43
rifles and revolvers.
2
About 20 of these men came on board our
junk. They did not speak but at once commenced to bind our hands
behind our backs with ropes they had brought with them. The
seven children were similarly bound up. We were all searched
after which the junk was ransacked. Three of the Japanese then
commenced to shoot all our people. They killed all the men first.
They shot all on board with the exception of five girls named
LAM HO aged about 18 years, MO LO aged about 21 years, NGAU MAI aged about 17 years, CHENG SHU aged about 18 years and CHAN KUM MUI
aged about 20 years, who were transferred to one of the motor
boats. All the rest including the children, were shot through
the back and left lying dead on the deck. While this was going
on, two fokis named CHEUNG LING and LO HI and myself jumped
overboard un-noticed by the Japanese. When we were in the water,
CHEUNG LING succeeded in untying my wrists with his teeth and I
then freed the other two. The three of us began to swim away
but soon afterwards the Japanese noticed us and opened fire killing
CHEUNG LING and LO HI, I continued swimming away from the ship
and after a while found a piece of wood on which I supported
myself. While I was swimming away I could see our junk on fire.
Later I could see the two motor boats returning to the warship.
I remained clinging to the piece of wood until about 09.00 hours
on 4.5.38, when I was picked up by a passing fishing junk and
taken to Macao which was reached at 21.00 hours on same date. The
master of the fishing junk which rescued me told me his name was
HO KWAN. I do not know the number of his junk. On arrival at
Macao I made no report to the authorities there. I remained on
HO KWAN's junk overnight and on morning of 5.5.38, I boarded S.S.
"CHUEN CHAU" which arrived in Hong Kong at 13.00 hours on same
date. I got a free passage on the S.S. CHUEN CHAU when the Compradore heard my story.
When the Japanese attacked our junk there was about 50 piculs of fish valued about $600.00 on board.
(Sd. Charles Mottran. Police Sergeant A.105.
5.5.38.