CO129-528-11 Incident at Lok Ma Chau Police Station 14-11-1930 - 14-11-1930 — Page 51

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P.49

P.50

motor cycle to lok Ma Chau, reaching the foot of the Station path

soon after 6 p.m. I received a report from S.I. O'Connor and

made certain dispositions. I then went off to Autau to report

the matter to headquarters in Hong Kong. I collected equipment

and reinforcements and returned to the scene with last witness

and others about 6.50 p.m. I made certain dispositions and went

round with the D.I., N. (last witness). About 7.45 p.m. I

organised a party to reconnoitre the Station, and got up to the

back gate of the compound. We were not fired at going up.

I then decided to get hold of Sergt. Basting and his Thompson gun.

I could not locate B.543 in the Station. I had learnt he had

the Lewis gun upstairs, but had not heard any bursts of fire that

sounded like machine gun fire. It seemed impossible to get into

the Station under cover. I did not wish to risk the life of

any one of the attacking party or of any innocent person still

in the station. I had no reason to believe that either B.9 or

Mrs. Madgwick was still alive. Sergt. Madgwick had received no

reply to his calls and the other Indians had reported stepping

over B.9's body in the passage. It did, however, occur to me

that both might be no more than severely wounded. I knew that

the front door of the Station was locked. B.722 had the key, and

I don't think he was with me. The idea of rushing the Station

from the front as well as from the back did not occur to me.

It would have been possible to get round to the front door under

cover from Lewis gun, though not from rifle, fire. My idea of

bringing up the Thompson gun was to cover an attack on the

Station from the back. The gun didn't arrive, and about 8.15 p.m.

I went down myself to locate it, but without success. I then met

the D.8.P., K., who took charge and thereafter I acted under his

orders. I was one of the party that finally entered the Station

something after 11 p.m.

After I first arrived I heard a few shots and on my return I heard

more, but I could not be certain that any shot I heard was fired

in the Station itself."