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From: Darrell Cowlam
Sent: Friday, January 10, 2025 4:17 PM
To: decollectables@tiscali.co.uk
Cc: weihsien@proximus.be
Subject: Fwd: My mother was in the camp with her parents
Hi Yvonne,
I saw your post forwarded from Leopold and though your mother's story was very similar to my father's and his family.
What was really interesting is this picture below which I have seen before.
The names under Audrey Broderick - Shelia Cowlam (my aunt who sadly passed away late last year) and Sunny Cowlam who is my father (his actual name is Julian Cowlam but was call Sunny turned 88 in December). In the middle of this image is also the name Mrs Cowlam with some Chinese writing underneath. I believed this was from their time in a school in Cheefoo (but not sure).
In my aunts photos there is an image (above) which again I believe was from the school at Cheefoo (again not sure though).
And an image of we think a photo of the customs team, or part of the customs team. My grandfather is in the back row, slightly feft of centre, directly above the lady in the spotted dress and hat.
My grandfather was originally in the British Navy and served on the HMS Queen Elizabeth before joining the customs team and serving in a number of lighthouse in China.
My cousin had some memories from my aunt Sheila, of being released in 1945 from Weifang camp. They then found themselves in temporary crowded accommodation – possibly an old theatre - one ‘room’ for their family among many families. It took them a year to get back to Shanghai. My Grandmother was born in Shanghai so presumably they went there to find her family. My grandfather had also been very ill in the camp so it may be the other reason.
She also remembered she went to school in Shanghai for a year or so from 1946/7 to 1949. She had to go to boarding school because my grandfather was assigned to another posting with customs. He wanted her and my father (Sunny) to have some education given they had missed so much.
In 1949 there was a mad scramble to get out of the country and they were given the choice to fly to America, Australia or the UK. As the family had British passports and Grandfather had family here they came to the UK. In 1949 they flew on the last plane out from Pudong, near Shanghai to Kowloon to catch get the SS Canton to the Southampton. They could only bring with them what they could carry – a suitcase each and no more, so had lost everything.
1 Hainan is North East Shantung Promontory in Shantung (Shandong) province
3 Hainan is Kungtungkao (5 miles from Chefoo)
4 Hainan this looks like Peiyüshan an island lighthouse
From: Nicholas Kitto
Sent: Tuesday, January 7, 2025 6:55 AM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re: My mother was in the camp with her parents
And here’s the promised scan, Leopold, attached at bottom.
All the best
Nick
From: decollectables@tiscali.co.uk
Sent: Monday, January 6, 2025 4:40 PM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re: FW: My mother was in the camp with her parents
Hi Leopold
I had just finished doing some research about Chapel Island light house and then the email came from Nick with all the information I was looking for, so thank you Nick.
I found my grandfather William Brodericks navy record yesterday which shows that he was on the gunboat 'Widgeon' on the Yangtze river from Feb 1921 till Jan 1923.
I then found Chinese Maritime records which show that he became Third Light Keeper B (on probation) in Feb 1923 at Chefoo till achieving Chief Light Keeper A, Jun 1942 which is when my grandparents and mother were then interned at Chefoo, Temple Hill Camp for one year before being transferred to Weihsien camp for the remaining years. After the war they must have returned to Amoy (Xiamen) as he is shown on the record as Chief Light Keeper A on Amoy.
Also attached is a copy of a list from Temple Hill Camp which my grandparents and my mother have signed.
Nick thought the photo of the light house with the Japanese marines was taken in 1937 which means that the young child is probably my mother especially as she sat at the side of my grandparents.
Sorry Leopold but I do not think I have anything to post on the Weihsien website.
All I have is my mothers old photo album but nothing seems to relate to Weihsien.
Thank you everyone for all your help.
Best Wishes Yvonne
click me and scroll ↓↑From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Monday, January 6, 2025 3:58 PM
To: 'decollectables@tiscali.co.uk'
Cc: 'Janette Ley'
Subject: FW: My mother was in the camp with her parents
Try this URL:
https://greenmap.org/feature/630126892b338201008a4744
amicalement,
Leopold
From: Nicholas Kitto
Sent: Monday, January 6, 2025 3:25 PM
To: Leopold PANDER
Cc: decollectables@tiscali.co.uk
Subject: Re: My mother was in the camp with her parents
Hello Leopold,
I can help with this one.
