Detective Office,
石勝
SHEK SHING, 59 years,
Master of Fishing Junk, No. 1721 ..
陛
Residing on board, of SAN MEI, LUK FUNG,
STATES:-
Water Police Station.
73
At about 08.00 hours on 9th September, 1940, I left Shaukiwan for KWO CHA WAN for the purpose of fishing with a crew of 30 on board.
At about 10.00 hours on the 10th September, 1940, when sailing about 2 miles east of TAH KOM SHAN (Long.114° 19' 10" E. Lat.22° 4' N.), I saw a Japanese trawler painted grey, one grey funnel, 2 masts and the figure 6 painted amidships come from the direction of the north. No shots were fired but when a few feet away they shouted out to us to lower our sails. We inmediately lowered our sails and then the trawler came alongside and 2 Japanese sailors dressed in khaki uniform each armed with an axe boarded my boat. They then searched the persons of all members of the boat and took some jewellery from the females, they then searched the junk and took away one box containing $700.00 Hong Kong and a quantity of jewellery Value $300.00 (one pair of rattan gold mounted bangles, one pair of gold earrings, 3 gold finger rings) and a small quantity of cotton clothing. After this they ordered us to lower our 5 dinghies and to get into them. After we had left our junk the Japanese cut down the sails and riggings and piled them on deck, after which they poured petrol over and set the junk on fire. The Japanese trawler then sailed away in an easterly direction leaving my junk burning, by this time we had rowed a good distance and on seeing the Japanese trawler leave, my dinghy with 5 of us on board rowed back to the junk and extinguished the fire. The remaining 4 dinghies carried on and rowed back to Shaukiwan. After we had extinguished the fire a large steamer name unknown passed near us and stopped, as they were unable to take us in tow the steamer wirelessed to Hong Kong and about an hour later a British destroyer arrived and took us in two, after which we were later taken in tow by Police Launch No.4 and towed to Hong Kong.
I had two rifles on board which had not been found by the Japanese and I handed them over to the Officer in Charge of No.4 Police Launch. They were not entered on my licence as I had only purchased them a week previously in SAN MEI and had not had time to go to the Harbour Office with them.
Damage to junk about
Property stolen -
$4,000.00
1,000.00
Total
$5.000.00
(Sgd.) A. Bethell Lance Sergeant A.94