De: "Joyce Cook" <bobjoyce@tpg.com.au>
À:
<weihsien@topica.com>
Objet:
Re: Happy New Year
Date:
dimanche 1 janvier 2006 1:07
Thank you for your New Year's Day wishes.
We had a barbeque last night (New Year's Eve) with lamb cutlets that we grow
ourselves). We have an 11 acre property with sheep and we keep ourselves in
lambs. Cutlets are anything up to AUD$38 a kilo here. This is an outrageous
price. It is now 10am on new years day
and we are expecting 40 degrees Celsius today. It is about 34 degrees. The beaches
are packed already. I sometimes miss the
snow of Tsingtao my home town but I truly love Sydney's summer.
----- Original
Message -----
From: rod miller
To:
weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Saturday,
December 31, 2005 3:30 PM
Subject: Re: Happy New Year
At 12:54 PM 12/31/2005, you wrote:
Happy New Year, everyone.
Here in the USA, our
television WEATHER CHANNEL shows folks sunbathing near Sydney, Australia. I'm envious, Joyce. Here in New Jersey, I'm wearing long underwear.
It's 45.3 outside at the moment. Good Beach
weather ;-)
R
De: "Joyce Cook"
<bobjoyce@tpg.com.au>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Happy New Year
Date: dimanche 1 janvier 2006 1:19
Dear Mary. Thanks for your greetings and the same to you and everybody. Yes the
weather in Sydney
is hot but very nice indeed. Our beaches are very popular with lots of tourists
and locals. We are having quiet New Years Day at the present. It is 10.15am and
temperature about 34 degrees Celsius rising to an expected 40 degrees later
today. I endorse your comments about Natasha, Leopold and Donald. We have very
much enjoyed Donald's walking tour disc.
Best wishes. Joyce.
De: "David Birch" <gdavidbirch@yahoo.com>
À: "Weihsien" <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Thanks Mary, Rod and Joyce for the New Year's greetings!
Date: dimanche 1 janvier 2006 1:45
I'm still living in the
"afterglow" of the wonderful 60th Anniversary of Weihsien
Liberation. I had the privilege of
spending nearly ten days in Shandong
this past August and met a number of you there!
I even went wading in the ocean at Yantai/Chefoo where I used to swim as
a little boy eons ago!
Let's take a few moments to send our
heartiest Best Wishes to James Broughton and his lovely new bride Carolyn
(Christenson) Broughton. They are being married TODAY in the Church in West Palm Beach, Florida,
where Carolyn's father is the minister.
You will very likely recall that both James and Carolyn were with
James's mother, Mary (Hoyte) Broughton, at the Weihsien Celebration in August.
They then journeyed on to Chefoo (Yantai) where Mary was one of my schoolmates
years ago! Congratulations and best wishes
James and Carolyn!!! And God bless you
too Mary as this outstanding young man, your beautiful son takes this big new
step in his life!
David
De: "Joyce Cook"
<bobjoyce@tpg.com.au>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Thanks Mary, Rod and Joyce for the New Year's greetings!
Date: dimanche 1 janvier 2006 9:38
All our best wishes for a Happy New year to
everybody on the Weihsien site. Particularly to James and Carolyn on their
wedding day in Florida.
Well do I remember sitting alongside James' mother in the bus and reminiscing
about the camp. Congratulations. Joyce.
De: "georgeanna knisely"
<jknisely@paonline.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Thanks Mary, Rod and Joyce for the New Year's greetings!
Date: lundi 2 janvier 2006 2:30
James and Carolyn,
Congratulations on your wedding!!!!! I remember greeting you two in the Qingdao airport with, “You
are too young for the reunion!" You
parted and there was your Mother, James.
What a wonderful ongoing China
heritage - to have met there and getting married.
Without you, James, I would not have the
pictures I have. And just wish that I
had had more time with your mother to reminisce more and talk about you!
James and Carolyn, may our Lord continue to
bless you as you start out together to enrich the world in His name.
Mary, I am so happy for you also. Wish you could come visit me in PA I get home
from family Christmas on the 3rd. IF any
chance that you could fly to Harrisburg,
PA I would love to spend time
with you and I have the greatest B&B in town - for friends. I know probably impossible, but would be
thrilled. Lots of America to see here. And not too far from Mary Previte??? With love and prayers, Georgie PHONE 1-717-432-5802 as soon as I get home
about midaft on the 3rd!!!
De: "Nicky & Leopold"
<tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: 2006
Date: mercredi 4 janvier 2006 12:34
Dear Weihsien friends,
Our very best wishes for the New Year ---
health and happiness all along the next 365 days and far beyond ---
Tomorrow morning we will be on our way to China
!! :-)) --- Where I hope to take many more photos of Weifang "in the
Winter".
Best regards,
Nicky and Leopold
De: "Mary Previte"
<mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: 2006
Date: mercredi 4 janvier 2006 20:26
We'll look forward to seeing your pictures
and getting a report of your adventure, Leopold. Please wish HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of our
friends and hosts in Weifang.
Mary Previte
De: "Mary Previte" <mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Philip McLorn of Weihsien
Date: lundi 9 janvier 2006 9:47
Hello, Everbody:
Philip McLorn, age 72, contacted me today
-- a wonderful surprise. Thank you,
Internet. Philip was interned in
Weihsien -- part of the Tientsin group, but
was also a student at Chefoo.
Any of you who were room mates or classmates
with Philip may want to connect with him at
_jpmclorn@golden.net_ (mailto:jpmclorn@golden.net) He and his wife live at 10 Water Street, Ayr, Ontario, NOB
1E0.
Weihsien liberator TAD NAGAKI will
celebrate his birthday on January 25.
If you'd like to send him a card, his
address is 5851 Logan Road, Alliance,
NE 69301
USA He continues to farm in Alliance.
Mary Previte
De: "Sui Shude - Weifang China"
<suishude@sohu.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: News From Sui Shude of Weihsien
Date: lundi 9 janvier 2006 16:52
News From Sui Shude – Weifang (Weihsien) 22:49 January 9th, 2006
"LEOPOLD PANDER AND HIS FAMILY FROM BELGIUM
ARE VISITING IN
WEIFANG (WEIHSIEN)"
Today, Mr. Leopold Pander, his wife and
relatives, came specially from
Belgium
to Weifang (Weihsien) for special visit to the Weihsien Camp.