Chapel Island (now Dongding Island) is on the approach to Amoy (now Xiamen) harbour.
The Chinese Maritime Customs Service (“CMCS”) was responsible for the placing and construction of all lighthouses and other navigation aids, both on the coast and rivers. As you’ll know, while the CMCS was a Chinese government institution, from the 1860s it was managed and key technical positions were occupied by western expatriates.
It’s rather late here now but tomorrow I will scan some info’ and a photo of the lighthouse on the island from The Coastwise Lights of China by T Roger Banister from 1932. I expect Yvonne's photo was taken in 1937 as the troops look to be Japanese marines posted to occupy the island once they had captured Amoy.
Meanwhile there’s some info here which I have to admit I haven’t yet read myself: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongding_Island
All the best
Nick
Nicholas Kitto ARPSHong Kong
tel. +852 94692584
Photographing Heritage
Book: https://www.treatyports.photos
https://www.nicholaskitto.com
From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Monday, January 6, 2025 10:03 AM
To: decollectables@tiscali.co.uk
Subject: RE: FW: FW: My mother was in the camp with her parents
Dear Yvonne,
Thanks for the two photos 😊
I had a look on Google Earth for Chapel Island. There is one in Scotland and another in Canada ― New Brunswick (Indian reserve). Your grandfather was posing with a Japanese crew belonging to a warship of the Japanese Imperial Navy. All the officers have their katana and the other sailors are most certainly Japanese. The flag confirms. Could it be possible that the lighthouse be located along the Chinese coast? Where? Shanghai? Elsewhere?
On the Weihsien-paintings’ website are 3 books about pre-war customs in China:
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/books(other)/Tyler/Tyler01.htm
http://weihsien-paintings.org/books(other)/Eldridge/Eldridge.htm
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/books(other)/BelgianMandarin/belgianMandarin.htm
… or maybe, the picture was taken after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and your grandfather, grandmother and mother were already “prisoners” of the Japs just before being interned in Weihsien Camp. (House arrest).
Do you possess anything about Weihsien that I might be able to copy/paste for our Weihsien-paintings’ website?
Best regards,
Leopold
From: decollectables@tiscali.co.uk
Sent: Sunday, January 5, 2025 12:56 PM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re: FW: FW: My mother was in the camp with her parents
Hi again Leopold
I found these two photographs in my mothers photo album.
Sadly my mother is no longer with us so I cannot ask her about them.
The first picture shows a light house with my grandfather and grandmother sat at the very front but who the other people are, I have no idea and the second picture is my grandfather with a life belt which says 'Chapel Island Light Station'.
Kind Regards
Yvonne
From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Sunday, January 5, 2025 10:05 AM
To: 'Leopold PANDER'
Subject: FW: FW: My mother was in the camp with her parents
Dear Yvonne,
… thanks very much for updating us about the Yangtze gunboats. I read the book (The Sand Pebbles) on a Kindle → (click on : “kindle”)
Once upon a time (!) in my twenties, I was a sailor. I was 4th mate and because of health problems, I had to quit. I was young and loved my job. I am always interested in all that floats.
I also read books about lighthouses. Seems to be an easy job at first but in reality, it is a very difficult profession and often quite scary too.
All the best,
Leopold
Forwarded by:http://www.weihsien-paintings.org
From: decollectables@tiscali.co.uk
Sent: Saturday, January 4, 2025 10:12 PM
To: Leopold PANDER
Hi Leopold
Sent: Saturday, January 4, 2025 10:12 PM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re: FW: My mother was in the camp with her parents
Hi Leopold
I had not heard of the book 'Sand Pebbles' or what it was about but after looking on the internet it is definitely a book I would like to read. I cannot find it for sale anywhere in the UK but I can get the DVD film which starred Steve McQueen so I will buy that and look at getting the book from America. This is a book that I bought some years ago in England about the Yangtze River gunboats which is very interesting.
Thank you for telling me about the Sand Pebble Leopold.
Kind Regards
Yvonne Riddell
From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Saturday, January 4, 2025 2:31 PM
To: 'miekemelief@kpnmail.nl'
Subject: RE: My mother was in the camp with her parents
Dear Mieke, Dear Anneke,
Hello 😊
Happy New Year and our best wishes for good Health and much Happiness all along the New Year and for the many Years to come …
And, (…) Yes, I have many addresses that all come to the same place i.e. my computer. tapol@skynet.be — pander.nl@skynet.be — weihsien@proximus.be .
