Since the 2005 celebrations, many of the URLs mentionned on the website for that date have been archived by their creators. That is to say that those particular pages are now -- no longer avilable. Sorry for that ...
Below, are listed the few pages that managed to survive ...
War interns back at camp
18/8/2005 7:31 by: Xinhua
Seventy-year-old David Birch never imagined he could return to the former concentration camp where he lived as a kid some 60 years ago. And he never thought he would meet his old friends from the camp.
"I prayed to God that someday before I die I could come back to China, and here I am," the retired cinema doorman said. "My heart is full."
Yesterday, nearly 70 elderly survivors of the Weishien concentration camp and their family gathered at the former camp site in Weifang City, eastern Shandong Province, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the camp's liberation.
The site is now in the compound of a local middle school and a hospital nearby. Most of the internees' dormitories have been torn down, and only a handful of Japanese officials' buildings remain.
It used to be a missionary compound named "The Courtyard of the Happy Way" before the Japanese army turned it into a concentration camp, where 2,008 men, women, and children were herded together by the intruders between 1942 and 1945.
Most of the adult internees have since died, including R Jaegher, former adviser to KMT president Chiang Kai-shek, Eric Linddell, the 400-meter champion at the 1924 Olympics, and Arthur Hummel, who was the American ambassador to China in the 1980s.
All the survivors returning to Weifang were children internees at the time. Many of them brought their family members, hoping that their special experience can pass down for generations.
"I remember on August 17, 1945, the American flights came and rescued us," David said. "That was the most exciting day in my life. We were all dancing and singing, running out of the camp."
"I remember that day; we were all crazy," said 77-year-old Australian writer Joyce Bradbury. She was moved to tears when she saw the former camp building and the hundreds of middle school students lining up along the road, applauding their return.
Joyce said she was nine when the Japanese brought her to the camp. They were crammed in small houses, given scarce food, and forced to do labor when they reached 14.
"One time a horse died and the Japanese guards let it decompose until worms grew on it and then fed us with its meat," she shuddered.
But most of the internees said the guards treated them carefully, without the savagery that they showed to the Chinese. No one knew exactly how many people died in the camp but the number was small, they said.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2005
Chariots of Fire Hero Honoured in Homeland - China.
The residents of a grimy Chinese city paid an unusual tribute yesterday to the Scottish runner Eric Liddell, hero of the film Chariots of Fire. As part of a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Japanese internment camp where he died, Chinese officials, old friends and fellow inmates laid a wreath at a memorial marking his grave.
Liddell, a devout Christian, became famous for winning the 400 metres at the 1924 Paris Olympics after refusing to run his best distance, the 100 metres, because the heats were on a Sunday. Less well known is that he was born and spent much of his life in China. The son of missionaries in the port city of Tianjin, he left Britain the year after his Paris triumph to follow in their footsteps as a missionary teacher. "Eric Liddell was a great Olympic champion who gave it all up to come to teach the youth of China," said Stephen Metcalf, 78, a friend and fellow internee.
What was once the Weihsien Internment Camp is now Number Two Middle School in the city of Weifang, and yesterday thousands of children, teachers, residents and city leaders turned out to greet former occupants. More than 2,000 people were held in the camp, including 327 children, mostly from a western-run boarding school nearby. Many were children of missionaries, as were some of the older westerners held there, a fact little mentioned yesterday.
The huge missionary presence in China at the time is still regarded as a symbol of humiliating domination by western powers. Nevertheless, the two dozen former internees who attended were touched by the ceremony's mixture of thoughtfulness and eccentricity. At its climax, to a fanfare of the Star Wars theme tune, fireworks exploded into miniature parachutes, representing the American servicemen who jumped from a B24 bomber to liberate the camp on Aug 17, 1945. Then, 1,500 pigeons were released, one for each of the inmates.
An exhibition hall showing photographs of the camp, and a garden of remembrance containing sculptures and the names of all those held, were also opened. For many of the children, nearly all separated from their parents, Liddell became a father figure. As well as teaching classes, he ran a Sunday school and organised sports competitions. He eventually came round to the idea of sports on Sundays, refereeing football matches after hearing that teenagers with little to do were getting into trouble.
"He gave me two things," Mr Metcalf said. "One was his worn-out running shoes." It was winter, and like many boys Mr Metcalf had nothing to wear on his feet. "The best thing he gave me was his baton of forgiveness. He taught me to love my enemies, the Japanese, and to pray for them." After the war, Mr Metcalf spent 40 years as a missionary teacher in Japan.
Liddell died of a brain tumour in the camp hospital on Feb 21, 1945. "We all trailed along behind his coffin," remembered another former inmate, Estelle Cliff Horne. "My brother was one of the pall-bearers, and we buried him just by where the ceremony was."
The camp had been a mission school for Chinese children, and several of the buildings, including the hospital wing, are still standing. The Liddell memorial was erected by Edinburgh University, where he studied, after China re-opened to the world. After the Japanese left, the camp's history was quietly forgotten within China. During the Chairman Mao years, it was not politically correct to talk of having helped the foreigners. Now the wheel has come full circle, and those who smuggled food into the camp are also honoured in the exhibition hall.
Christian missionaries are also returning. Though missionary activity is formally banned, there are believed to be hundreds working under the guise of charity volunteers and teachers in China today.
Gone, but not forgotten!
GBYAY
posted by John @ 12:05 PM
At 7:57 PM, Jean said...
Their are many great christian leaders who have come out of Scotland and have done many great things.
Eric Lidell ws one of these, what a gret man of God he was and stood up graefully for what he believed in.