They arrived in Qingdao Airport
at 10:50 am, and Sui Shude came to the airport to pick them up and transferred
to Weifang Hotel.
In the afternoon, the group visited the Kite Village
to appreciated the Weifang Kites and Paper-cuts, which are the most famous
handicraft works of Weifang.
In the evening, the group were invited to a
special welcome banquet dinner hosted by officials of Weifang People's
Government.
Tomorrow, the group will explore the
Weihsien Camp site in details the whole morning. They will pay a visit to the
school-master of the Secondary
Middle School, and meet
and talk with government officials in the city hall.
Also, they will have time to visit the Weifang Kite
Museum, the City Square, the Qing Dynasty
Garden and other places
they are interested in Weifang.
They will leave Weifang after dinner
tomorrow.
Sui Shude arranged all of their itinerary
and visits in Weifang.
The name list of the group is:
1.Mr. Leopold Pander
2.Mrs. Nicky Pander
3.Mr. Keyen - Depadt
4.Mrs. Keyen - Depadt
Leopold Pander was born in Tientsin (Tianjin) of China. His father worked as a
banker there at the time. During World War II, his whole family were sent to
prison in Weihsien by the Japanese occupant and were kept in the camp for 873
days.
Sui Shude
suishude@sohu.com
emailshude@yahoo.com.cn
weihsientravel@tom.com
De: "David Allen" <dandya@fidalgo.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Philip McLorn of Weihsien
Date: lundi 9 janvier 2006 23:21
Thank you Mary:
I
have several references to Philip McLorn in my letters sent home to my folks
from the Chefoo and Temple Hill days.
I don't have any reference of Philip being
in Weihsien.
I
will send him the info I have on Chefoo and I think he would be interested.
David Allen
----- Original
Message -----
From: Mary Previte
To:
weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Sunday,
January 08, 2006 11:46 PM
Subject: Philip McLorn of Weihsien
Hello, Everbody:
Philip McLorn, age 72, contacted me today -- a wonderful surprise. Thank you, Internet. Philip was interned in Weihsien -- part of
the Tientsin group, but was also a student at
Chefoo.
Any of you who were room mates or classmates with Philip may want to connect
with him at jpmclorn@golden.net He and his wife live at 10 Water Street, Ayr, Ontario, NOB
1E0.
Weihsien liberator TAD NAGAKI will celebrate his birthday on January
25. If you'd like to send him a card,
his address is 5851 Logan Road, Alliance, NE 69301 USA He continues to farm in Alliance.
Mary Previte
De: "georgeanna knisely"
<jknisely@paonline.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: News From Sui Shude of Weihsien
Date: mardi 10 janvier 2006 3:47
Sui Shude,
You are truly a marvellous host to us old
Weihsien internees. Our visit with you
in August was overwhelming. Amarvelous
time and welcome from you and Weifang government and school and people!
And now you are doing the same thing for
Leopold and his wife, who are keeping all of us up to date and in
pictures. Thank you for us, once again
and for taking care of them.
With great appreciation Georhgie Reinbrecht
Knisely
De: "Mary Broughton" <wilmar@clear.net.nz>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: re many thanks to David, Joyce and Georgie
Date: mercredi 11 janvier 2006 6:13
Many thanks for your good wishes for James
and Carolyn's Wedding. We are just back
from Florida. We had a wonderful time, beautiful wedding,
great welcome from Carolyn's family.
I went with my son Chris and daughter
Helene and their families all together to Florida
and stopped at Disneyland on the way home to
NZ. What was so good too was that my
brothers Eric and John Hoyte were there too with Luci (Shaw), John's wife and
Eric's daughter Helena and John and 2 boys.
I totally agree the Weihsien Liberation
Celebration was an amazing, wonderful experience and quite emotional. If only we had stayed another few hours
together to share experiences and feelings.
So many thanks to Sui Shude, Weifang city and all who helped and of
course those who attended it.
Mary (Hoyte) Broughton
----- Original Message -----
From: Ian Grant
To: Chefusians
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2006 8:12 PM
Subject: Tony Railton in New Zealand
I received this news from Tony Railton in New Zealand. If any of you
can assist him with information about his grandparents, who were business
people at Chefoo, he would be delighted to hear from you.
Tony wrote: "I attended Chefoo School
from 1929-38. My grandparents and
parents were business folk in Chefoo, and my grandfather had his own firm H.E.
Railton and Co. I lost my father and
young brother in a drowning accident in 1936 and along with my mother, left
Chefoo in 1938 for England. My grandparents, however, remained and along
with other business folk and teachers and children of the Chefoo School,
were interned in Temple Hill and Weihsien for the full period of internment.
"I am 81 now, and would be interested if any of those
interned with my grandparents have any memories or recollections of them. I never had the chance to meet up with them
after they returned to England,
and would love to hear any news or memories of them."
Sincerely, Ian
-----------------------------------------
Ian Grant
22 Cloughley Drive
Barrie ON
L4N 7Y3
705-726-9677
705-726-4386 (fax)
iangrant@rogers.com
De: "Nicky & Leopold"
<tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Cc: "Janette & Pierre @ home"
<pierre.ley@pandora.be>; "Colette & Yves @ home"
<keyenyco@hotmail.com>
Objet: Weifang visit,
Date: lundi 16 janvier 2006 11:42
Dear Mr. Shude,
Dear Weihsien friends,
We are now back in Belgium after our very short visit to Shanghai and Weifang.
First thing I did when returning home was (of course) to have a look at my mail-box
--- and after having read Georgeana's message, I agree a hundred percent with
her. Thanks again for Mr. Shude's kindness and competence. The four of us were
treated as V.I.P.s. We had the best of everything. We were greeted at Quindao
airport by Mr. Shude and his chauffeur --- we had the best Hotel --- we had
four complete and Gargantuesque meals of excellent Shandung food (the best in China
said Mr. Shude) --- in four different
restaurants and a Chinese breakfast at the Hotel to begin our second day --- !