Use the “Weihsien” one if you want me to forward your message to our Weihsien-group.
As for the previous messages and pictures, you may easily re-read them directly from our website:
http://weihsien-paintings.org/TheGroup/Group.php — scroll down (…)
and:
http://weihsien-paintings.org/TheGroup/messages/2025-01/2025-01.htm
for the January 2025 messages.
Met vriendelijke groeten,
Leopold
From: miekemelief@kpnmail.nl
Sent: Saturday, January 4, 2025 12:34 PM
To: Leopold PANDER
Dear Leopold,
From: Leopold PANDER Sent: Saturday, January 4, 2025 12:34 PM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re: My mother was in the camp with her parents
Dear Leopold,
My Aunt Anneke-Knüppe-de Jongh has a new email address since the beginning of July last year. She forgot to email you her new email address, so she didn't receive your messages. Is it posssible to send her the missing emails?
By the way is the emailaddress I reply to your current en mailaddress? I saw 2 addresses. The second one is: pander.nl@skynet.be
My aunt's new emailaddress is: annemoen30@gmail.com
Happy new Year, Mieke Melief
Sent: Saturday, January 4, 2025 11:06 AM
To: 'Leopold PANDER'
Subject: FW: The Fourth Anniversary of Weifang being Awarded the International City of Peace
Dear Weifang and Weihsien friends,
Indeed, "time flies".
Twenty-five years ago, the Weihsien-paintings' website started very randomly with just a few painting reproductions too big to be included in an e-mail message.
Modems were slow in those days and my computer still had a floppy disk drive in it but we managed to share pictures.
Times have changed.
A full-grown website now exists: http://www.weihsien-paintings.org
Our Old Shadyside Hospital has become a freshly renovated museum, and …
The City Weifang has been honoured with the title of: "City of Peace" renown worldwide.
Remember:
We were liberated 80 years ago, 17 August 1945.
Instead of a live video (...) allow me to congratulate the City of Weifang for all that has been accomplished up to this date.
― To your credit, the management and entire renovation of a museum on the grounds of a WWII concentration camp and the pedagogic efforts you have made to inform the younger generations about the history with a big "H" of what China has endured during the XIX and XX centuries. I trust your "Historians" to tell the true story ― the Chinese way.
― Also, to your credit, the day-to-day work in China as "City of Peace" to promote "peace" in our very troubled world all along this new coming year and for all the years to come.
The eighty years' celebrations are now just 8 months ahead of us. I now no longer travel ― as I already wrote ― but I trust that many will be present for the commemorations. With pleasure, I notice that the new generations of "Westerners" will be present in Weifang this August for the three or four days of rejoicing.
Thanks to “our” website and “your” hard work, the memory survives.
Do keep us updated.
May we all be able to live a simple, healthy life on a ― once again ― clean planet.
Leopold
From: 乐道院潍县集中营博物馆
Sent: Friday, January 3, 2025 5:52 AM
To: Leopold_Pander
Dear Leopold,
Sent: Friday, January 3, 2025 5:52 AM
To: Leopold_Pander
Subject: The Fourth Anniversary of Weifang being Awarded the International City of Peace
Dear Leopold,
Hello!
Time flies,
This year marks the fourth anniversary of Weifang being awarded the International City of Peace.In the past four years, the city has flourished under the glory of peace, full of vitality and hope, the pain has been gradually healed, and the flower of peace has blossomed.
Looking back, your experience is an important part of this city's history, and your resilience and courage are a vivid reflection of the spirit of peace. On this momentous anniversary, we cordially invite you to record a video message for the city. Your words will add to the story of peace in this city, inspire people living here to cherish and protect peace, and show the world our unremitting efforts and firm conviction in pursuing peace.
You can talk about the city changes in your memory, the profound meaning of peace to you, or the blessings and prospects for the peaceful development of the city in the future. If it is not convenient to record the video, you can also write down the message and send it to us by email. Whether it is email or video, please send to us as soon as your time is convenient.Please also help to publicize and promote the 4th anniversary on the website of "Weihsien-Paintings", so that more survivors and people interested in this history can know this important commemorative moment, and sincerely invite all those who want to come to Weifang to participate in the event!
