known:
1.
APPENDIX I.
OTHER ESCAPES FROM HONG KONG.
102
At present, 18th March, 1942, there are two definite escapes
-
-
The M.T.B. party, about 65 in number, with Admiral Chan Chak, left from a point near ABERDEEN, in the evening of 25th December, i.e., after the surrender of Hong Kong, in six boats 5 M.T.B's and a Dockyard Launch. This party landed on the mainland of
occupied" China, and with the help of guerillas were eventually convoyed to SHAUKWAN (KUKONG) in KWANTUNG.
11
2.
The party of four, as described in the main report, escaped from the SHUM SHUI PO Camp on 9th January, 1942, and also with the help of guerillas were convoyed to SHAUKWAN.
There is a newspaper report published about 10th March, 1942, of a Miss Phillip Harold (? Miss Phyllis Harrop, formerly of the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs, Hong Kong), who had left the Colony at an unspecified date.
"a".
A B.B.C. report and probably newspaper accounts were made on
I understand that any account of "2" has been definitely
"muzzled".
It seems quite possible that regular escapes can be arranged from the SHUM SHUI PO Camp. It seems fairly obvious that the Japanese are quite unaccustomed to handling European Prisoners of war, and I doubt whether any great fuss would be made by them at a very gradual decrease of numbers of the prisoners. In any case, as I have mentioned in the Report, escapees might be written off by the British Camp Authorities as due to Dysentery, etc. It is a lamentable possibility that, if the Japanese continue to refuse medical aid to the SHUM SHUI Po prisoners, the number of deaths due to sickness will be likely to increase, especially with the coming of Summer. It is thus likely that sickness returns can be juggled accordingly. This gives a possible method of hiding small escapes from the Japanese.
The route to be followed should be left entirely to the people on the spot, but I would most strongly suggest that "overlapping" be avoided. Thus:-
When I arrived at KUNMING, I met members of the British Military Mission who were going South to harry the Japanese. Officially they had been trained for guerilla work, though the Authorities seem to have forgotten that the Chinese have been successfully carrying on guerilla fighting for five years. However, I met also members of the China Commando Group, a Danish supported Organisation I believe, who seemed to be going South for the same purpose as the British Military Mission, but having no official connection with them.
Finally, there was already, at least when we arrived at SHAUKWAN on 30th January, 1942, in SOUTH KWANTUNG, the remants of a mysterious Hong Kong Organisation known colloquially as the "Cloak and Dagger Boys", who had received what appeared to be some sort of guerilla training, formerly in Hong Kong. There would thus appear to be three Organisations doing much the same work.
I would suggest, if any organised attempts are to be made to help prisoners to escape, that this multiplication of effort be avoided. I understand that Colonel L.T. Ride of our party was to attempt some sort of underground railroad back to the Camp.
This
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.