Most important of all: we visited No.2
Middle Class School and what remains of our old compound, the hospital, the
villas, the museum, the garden, the monuments, the bell, ----- and I was free
to take all the pictures I wished. Which I did! We visited the kite museum and
the kite fabric. We walked in the gardens facing the government building and I
can assure you that when we were driven back to Quindao at the very end of the
second day, we were all 4 of us: on our knees. Happily exhausted --- We were
back in Shanghai
at past midnight!
Again, thank you Mr. Shude.
If any of you are planning to visit Weifang
and Weihsien, --- I heartily recommend you to write to Mr. Shude first.
Best regards,
Leopold
De: "Nicky & Leopold"
<tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: China adventure,
Date: samedi 21 janvier 2006 9:30
Hello
Since we are back from China, Nicky and I are having
difficulties in catching the good meridian. We are still on the Shanghai time-zone and
getting up too early in the morning. That gives me more time to work on my web
site --- sorting all the photos for you to see ---
I just finished my Weihsien-chapter last
night. Could you have a look? --- and also suggest any corrections.
It was all a most unexpected and fantastic
adventure --
Best regards,
Leopold
P.S. I just got a very nice message from
Mr. Sui Shude with the corrections for the "group-picture". I'll try
and fix that ASAP.
De: "Nicky & Leopold"
<tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: new link:
Date: dimanche 22 janvier 2006 12:12
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/pander/Weifang2006/Slide_Show/01_KiteFabric/p_Kite_01.htm
Hello,
New photos --- just click on the (above)
link --- :-))
Best regards,
Leopold
De: "Pamela Masters"
<pamela@hendersonhouse.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: new link:
Date: lundi 23 janvier 2006 20:06
Dear Leopold and Nicky --
Thank you so much for that fabulous layout and
all the pictures! Sometimes it was hard to recognize the old camp within the
scope of all your photos.
One in particular stood out: the
"spooky" corridor under the hospital wing. The first door, or rather
opening, in the right wall led to the boiler room where I found Lloyd Francke
when his legs gave out and he fell against the blistering boiler. I'm sure, all
of you who have read "The Mushroom Years" recognized my character Dan
as Lloyd -- he was such a special friend...
Thank you again for bringing so many
memories back -- Pamela
De: "georgeanna knisely"
<jknisely@paonline.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: ReNicky amd Leopold
Date: mercredi 25 janvier 2006 17:27
Nicky and Leopold,
What a lovely trip for us, with you, again
to Weihsien/Weifang and the Camp. Thank
you again for sharing your trip. But
best of all, it was a pleasure to meet you two at the end. Now we can see who we are corresponding with.
Thank you and thank you. I go back and back to your website. And I am not a person to live in the past,
but what fun.
So happy you two were able to go!!!!
Blessings, Georgie Reinbrecht Knisely
De: "Nicky & Leopold"
<tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: map
Date: vendredi 27 janvier 2006 9:54
Hello,
Hope you get the picture ---
The No.2 Middle Class School map has a
slight parallax error but it comes from a picture I took in the museum in one
of the two Japanese villas. I superposed Father Verhoeven's map of Weihsien and
made a rotation to put the North upwards. I resized it so the two existing
Japanese villas coincide and the old block-23 to match the new administrative
building.
Any remarks?
Now I will transfer all this on a street
map of Weifang I got at the Hotel ---
De: "Ron
Bridge" <rwbridge@freeuk.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: map
Date: vendredi 27 janvier 2006 12:18
Très intéressant.
Aussi, le jardin au nord
de bloc 1
Bien amicalement
Ron
-----
Original Message -----
From: Donald
To:
weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2006 9:27
PM
Subject: Re: map
Leopold
(and Nicky),
A
great map and overlay, but shouldn't the three low buildings in the NE corner
that are being restored also be outlined in red?
Also,
can you provide a map of Weifang that shows precisely where in the present
city the camp is located? That would be helpful in targeting it on Google
Earth.
Donald
-----
Original Message -----
From: Donald
To:
weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2006 2:04
AM
Subject: Re: map
Leopold
& Nicky,
A
second glance makes it look like the Verhoevan map should be
"stretched" a little in the E-W direction so that the diagonal lines
in the SW corner of both maps are aligned.
Donald
De: "Nicky & Leopold" <tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: map
Date: samedi 28 janvier 2006 10:50
Dear Donald,
Just did that !
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/pander/Weifang2006/Slide_Show/02_Weihsien/p_01.htm
click on this link ---
--- then click on the second picture ---
It is the cover of the map we got at the
hotel.
- first is the whole city of Weifang
- then, a ZOOM on the Weihsien-camp area
- third, the location of No.2 Middle Class
School and the Hospital. Mr. Shude helped me for that ---
- 4; a copy/paste of the satellite map
found on Google-Earth,
- 5; The 2-map combination of No.2-M-C-S
and Father Verhoeven's map. I corrected the red outlines and pointed Eric
Liddell's monument.
- 6; A 3-map combination with the actual
streets of Weifang. Of course, owing to slight parallax errors --- these
combinations are not 100% correct.
When we were driving in Weifang city, at a
road crossing, (?), Mr. Shude pointed an old wall visible in the background and
said that it was a piece of the Camp's Wall. We didn't see it again later and I
didn't take a picture of it. Definitely --- I must go back to investigate ---
P.S. Who's next?
All the best,
Leopold
Happy (Chinese) New Year :-))
De: "Nicky & Leopold"
<tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: map
Date: samedi 28 janvier 2006 12:25
Dear Donald,
If I stretch in the E-W axis the outlines
of the Japanese villas will mismatch.
When I took the picture --- it was not (at
the moment) with the idea of combining the two maps. Maybe the next one of us
to go there will take a picture of No2-M-C-S-map --- directly in front of the frame (to avoid the
parallax error) --- and, if possible: no flash! The best would be for Mr. Shude
to send me a good copy of N0.2 Middle
Class School's
map. I'm sure that he will read this message and send me one.
