- tinguish anything more about inem as my eyesight is not good.
"Nineteen of us took to the sails and we drifted for five days and nights until a small fishing junk picked us up. This was on Sept. 27. a little after 1 p.m. We were taken to the light-house where I engaged a sampan and returned to Hong Kong. We had five cannons on board, kept in the hold, and six muzzle-loading rifles
In answer to the Chairman wit- ness said the submarine was flying no flag. The nearest point from the Chinese coast the junk was when it was attacked was its dis- tance from the Che Long light- house.
Ho Kau, 29; Lee Tai, 53, Lai Yau, 38: Lai Pak-yau, 29. fokis on junk No. 3407, and all natives of Macao, gave similar evidence. The first had his head bandaged where he had been struck by a splinter and was invited by the Chairman to sit. He said there were ten or 20 persons on board the submarine. all men of short stature. When their junk sank they took refuge on the mainsail and drifted for five days and nights. They were even-
October 29, 1937
UNTOLD HORROR
INHUMANITY
AND
"Junk-Sinking Inquiry"
Scenes of untold horror and inhumanity, depicting the tragle annihilation of a fleet of fishing junks off Chelong lighthouse by a submarine crew on September 22, were vividly recalled by sur- vivors at the Supreme Court on Oct 19 when the "Junk-Sinking · Inquiry was continued before a special Government appointed Commission comprising His Honour the Chief Justice, Sir Atholl Hon. Commander J. B. MacGregor, the Harbour Master, the
Newill, and Mr. Justice J. A. Fraser.
Mr. J. C. McDouall is acting as Secretary to the Commission, whilst Mr. John Whyatt, Assistant Attorney General, is in charge of witnesses.
Giving evidence, Chan Yat-san, 21-year-old fisherman, a native of Pinghol, said that in September this year he was working on his father's junk, No. 4123 which was licenced both at Shaukiwan and Aberdeen. Witness's father is at present in Sanmei.
Questioned by Mr. Whyatt, wit- ness said that he remembered go- ing in September this year, from
Shaukiwan to Pakshawai, where they went to Chelong near the Lighthouse.
On September 21, they sailed from Pakshalwal, and in addition to their two junks there were 1o other fishing junks. They started fishing from 4 p.m. Early next morning they arranged their nets. Witness could not tell how far they were from Chelong Lighthouse when they started fishing as they could not see the lighthouse.
German tually picked up by a steamer the name of which they did not know, and were given medical attention and food. Lai Pak-yau added that the men on the submarine resembled Chinese in their build but in no other respect.
Yung Yat-lei, 34, master of junk No. 615, said he was born at Pak- hol and had been fishing in and around the waters of the Colony for a long time. When the sub- marine approached them they had sailed away, having witnessed what happened to other junks. The vessel pursued them, however, and opened fire, eventually sinking the vessel after a few shots had struck it, and killing three of the fokis. The rest got on to the mainsail and later rowed over to Chan Kau's junk which, though holed, was still afloat. They drifted for three days and three nights and were then picked up by another junk and taken to Shan Mei, Witness stayed there and returned to Hong Kong yesterday.
a
saw They
nothing except steamer sailing towards them, the bow and stern of which were described as curving towards the sea, with a structure looking like a castle amidships.
This vessel fired at the fishing junks, the first of which was Lam Fook-tal's. Three shots were fired. and what happened to the junk he could not say as he was busy at- tending his own at the time.
TO ESCAPE DANGER Shek Tai Cheung's junk was the next to be fired at, which also received three shots. After giving three shots at Lam Shiu Po's junk and one at Lam Chi's junk, the submarine approached nearer and nearer to his junk, witness con- tinued.
Witness then said that the bow water of his junk went under though the stern was still afloat. By this time the submarine was near enough for him to see that there were two guns aboard with 10 men working at each gun.
·
Witness could not say what nationality the sailors were but he was quite sure that they were not Europeans.
FORMATION OF JUNKS
And how long did you all re- main on your junk?-For three days and three nights, then the craft went to shore.
At the end of three days and three nights, did you see another junk? Yes, and that junk towed us away.
Chairman; You say that the 12 junks were fishing in pairs?—Yes.
Can you describe to me the formation that they were fishing in? Let me see if you can describe where the 12 junks were?—Yes, sir, I can.