I hope that many young men and woman will follow his example.
God bless you.
At 12:19 AM, Catez said...
This was great to read John. I have sometimes wondered what he did after the Olympics. Thanks for posting this.
At 4:16 AM, Callmeteem said...
Excellent and inspiring tale. Thanks John.
At 8:08 AM, John said...
yes Jean, he was a wonderful Christian and I believe many have and many will follow him as an example of dedication to God.
At 8:10 AM, John said...
Thank you for the kind words Catez, its appreciated. There is a new book out about Eric Liddell, Challies reviewed it not long ago.
Thanks for taking the time out to visit Catez, and for leaving an encouraging comment, I truly appreciate it!
GBYAY
At 8:11 AM, John said...
It sure is Tim, what an amazing Christian and testimony!
Thanks for taking the time out to visit Tim, and for leaving an encouraging comment, I truly appreciate it!
GBYAY
At 5:20 AM, cwv warrior said...
My favorite line in the movie was, "When I run, I can feel His pleasure." What glory!
At 1:17 PM, John said...
Its a brilliant line CWV, I believe it comes from the scripture...
Rom 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Thanks for taking the time out to visit CWV, and for leaving an encouraging comment, I truly appreciate it!
GBYAY
At 5:38 PM, GDavidBirch said...
Birch Major here ie the eldest boy of the family BIRCH IHAVETHEDISTINCTHONOUR TO BE ABLETOSAY TRUTHFULLY THAT I SAW MR LIDDELL RUN HIS FINAL RACE - IN WEIHSIEN CAMP . As I recall the event, Mr Liddell led the field without really any difficulty at all! I did not personally know Mr Liddell, whom those he coaced were free to address him as 'Uncle' Eric! My own 'coach,' trainer, and all that - I was a 'scissors-style' high jumper; a 'tagger along' at boys soccer, and so on, was a man whom I have always remembered affectionaly: over the past six decades and even earlier": Mister S Gordon Martin, whom we boys knew as 'GOOPY!' (No disrespect - we LOVED OUR FRIEND.
So while many were cheering on Mr Liddell, we were cheering for "our own!"
Former missionary, Mr P A BRUCE, our headmast, received my cheers, of course!
And of course, ERIC LIDDELL easily outstripped all his competitionllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
At 5:43 PM, Grampa_David said...
Thanks for reading this! I just got back yesterday from Weifang where I was able to find the room in "Shadyside Hospital" where I was residing with my fellow students in 1945!
David Birch
New Westminster
At 6:03 PM, John said...
Thank you David for visiting and letting us know some more about Eric Liddell, its a fascinating piece of history, and being a Scotsman and brother in Christ, he means a lot to me.
Thank you once again for leting us know, if you have any articles or photos of Eric and the camp, I would be only to willing to post them on my blog for you.
God Bless you and yours.
At 6:05 PM, John said...
Thank you David, for the addendum, and glad to know you arrived back safely.
Thanks for taking the time out to visit David, and for leaving an encouraging comment, I truly appreciate it!
GBYAY
At 9:48 PM, Jeannie said...
His reward was waiting for him in heaven - more that the riches the world had to offer.
At 11:31 PM, John said...
That's for sure Jeannie, he stored up his treasures in heaven, a mighty man of God and martyr!
Thanks for taking the time out to visit Jeannie, and for leaving an encouraging comment, I truly appreciate it!
GBYAY
At 12:08 AM, Catez said...
I'e mentioned this in Scene and Herd today .
At 3:29 AM, Julana said...
Thank you for sharing that, John. It adds a lot of depth to the story the movie told.
At 8:19 AM, John said...
Thank you Catez, for the nod, I truly appreciate it!
Thanks for taking the time out to visit Catez, and for leaving an encouraging comment, its deeply appreciated.
GBYAY
At 8:21 AM, John said...
Its a pleasure Julana, its a story that has fascinated me since I first saw the movie, it was interesting to hear from someone who actually knew him.
Thanks for taking the time out to visit Julana, and for leaving an encouraging comment, its deeply appreciated.
GBYAY
At 2:56 AM, Anonymous said...
Thank you for the reminder of those times. My father and aunt, as children were in Weihsien. It is only through God's grace and love that they can now talk about their experiences. Would we be willing to stand as strong? I pray so.
At 11:11 AM, John said...
I thank you Anon, for the information regarding your Dad and Aunt, its an amazing story, and its so true about His grace and love, it must have been a terrifying ordeal for the children.
Its a good Question, but only God can answer that one.
Please feel free to come again and share more of the experiences of the camp.
Thanks for taking the time out to visit Anon, and for leaving an encouraging comment, I truly appreciate it!
GBYAY
Liddell, a devout Christian, became famous for winning the 400 metres at the 1924 Paris Olympics after refusing to run his best distance, the 100 metres, because the heats were on a Sunday. Less well known is that he was born and spent much of his life in China. The son of missionaries in the port city of Tianjin, he left Britain the year after his Paris triumph to follow in their footsteps as a missionary teacher. "Eric Liddell was a great Olympic champion who gave it all up to come to teach the youth of China," said Stephen Metcalf, 78, a friend and fellow internee.
"He gave me two things," Mr Metcalf said. "One was his worn-out running shoes." It was winter, and like many boys Mr Metcalf had nothing to wear on his feet. "The best thing he gave me was his baton of forgiveness. He taught me to love my enemies, the Japanese, and to pray for them." After the war, Mr Metcalf spent 40 years as a missionary teacher in Japan.