Best regards,
Leopold
PS. As for the
"Eric-Liddell-Sport-Field" there is a much better picture in Joyce
Bradbury's photos. It was taken from a much higher level. I would have liked to
go on the roof of the administrative building and take a series of pictures
with a 360°-sweep. Maybe next time :-))
Best regards,
Leopold
De: "Dwight W. Whipple" <thewhipples@comcast.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: map
Date: samedi 28 janvier 2006 19:20
Dear Leopold~
Thanks for the masterful pictures of your
trip and your work in getting them into such readable form. The superimposed yesteryear map with today's
is very helpful. One question about the
remembrance wall: does it contain only the names of those who were in the camp
at liberation -- and not those who were repatriated in 1943? Couldn't find our names but did find those we
knew who remained at the end. Thanks
again for your good work.
~Dwight W. Whipple [Block 1, March, 1943 -
September, 1943]
-----
Original Message -----
From: Donald
To:
weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2006 11:16
PM
Subject: Re: map
Dwight,
I
also did not find the Wilders, and drew the same inference - that it contained
only those who were there to the end. I wonder if there is any way that
those who were expatriated could be added, if there is room.
Perhaps,
Mary, as our rep on the Executive Committee, you could bring that up at some
time.
Donald
----- Original Message -----
From: Mary Previte
To: weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2006 2:50 AM
Subject: Names on the memorial
monument
I'll
be happy to ask the Friendship Committee if it is possible to add names of
those who spent any time in Weihsien.
Who
has this list?
Mary
Previte
De: "Tracy Strong" <tstrong@weber.ucsd.edu>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: RE: Names on the memorial monument
Date: dimanche 29 janvier 2006 8:16
Not on the list, as far as I can tell, are
Robbins and Katherine Strong, missionaries, USA and Tracy B. Strong (child)
Tracy B. Strong
ucsd distinguished
professor
Department of
Political Science - 0521
University of California, San Diego
La
Jolla, CA 92093-0521 USA
Tel.:
858 534 7081/3548
Fax: 858 534 7130
Cell: 619 723 4161
De: "Nicky & Leopold"
<tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Names on the memorial monument
Date: dimanche 29 janvier 2006 10:28
Hello, :-))
The Remembrance Wall:
Picture No.358: there is the name
"Steven" and the next is: "Talati". That makes 20 missing
names.
The full list is on the web-site --- click
on this link:
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/RonBridge/habitants/weihsien02.xls
(You need to have Microsoft Excel to read
this file --- hope it works!)
Best regards
Leopold
De: "Mary Previte"
<mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: map
Date: mardi 31 janvier 2006 5:44
Donald:
I'm working on the problem of names missing
from the monument. My brother
James has discussed it with Mr. Sui.
Our Chinese hosts seem willing to add names,
but want these names to be documented on "official" lists. This is understandable. Greg Leck, who will release in the next few
weeks his new book on Japanese internment camps
in China, has told me that he knows of at least one
person who claims to have been interned
in Weihsien -- a claim disputed by several others. I can't imagine why someone would do such as
thing -- maybe reparations, maybe a
fascinating resume.
Greg says he may have as many as 200 names
that are not currently on the monument.
Mary Previte
De: "georgeanna knisely"
<jknisely@paonline.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: map
Date: mercredi 1 février 2006 2:56
Mary,
What is the name of Greg Leck's book on
Concentration Camps? Thanks, Georgie
De: "Mary Previte" <mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Captives of the Empire
Date: mercredi 1 février 2006 3:22
Hello, Georgie:
Greg tells me his book will go by the
title, Captives of the Empire. He thinks
it will be out within the next few weeks.
His years of research have taken him to the National Archives in Japan,
in England, in the USA.
Extraordinary research!
I think Greg told me the book is 700 pages
with lots of photographs -- but I may have got that figure wrong. It includes all the Japanese internment camps
in China
during WorldWar II.
His telephone number is 610-588-2474. He lives in Bangor,
PA,
near Allentown.
Mary
De: "Nicky & Leopold"
<tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Cc: "Janette & Pierre @ home"
<pierre.ley@pandora.be>
Objet: Re: Captives of the Empire
Date: mercredi 1 février 2006 10:03
hello,
try this link:
http://www.captives-of-empire.com/
super interesting ---
Best regards,
Leopold
De: "georgeanna knisely"
<jknisely@paonline.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Date: jeudi 2 février 2006 13:29
Thank you, Mary! Still hoping you might come my way and we
could have lunch. Do you ever get to my
area and need an overnite. Dilsburg is right off of rt 15 between Harrisburg and Gettysburg. Or meet somewhere near Lancaster.
Hopefully, Blessings, Georgie
De: "Natasha Petersen"
<np57@cox.net>
À: "weihsien"
<weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: topica
Date: vendredi 3 février 2006 17:58
Dear Zandy,
Now, I am having trouble accessing the website. Something about cookies. My son who is in Knoxville, has tried to
help - but to no avail! He has written
to them, and I am hoping that this will be worked out.
In order to subscribe -------send a blank
email to
Weihsien-subscribe@topica
This will work if you are "off"
on the listing. I cannot access it at
the present time to check.
I am sending this to the whole list. Zandy let me know if and when you get this
message.
Natasha
De: "Edmund Pearson" <tedp@videotron.ca>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: lost data
Date: mardi 7 février 2006 17:25
Hi, I had a hard drive crash and lost all
the email addresses of those with whom I was in email contact. If any of you still want to keep that
connection, please email me at your convenience.
Teddy Pearson
De: "Natasha Petersen"
<np57@cox.net>
À: "weihsien" <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: information
Date: mardi 7 février 2006 20:41
For your information - Please keep
If you find you no longer are getting
messages from the Weihsien listing, do the following:
Send a blank email to:
Weihsien-subscribe@topica.com
Follow directions that you should
receive. At present I am unable to
access our website. I, therefore, do not
know who is "off", and I have no way to change this to
"on".
Natasha
De: "Natasha Petersen"
<np57@cox.net>
À: "weihsien"
<weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: verb tense
Date: mercredi 8 février 2006 2:22
The line should read:
When you find that you are no longer
receiving Weihsien messages.....................
