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Priest, Father Caruso, who entertained us with tea and hospitality during our waits. His position was a most invidious one as his source of supplies from Hong Kong had been cut off by the surrender and he was hardly likely to prove acceptable to any "free" Chinese Authorities, who were interning Italian subjects. He realised that we were escapees but no information was passed to him by us though undoubtedly he would get all details later from his flock!
The night was spent off-shore in the sampan.
15th January, 1942.
After breakfast we left TAI YUEN at noon our guards now being reduced to two guerillas the rest of the party apparently following later with the supplies of arms and ammunition which had been brought with us in the sampan.
On this part of the journey no attempt was made to hide us or to disguise us, in fact, some two hours later we clattered into the town of KWAI CHUNG where we rested.
After a detour to avoid passing near the Japanese lines, at least that was the reason given by our guards, we arrived at the village of TIN CHUNG about 1630. I gathered that TIN CHUNG was the District Headquarters of the Guerillas, though all such statements must be treated with reserve owing to the well-known difficulty of obtaining exact information from Chinese! Here we met a Guerilla who was either the No.2. of these South China Guerillas, or the District Leader. He introduced us to the Power behind the throne in the person of a village elder who had travelled widely, particularly mentioning "DUTCHEE GUIANA" and who had come to rest in this village. We stopped at this elder's house overnight, but before retiring had another extensive propaganda lecture. From this I
"
gathered that these Guerillas were:-
(a)largely overseas Chinese;
(b) financed by overseas Chinese, though this source had now been blocked;
(c) that they were NOT recognised by
CHUNGKING and that they were "unofficial" guerillas;
(a) that, they had communistic leanings.
16th January, 1942.
Our Night's march began at 1930 as we were to walk some 15 miles largely through Japanese territory. For this purpose we formed part of a large convoy, all wearing soft soled shoes, with advance guards, rear guards and flankers
of guerillas. Actually the guerillas had vaguely offered to take us through the Japane se lines by day but later this was withdrawn as not being wort: the risk.
In
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