Witness then went to Counsel's table and illustrated the formation of the junks relative to the sub- marine.
October 29, 1937
UNTOLD HORROR AND INHUMANITY
RENDERED NO ASSISTANCE How far were you away from the nearest pair of junks?-Our junk was nearest to Fung Hing-we; the distance was about four coils of ropes away.
Did you remain on deck during the whole of that incident, until the submarine fired at your own junk? Although I was on deck all the time up to the moment when our junk was fired at, I was at work, I did not stop to watch what others were doing.
You stopped on deck until your own junk was fired at?—Yes. I was working all the time.
You have told us that you saw two guns on this submarine! where were they?-One on the bow and the other on the stern.
Did you see any marks on the vessel? Just below the castle on the hull of the boat I saw a white line and then two dark lines.
Running the whole length of the hull, or merely around?-The lines were one white, one black and one white, these three lines went around the castle.
Had you any women or children
on board your junk?-Yes.
How many women?-Ten. How many children?-Two. Did you at any time see the sub- marine stopping to render assis- tance to any of the junks?—No.
"SAW THE LIGHT" The next witness called was Lam rung-sing, master of the second pair of junks which escaped. He said that he was 46 years old and was born at Shaukiwan
On what date did you arrive at Chelong Lighthouse?-The evening of September 21.
Could you see the lighthouse? Yes, we saw the light.
Now, whilst you were fishing that 'morning did you notice anything unusual? I noticed after a little while a submarine was sailing be- hind our junk, coming up from the stern.
TRIED TO ESCAPE What direction were your bows pointing?-Facing south.
And about what time did you notice that submarine under your stern?-8 a.m. or a little after.
Did you notice where it went to after you first saw it? That sub- marine turned and fired at Lam Fuk-tal's pair.
Did you see anything more of the submarine? We sailed away. but we noticed before sailing that this submarine turned and chased Lam Chu's and Lam Shu-po's junk and fred at them.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT
631
Chinese girls and women are doing their best for their coun- try. A girl is shown doing her bit in "comforting" her coun- try's defenders.
"CASTLE"
19. son; Ng Tai-so, 6, son; Ng Ah- Were you able to see any dis-ming, 6. grandson: Ng Ah-tun, 4. tinguishing marks on the sub- | grandson; Females, Fan Kam-mul, marine? No, and I could not say 30, daughter-in-law, Ng Yuk-ho. whether there was a flag since I 10. granddaughter; Ng Ah-yat, 7. was looking after our lives.
daughter; Ng Ngan-mul, 2. grand- What colour was it? I could daughter; Ng Ah-chol, 18, niece. only see the "castle" which was grey.
ONLY JAPANESE WOULD ATTACK
Ng Yit, 53, said he was a native of Shaukiwan and was in his junk with the rest of the fleet at the time of the shooting by a Japan- submarine.
Mr. Whyatt: Why do you say it was Japanese vessel?-Because the appearance of it was a sub- marine and only a Japanese sub- marine would attack Chinese.
**The submarine fired at the junk paired with us and sank it with one shot. It then fired on us. It was twice the length of this court away when it fired on us. It was a bluish grey colour carrying two guns.
KILLED OUTRIGHT "The first shot had killed out- right two women, Lam Wah-muf. 18, and Lam Yee-so, 27. There had been eight children on board their ages ranging from two to ten. While we were floating, the submarine came back and shot at the small boat with a machine gun," witness continued.
Witness gave the following names of the nine killed on the small boat: Males.-Ng Pak-sau,
ONLY BY MEMORY Chairman: What did you do with the bodles of those killed in the small boat?-We had to put them overboard since we had no coffins for them.
Were they all killed outright? Yes.
Mr. Whyatt then called R. G. Butcher, Sub-Inspector of the Water Police, who said he was on duty on September 25.
You remember the Scharnhorst coming into Kowloon on that day?
Yes, about 8 a.m.
And did you go on board? I
did.
And did the Chief Officer make a statement to you?—Yes.
Just describe to me what he did in the Navigation Room, but not what he said He worked out on the chart a position.
You remember what that posi- tion was?-Only by memory.
CAPTAIN'S LETTER
After working on a position on the chart, what did he do next?- He took the position up to the Captain and returned with a letter and gave it to me a few minutes later.
Have you got that letter?—Yes The letter was then produced
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