Natasha
De: "Ron Bridge"
<rwbridge@freeuk.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: verb tense
Date: mercredi 8 février 2006 11:03
Natasha,
Nice to know the purities of the English
language are still being upheld west of the Rockies.
I suspect the product of the present UK Schools would not know the difference.
rgds
Ron
De: "Ron Bridge"
<rwbridge@freeuk.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: lost data
Date: mercredi 8 février 2006 13:19
Edmund,
A real pain when that happens, I had Norton
Anti virus problems as when I upgraded in November they sent a faulty disc
thankfully it is all solved now.
Rgds
Ron Bridge
De: "Natasha Petersen"
<np57@cox.net>
À: "weihsien"
<weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: test
Date: samedi 11 février 2006 15:31
Zandy,
This is a test message for you. I will send another email to your email
address. Let me know whether you receive
both email messages.
Natasha
De: "Natasha Petersen"
<np57@cox.net>
À: "weihsien"
<weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: test
Date: samedi 25 février 2006 16:04
I have not been getting any messages for
about five weeks. I am unable to access
Topica website, and have not been able to get a person at Topica to respond to
my email requests of help.
Natasha
De: "Nicky & Leopold"
<tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: test
Date: samedi 25 février 2006 16:47
Hello,
Got your message loud and clear ----- :-))
Just checked on Topica at: http://lists.topica.com/lists/weihsien/read
and the last message is from Ron Bridge,
dated Feb 8 ----
Real quiet !! for the moment
Leopold
De: "Pamela Masters" <pamela@hendersonhouse.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: test
Date: lundi 27 février 2006 2:58
Hi Natasha -- You always come in loud and
clear, so does Weihsien Topica. Can't think what's holding up your messages,
unless, God forbid, you've got a sneaky little virus having fun with you. Have
you had a virus check lately? I've got Norton working overtime, so I feel
pretty safe nowadays.
Best love -- Pamela
De: "Nicky & Leopold"
<tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: the web-site-map
Date: lundi 27 février 2006 17:14
Hello,
Do you remember the discussion we had about
the Japanese's uniform? The Consular Police's uniform. Well, --- there is
"one" picture in Norman's
chapter on the Weihsien-picture-gallery web site.
Have a look at this link:
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/NormanCliff/epilogue/JapGuard/p-JapGuard.htm
--- and there is another picture --
certainly a "big shot" -- also found in Norman's documents:
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/NormanCliff/liberationDay/p-group2.htm
The
colour --- seems to be dark-blue or black.
---
One question however:
When re-reading the Topica-messages (I
print them for Father Hanquet, so I read them twice !!) many of you describe
our Japanese captors as nice & helpful guys! Are they not an infinite
exception amidst a bunch of ------
???
Best regards,
Leopold
De: "Natasha Petersen"
<np57@cox.net>
À: "weihsien"
<weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: access
Date: lundi 27 février 2006 18:17
I was receiving email sent to
Weihsien. I was not able to access the
website in order to check who was "on" and who was "off"
The problem was solved by my number one son.
The pop-up accepting or not the cookie named........... When the one for Topica popped up, I clicked
"Do not accept". My Security
System decided that therefore access to the site should be blocked. Apparently, one has to be careful in
"not accepting".
Zandy, I am very glad that you are back on
the list.
I had wanted to clean up the listing, but I
am afraid to do that at this time.
Does anyone remember snow at Weihsien? I remember the bitter cold.
Natasha
De: "Mary Previte" <mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: the web-site-map
Date: lundi 27 février 2006 21:43
Hello, Leopold:
The second photograph doesn't show a
Weihsien guard. This photo was given to
me by Weihsien liberator, Tad Nagaki.
It was taken in Tsingtao. It includes a
Japanese officer with Tad Nagaki and Jim
Moore.
Several members of our liberation team left
Weihsien in late August 1945 to start an Office of Strategic Services
(OSS) office in Tsingtao. This group included Major Stanley Staiger, Ensign
Jim Moore, Sgt. Tad Nagaki, T/4. Raymond Hanchulak, and T/5 Peter Orlich.
Mary Previte
De: "Mary Previte" <mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: One man show about Eric Liddell in New York City
Date: lundi 27 février 2006 21:54
Hello, Everybody:
A one-man show about Eric Liddell will open
Off Broadway in New York City in April. The actor is Rich Swingle. I understand that one of Eric Liddell's
daughters will be present and speak after one of the performances.
I'll update you as more information becomes
available.
Mary Previte
-----
Original Message -----
From: Donald
To:
weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Monday, February 27, 2006 9:12
PM
Subject: Re: the web-site-map
Leopold,
Thanks
for the pictures. They're a good addition to the archives.
I
don't think there was ever any question that most, if not all, Weihsien guards
wore dark blue or black uniforms. This is what one would expect, since
all the written texts that discuss it agree that it was consular guards, not
regular army, made up the compound's police force.
The
Smith sketch of a sentry was done after liberation, and it's possible that
things had changed (you know, "the changing of the guard" - hah,
hah), though his article states that the agreement between the American
and Japanese was that they Japanese would "continue" to provide
security to protect the compound from attack. Everything we know about
Smith indicates that he was an accurate observer and reporter, but
he doesn't deal with the question of whether the same guards were being
used as before. Army troops may have replaced the consular guards under
the new regime.
Several
people who were there are certain that at some time least some of the
sentry/guards had the kind of "green" uniform shown in Smith's
sketch, and I for one am not willing to attribute that entirely to false
memory. Several plausible explanations for the different memories have
been offered. Possibly it was the post-liberation guards that are
remembered by some. As you know, I used the Smith sketch in my
"slide show" but also included a note at the end explaining its provenance
and the referring to the dispute over whether it was representative of
conditions before liberation or not.
Thanks
again,
Donald
De: "David Birch" <gdavidbirch@yahoo.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: the web-site-map
Date: lundi 27 février 2006 22:36
Donald and Leopold,
I know for certain that the man we children
called "King Kong" at Weihsien, the Chief of Police, or as some say
'commandant,' remained at Weihsien Camp during the weeks following the end of
the war. I'm pretty sure that he still retained some authority (under the
American troops) for making sure things were orderly.
