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Governor pays tribute to war veterans
The Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten and Mrs Patten today (Monday) hosted a tea party for about 40 wives and widows of former Prisoners of War and servicemen at Government House. The guests included the Chairman of the Royal British Legion, Mr Jack Edwards.
The occasion was a celebration of the receipt of British passports by the war wives and widows. The Governor said he and Mrs Patten were delighted to have been able to invite to Government House the wives and widows who had been campaigning for many years for full British citizenship which he described as a mark of the valour and service of their brave husbands.
"I am delighted that that campaign, which has been long and bravely fought, has been successful and I wanted to have the opportunity of inviting these ladies to Government House this afternoon to thank them very much," Mr Patten said.
The Governor also took the opportunity to thank Mr Edwards for his tireless campaign around the world on the ladies' behalf. "I hope this is a justifiably proud moment for Jack Edwards this afternoon," he said.
"It's been the end of a long story, but it has ended happily and successfully," the Governor added.
Mr Patten also thanked Wilkinson Sword for their support and generosity. At the tea party, agents for the company presented to each of the wives and widows a. cheque to cover the cost of their passports and expenses they incurred in obtaining them.
During this afternoon's meeting, Mr Edwards showed to the Governor the Union Jack which was raised over Hong Kong at the end of the war. Among the guests at Government House was Mr Arthur May, aged 90, who hoisted the flag on the Peak to reclaim Hong Kong on 18 August 1945, some 12 days before the British fleet arrived.
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