Thank you for your support and dedication, and look forward to hearing your voice and celebrating this special moment together!
Weihsien West Civilians Concentration Camp Site Museum
From: Roy Campbell
Sent: Friday, January 3, 2025 3:57 PM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re: My mother was in the camp with her parents
Hello My name is Maida Harris Campbell and my parents were Reginald and Grace Harris and they taught at the China Inland Missionary school in Chefoo China where I was born in 1930 I was 15 years old when we were liberated in 1945.
In 2005 I attended the 60th reunion in Weihsien with 3 of my children. 
My son Jim and my nephew Norman may be attending the 80th reunion this year I am now going on 95 so will not be attending.
It was a wonderful experience meeting many classmates and also visiting Chefoo.
I found it very interesting that your father worked on the Yangtze River.
My grandparents lived inland from the Yangtze River and my mother and siblings as well as my classmates travelled up the river for their Christmas holidays Because it took so long for children to travel home to their parents the school had a two month holiday at Christmas As a family we have gone to China 5 times I believe and the last time we took a trip up the Yangtze River.
Maida Harris Campbell
Sent from my iPad
From: decollectables@tiscali.co.uk
Sent: Thursday, January 2, 2025 4:02 PM
To: weihsien@proximus.be
Subject: My mother was in the camp with her parents
Hi
I have just discovered your website yesterday and was so pleased to have found it.
My mother Audrey Broderick was in the camp with her parents William and Janet Broderick.
My mother was born in Amoy, China 1934 and was 8 years old when she went into the camp.
Her father William was a light house keeper but joined the British Navy and patrolled on the gunboats on the Yangtze river.
I am hoping to attend the 80th anniversary this year to see the museum and the liberation memorial with their names incorporated.
The picture is a photograph of my mother aged I think about 5 years old with her parents.
Kind regards
Yvonne Riddell
From: 乐道院潍县集中营博物馆
Sent: Tuesday, December 24, 2024 7:38 AM
To: Leopold_Pander
Subject: Warm Christmas Greetings and Beautiful Wishes
Dear Leopold
Merry Christmas!
On this joyous and peaceful Christmas day, all the staff of the Weihsien West Civilians Concentration Camp Site Museum send you the warmest Christmas greetings with great respect and sincerity.
Recalling those difficult years in the concentration camp, the perseverance, courage and love for life that you and your compatriots showed have always been like a bright light, illuminating the long river of history. It is precisely because of brave survivors like you that this period of history has been truly recorded and passed down.
Today, the Weihsien West Civilians Concentration Camp Site Museum still stands there quietly. It bears the memories of the past and witnesses the beauty of the era of peace. Every exhibit and every story is silently telling what happened, hoping to make more people understand and remember this period of history and cherish the current peace.
On this holy Christmas night, we sincerely wish you good health and a happy mood. May love and laughter surround you, like the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree, driving away all the gloom. We hope that you can draw strength from your memories and enjoy peace and happiness in the present.
Next year will be the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Weihsien Concentration Camp. We will carry out a series of commemorative activities around August 17. We welcome you and your family to come to Weifang and the museum to see the new changes today.
Once again, we send you our most sincere Christmas wishes. May you have a warm and unforgettable holiday.
Weihsien West Civilians Concentration Camp Site Museum
From: Christine Sancton
Sent: Tuesday, December 24, 2024 8:29 PM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Happy festive season
Dear fellow Weihsieners: all best wishes for this festive season and blessing for the new year of 2025.
We hope for peace in the world.
I often think of us who are in there 80s...and am grateful to all those looking after us in Camp...I remember the stories of the crushed egg shells in our food to increased calcium in our diet. After this pandemic, wow! I think how lucky we did not have cholera outbreaks, or any other communicable disease.
The kitchens must have been quite clean as I don't remember reading anything in my mother, Ida's diaries about us, the children getting the gastric bug.
Will anyone be going to the 80th anniversary of our liberation in Weihsien in August? I see that Kay Allen's niece and family may go. My family and the Allens were very good friends, perhaps both fathers worked for the KMA? We were lucky enough to have met up with Kay and Mike a couple of times on our infrequent visits to the UK. We live in Saint John New Brunswick, a port city on the east coast of Canada.
A happy and healthy New Year to us all.
with much gratitude,
Christine Talbot Sancton
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