The time I clearly recall this man, after
the war was over, was a time when he was engaged in breaking up a commercial
transaction (black market) that was taking place over the camp wall between
camp residents and local Chinese people.
I was thirteen years old at the time.
David
De: "Greg Leck"
<gregleck@epix.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: RE: the web-site-map
Date: mardi 28 février 2006 1:28
I spoke to Ferol Smith, the widow of the
artist who painted the picture of the guard in the guard tower.
After I looked at the original print of the
painting in the journal, it was apparent to me that the image on Leopold's
website had been altered somewhat, perhaps by scanning, fading, or running it
through a program such as Photoshop. The
"color" of the uniform (this was a black and white image, remember)
is definitely darker in the journal version than it appears in the version seen
on Leopold's site.
I asked Ferol about this. She told me the
original painting, which she has, was done in color, and the uniform is a
"very dark blue color."
Greg
De: "Pamela Masters"
<pamela@hendersonhouse.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: the web-site-map
Date: mardi 28 février 2006 3:47
Dear David --
I don't doubt you saw King Kong breaking up
a black market transaction, but it would not have been after the camp was
liberated because we didn't have a black market then. It wasn't necessary, as
we could openly deal with our Chinese friends on the outside. And incidentally,
King Kong was never referred to as the commandant as the latter gentleman was a
Japanese civilian.
Funny how memory plays tricks on us every
once in a while; mine lets me down quite often nowadays -- Pamela
-----
Original Message -----
From: Donald
To:
weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 8:05
PM
Subject: RE: the web-site-map
Great work, Greg!
That
pretty much answers the question about Smith's portrait being representative of
pre-liberation conditions. As for the questions about the helmet and
rifle, one would hardly expect a sentry posted in a watchtower to defend
against a possible enemy attack to be put there without a helmet and
rifle, would one?
How
did you manage to get in touch with Smith's widow? Do you live near her?
I
don't know what she plans to do with the original, but that is the sort of
thing that the people in the Weifang government who set up the Weihsien
historical museum on the compound site would love to add to their
collection for display. I'm sure that is a prized possession for her, but
if you are going to see her again you might ask if that could be some day
be possible.
Donald
De: "Joyce Cook"
<bobjoyce@tpg.com.au>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Fw: One man show about Eric Liddell in New York City
Date: mercredi 1 mars 2006 4:05
I remember the snow on the trees as icycles
which tingled in the breeze. I also remember it was very cold despite the coal
balls. I had no blankets because they were left at home and slept under
overcoats and anything else we could find.
It is lovely to think there is a show about
Eric Liddell. I have often wondered what happened to his wife and three (three)
children. Joyce Bradbury-----
De: "Greg Leck"
<gregleck@epix.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: RE: the web-site-map
Date: mercredi 1 mars 2006 18:39
Ferol Smith lives in the next county
over. She has already promised her husband's
papers and works to a university but I will ask her.
De: "Albert Dezutter"
<albertdezutter@worldnet.att.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: the web-site-map
Date: mercredi 1 mars 2006 22:44
To Leopold and other Topica members:
Try as I might to picture our guards at the
Weihsien camp in blue and black, my mind refuses the image. So, on behalf of
myself and all the others who remembered khaki and olive drab, I paraphrase the
words of the little boy in "The Emperor's New Clothes": The empire
(in Weihsien) had no (blue-black) clothes!
I notice that those who insist our guards
were "consular police" and that they had black or blue uniforms tend
to be from Chefoo. It may be that in Chefoo when people were first interned
there (if that's what happened) their guards were "consular police"
with blue-black uniforms. However, that was not the case in the Tsingtao
compound where the allies were interned in October (not November, as is stated
on Greg Leck's site) of 1942, and the Tsingtao
group was also the first to arrive in Weihsien, early in March 1943.
During our stay in the Weihsien compound, I
had a close encounter with "Sgt. Bushindi," and if anyone should
remember him wearing a villainous black outfit, it ought to be me. However, he
just looked like an ordinary Japanese Imperial Army sergeant to me.
Another message said "written
accounts" refer to consular police, but I have yet to see any such
credible accounts with regard to Weihsien. If they exist, I would like to be
directed to them. I notice in the letter accompanying Norman Cliff's picture
that the man refers to himself as a Japanese "soldier," not a
policeman. Also, the letter is not dated, nor is there any information as to
when and where the photograph was made.
I had never heard or seen the phrase
"consular police" in relation to Weihsien before it cropped up in
these e-mails several years ago. But regardless of which branch our guards
belonged to, my memory does not include blue or black uniforms.
I won't argue the point any more. Peace to
all.
Albert de Zutter
De: "Joyce Cook"
<bobjoyce@tpg.com.au>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: the web-site-map
Date: jeudi 2 mars 2006 5:30
Dear Leopold, Alby and other ex-inmates.
I for one have never described the guards
either at Tsingtao or WeiHsien as "Nice
and helpful guys" They were our captors from start to finish and acted
accordingly. I acknowledge they may not have been as bad as other camps,
particularly military prisoners of war camps.
However at Tsingtao civilian assembly centre I saw them force a hotel
servant to hold a container of very hot water hot water balanced on a chair
over his head for an extended period and also saw them torture a Chinese boy,
not a prisoner, aged about 8 years by chaining him to a tree and then assailing
him with bamboo rods, aiming for the target of orange peel forced into his
mouth. His copious tears were a sight I will always remember and ample evidence
of his suffering.
At Tsingtao
and WeiHsien assembly centre the Japs badly beat up one internee, an Armenian
who spoke fluent Japanese. At Tsingtao the
Japanese guards demanded to know the whereabouts of his money but despite the
beating he refused to tell them. He was returned to his wife 'beaten so badly
that he bled from neck to legs'.
At WeiHsien whilst his wife was actually
giving birth to their child
" .....the Japanese guards barged right into delivery room and
demanded the name of the child to transmit to Tokyo. (He) replied that until the child was
actually born he couldn’t tell whether it was a boy or a girl.......(he) told
them that if it was a boy , he would name him Arthur in honor of General
McArthur. This enraged the guards and they beat him in front of my
eyes...."
