CO129-570-13 Sino-Japanese War- Japanese attack on a fishing junk 23-5-1938 - 10-12-1938 — Page 27

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Was

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the only one who actually boarded the attacking vessel.

an inclined to believe from his story that a Japanese

mercantile flag white with a red circular centre

hoisted on the approach to Lintia. He never went forward of the after part of the vessel, which was estimated at

about 50 to 60' over all.

I

9. Of the two remaining vitnesses who could have

given further evidence, ne has married away to an unknown

husband, and the other was only a foki who has left his

master's employment. To far neither of the has been traced

acain.

10. The attacking vessel arcars to have been a kind of

small motor-boat, which sonc of the time at least was flying a Japanese mercantile flag. (Incidentally I submit that it would have been much easier for all the witnessesif they were inventing a story to have described instead one of the not uncommon trawlers that i'ish around these waters). The boat was armed (? a machine-un or 3-pounder forward), and had not

been fishing; the crew were in some sort of uniform, were either off duty or perhaps slackly disciplined, armed, and

spoke n. Cint nesc.

11.

I understand unofficially from the Naval Authorities

that a number of Japanesc vessels other than the men-of-war

around the outh China coast have during the present hostilitics been given the equivalent of Naval Reserve status, but that

they continue to fly the mercantile flag. I believe also

that it is by these ships with their non-professional crews,

often made up of lower-class fishermen, and not by the genuine

Japanese liavy, that the worse atrocities beyond the mere

sinking of confiscating of jun:s are comitted.

12.

The Police have no record of having themselves seen

a vessel like the ne described in this case. This is the

only uncorroborated point in the story which tside evidence