SECRET
*****
The D.M.I. (M.I.2.c.)., The War Office.
LONDO N.
25
Reference: M.A./133.
I forward herewith an interesting memorandum of present conditions in the New Territories and area immediately outside. This has been written by Mr. W.P. Thompson, who was in the Hongkong Police Force, and who, after a short time in the civilian internment camp at Stanley Gaol, escaped to Macao and made his way to freedom. It is this gentleman whom I am proposing to employ on M.I.9 work in connection with the rescue of civilians from Stanley. (Vide my cable No. 0159 of 8th June and your No.94500 of 10th June.)
Without exception all parties of British officers and men who have escaped from the P.0.W. camps in Hongkong have spoken in the highest terms of the help and kindness which has been accorded to them by these guerillas. It is difficult to know how to acknowledge our debt to them. As Thompson says, they are not in need of money for their own personal needs, though no doubt they do need money for supporting the movement as a whole to make up for the falling off of the large sums which they formerly got from patriotic overseas Chinese. For this reason it is difficult to reward them for their help to British escappes, though I have asked General Headquarters, India, if there is any possibility of flying in a consignment of English cigarettes. The one thing they would really like is official Chinese recognition of their organisation and their patriotism. Unfortunately, under present circumstances that is politically impossible.
I am sorry to say that there is only too much. truth in Mr. Thompson's remarks about the sttitude adopted by the Malayan Government towards the various Chinese factions and societies. Sir A. Clerk-Kerr's efforts to educate the authorities in Malaya were only just beginning to bear fruit when the war came. That is the reason why nothing was done until after the war started to organise the very large numbers of Chinese in Malaya for defence. The full story of this episode can be obtained from Mr. George Yeh, who is now in London, and to whose strenuous efforts we mainly owe such help in the defence of Malaya as the Chinese were eventually permitted to give.
British Embassy,
CHUNGKING,
17th June,
1942.
G. E. Grimsdale)
Brigadier,
H.B.M. MILITARY ATTACHE.
Copy to:- Director of Military Intelligence,
General Headquarters,
New Delhi,
INDIA.