They beat him up three times.
According to his wife he never recovered
from his mistreatment and died some years later. I have her letter setting out
these facts.
The son was in fact referred to as
"Artie" and years later was killed in a motor cycle accident.
Joyce Bradbury.
De: "Joyce Cook"
<bobjoyce@tpg.com.au>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: the web-site-map
Date: jeudi 2 mars 2006 5:31
My memory tells me that Sergeant Bushindi
was so called because it means "no can do" which was his constant
answer to every request. Joyce.
De: "Ron Bridge"
<rwbridge@freeuk.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: the web-site-map
Date: jeudi 2 mars 2006 12:31
The guards in Tsingtao
were regular Japanese Army, Navy or Marines not Consular Police
Rgds Ron
Bridge
De: "Ron Bridge"
<rwbridge@freeuk.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: the web-site-map
Date: jeudi 2 mars 2006 12:41
CAN CONFIRM PAMELAS RECOLLECTIONS.
RGDS RON
De: "Ron Bridge"
<rwbridge@freeuk.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: the web-site-map
Date: jeudi 2 mars 2006 12:46
The situation in Weihsien after the war was
that the US Army did not have the man power to protect the camp against the
possibility of armed attack from the guerrillas and that the Japanese guards
retained their rifles to patrol the perimeter, this ploy was common also in the
Netherlands East I dies where the British Army kept Japanese other ranks to
guard camps from guerrilla attacks.
The authority for this was both memory and
is substantiated by the reports issued by the US
authorities at the time and now in NARA.
Rgds
Ron
De: "Nicky & Leopold"
<tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: the web-site-map
Date: jeudi 2 mars 2006 13:47
Dear Joyce, and Weihsien-friends,
Many thanks for your message, ---
The letter you mentioned can also be found
with Norman Cliff's documents in the picture-web-site. Go to Norman Cliff/Diary
----
There is another news article in the same
chapter I'd like to mention. Written in May, 1946 by a Lieutenant who finaly
ends his article by writing that we were delivered by an unarmed Australian
group on a humanitarian mission. Of course we all know that this is not
correct.
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/NormanCliff/Aftermath/TheNorthChinaMarine/txt_TheNorthChinaMarine.htm
--- ???
Best regards,
Leopold
De: "Albert Dezutter"
<albertdezutter@worldnet.att.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: the web-site-map
Date: jeudi 2 mars 2006 18:23
Dear Joyce, Leopold and all Weihsien
friends,
I too have never described the guards as
"nice and friendly guys." I too witnessed the torture in the Tsingtao compound where the poor man was forced to hold a
basin of scalding water above his head while his arms turned blue, and I knew
about the beatings that Joyce recounts. I can remember some friendly gestures
by occupying Japanese troops in Tsingtao before the attack on Pearl Harbor, but
I also vividly remember four laughing Japanese soldiers in a car trying to run
me down as I was crossing an intersection in Tsingtao
walking home from school. Also, their treatment of the Chinese was generally
atrocious.
Albert ("Alby" in the camp) de
Zutter
De: "Albert Dezutter" <albertdezutter@worldnet.att.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: the web-site-map
Date: jeudi 2 mars 2006 19:37
Joyce, That's what I remember too.
Albert
De: "Ron Bridge"
<rwbridge@freeuk.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: the web-site-map
Date: jeudi 2 mars 2006 20:00
First, Sgt Bushindi was called just that as
it was the only Chinese words that he knew and not quite as Joyce says it means
"No do " ie "Stop it".
The guards in Weihsien were definitely
consular police who had blue black uniforms but also wore Khaki as a summer hot
weather uniform. The main army of occupation in China was the Japanese Army who
only wore Khaki/Olive drab which is what most films think. For those of you
that do not know just as the US employ US Marines to guard embassies abroad and
the British very occasionally Royal Marines the Japanese had their own corps
for such duties called Consular police. The Commandant at Weihsien had been the
Japanese Consul in Honolulu
before he was exchanged in the August 1942 exchanges.
The Camp at Weihsien was not under the
control of the Japanese Army but under the control of the Greater South East
Asia Co prosperity Sphere Ministry.( See Japanese surrender documents at the NARA or at UK Records )
The guards that we started with had been regular
Consular police (some of whom had been "exchanged in 1942 as they came
under diplomatic protocols) but by 1944 they were conscripted into the Army and
moved and the unfit for active service were employed by the Consular Police.
I hope that this clarifies the issue once
and for all.
Rgds
Ron Bridge
De: "Mary Previte" <mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Who has a picture of Hugh Hubbard? in the USA
Date: vendredi 10 mars 2006 22:36
Hello, Everyone,
Does anyone have a photo of ornithologist
HUGH HUBBARD? Hugh was one of our
Weihsien heroes who inspired many of the boys with his bird walks, bird watching,
and guiding their bird watching diaries.
Please read the request below from Bill Einreinhofer,
whose documentary, "SO
VERY FAR FROM HOME," on Weihsien and
other Japanese-held civilian camps in China
will be released in the USA
by Public Broadcasting System later this year.
Bill writes: "Back in February I was interviewed by
CCTV-9 about "So Very
Far From Home." The producer, Xu Yanqiu, is looking for a
picture of Hugh
Hubbard for inclusion in his program."
Please contact me if you can help.
Mary Previte
De: "C. Wayne
Mayhall" <solomon110@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Who has a picture of Hugh Hubbard? in the USA
Date: samedi 11 mars 2006 3:10
Mary,
Go to www.google.com --- Punch in
"Hugh Hubbard" into the search engine. Then click "images".
Then click "search". You will see a photo of a veteran Hugh Hubbard
at a podium. Is this the Hubbard you are looking for?
Wayne
-----
Original Message -----
From: Donald
To:
weihsien@topica.com
Cc:
Gladys
Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2006 4:23
AM
Subject: Re: Who has a picture of Hugh Hubbard? in the USA
Hugh's
daughter, Gladys Swift, will certainly have a photo of her father.
Donald
-----
Original Message -----
From: Donald
To:
weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2006 4:28
AM
Subject: Re: Who has a picture of Hugh Hubbard? in the USA
Wayne,
Nice
process, but the wrong Hubbard, I'm sure.
Donald
De: "Nicky & Leopold"
<tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Who has a picture of Hugh Hubbard? in the USA
Date: samedi 11 mars 2006 10:04
Dear Mary,
I had a look on my web-site's search engine
and found the word "Hubbard" 21 times --- but unfortunately, no
pictures. Maybe you could find a clue for a further research through the 21
answers ---
Best regards,
Leopold
De: "Mary Previte" <mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Who has a picture of Hugh Hubbard? in the USA
Date: samedi 11 mars 2006 10:24
Wrong Hugh Hubbard, I'm afraid.
But I'm delighted you suggested that I look
up Hugh Hubbard on a google search. To my delight, I found the speech I gave in
Weifang last August, mentioning Hugh
Hubbard as one of the heroes of
Weihsien.
What a thrill to have Hugh's grand daughter
there to hear that tribute to her grandfather!
Mary Previte
De: "Mary Previte" <mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Who has a picture of Hugh Hubbard? in the USA
Date: dimanche 12 mars 2006 11:08
Thank you, Leopold. I'm hoping that Hugh Hubbard's grand daughter
may have a photo. She attended last year's reunion in Weifang.
Mary
De: "Natasha Petersen"
<np57@cox.net>
À: "weihsien"
<weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: for Ron Bridge
Date: vendredi 17 mars 2006 17:11
Ron,
I sent you an email a few days ago rwbridge@freeuk.com
Please let me know whether you received it.
Do you have another email address? My
email to you should not be posted on Weihsien/topica
Sorry to bother you. I do not know which
direction to go.
Natasha
np57@cox.net
De: "Ron
Bridge"
<rwbridge@freeuk.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: for Ron Bridge
Date: vendredi 17 mars 2006 20:45
Natasha,
I responded at 09:19am yesterday to your
own e-mail the answer is that it is absolutely genuine over 500 have had it
already.
Ron
De: "Mary Previte" <mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: A. Lambert, age 17
Date: lundi 20 mars 2006 5:02
Can someone tell me the first name of a 17-year-old
male -- A. Lambert -- listed in the 1944 Weihsien prisoner list? I'm guessing he may be a brother of Angela
Lambert.
Mary Previte
De: "Joyce Cook"
<bobjoyce@tpg.com.au>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: A. Lambert, age 17
Date: lundi 20 mars 2006 5:56
Dear Mary.
A. Lambert is Anthony Lambert known as "Tony" He was half
brother to Des Power. I do not remember Angela Lambert but there was a "Betty"
Lambert, a dancer who was Tony's younger sister. Joyce Bradbury.
De: "Fred & Coral Dreggs"
<cadreggs@optusnet.com.au>
À: "Ex Internees" <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: A. Lambert age 17
Date: lundi 20 mars 2006 7:59
Dear Mary
As Joyce has said, A. Lambert was
"Tony." As a matter of interest, he, Desmond Power and I shared a
flat in London
after liberation for a few years. We were good friends. Sadly, he passed away a
little over a year ago.
Referring to 'Betty' Lambert that was her
nickname. Her given name was "Angela". I remember her well.
Regards
Alfie(aka Fred)
De: "Ron Bridge"
<rwbridge@freeuk.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: A. Lambert age 17
Date: lundi 20 mars 2006 17:54
Anthony Lambert dob 18Mar27 and Angela"
Betty" Lambert dob 17Jul30 were the children of Grace Mary Lambert b London
UK 21Nov96 who worked as a Secretary at
the Hong Kong Songhai Bank Victoria Road ( Now Che Fang Bei Lu) Tientsin they
were travelling into Weihsien on British Passport No C42106 issued at Tientsin
in 1938.
Rgds
Ron
De: "Mary Previte" <mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: A. Lambert age 17
Date: lundi 20 mars 2006 18:12
Thank you so much, Ron. You give us such amazing access to Weihsien
data.
Bless you!
Mary Previte
De: "Mary Previte" <mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: A. Lambert age 17
Date: lundi 20 mars 2006 18:25
Thank you, Alfie.
Is he still living? And if so, where can he be contacted?
MARY PREVITE
De: "Martin Liddy" <mliddy@yahoo.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Cc: <mliddy@yahoo.com>
Objet: John Hersey's The Call, Sister Catherine (?), Ruth A. brack.
Date: mardi 28 mars 2006 23:06
I
am trying to determine the identities of "Sister Catherine," a
character in John Hersey's The Call.
Sister Catherine is described on page 610 of The Call as having been
born in Milwaukee,
in a large German-American family; she was the third of eleven children. Her
father drank and beat her mother, who died--"she was ready for a
vacation"--bearing the eleventh child. Four of the six daughters became
nuns "in order to get away." Sister Catherine had been in China for thirty two-years, all of them spent in
the far interior in Shensi
Province. Yet now she did
not seem in the least dislocated; she acted at home in the internment camp.
John Hersey lists a s a primary source of The Call, the manuscript of
Ruth A. Brack, a prisoner at Weihsien. I
have examined a copy of this manuscript and determined that Ruth A. Brack was
an American nurse with Presbyterian
Mission North. There is no mention of a "Sister Catherine" in
this document. However, many of the
activities of camp life noted by Ruth A. brack are incorporated into the novel.
Did Sister Catherine exist? Was
she a real person? Was she entirely
fictional? Would anyone have any knowledge
about her.
I
appreciate your help in this matter.
Marty Liddy
De: "Mary Previte" <mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: John Hersey's The Call, Sister Catherine (?), Ruth A. brack.
Date: mercredi 29 mars 2006 3:07
Could it be Sister Hiltrudis?
Mary Previte
De: "Joyce Cook"
<bobjoyce@tpg.com.au>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: John Hersey's The Call, Sister Catherine (?), Ruth A. brack.
Date: mercredi 29 mars 2006 3:43
Sister Hiltrudis taught me maths at St
Josephs Middle School for girls at Tsingtao
before the war and then in WeiHsien camp. I was told by my father she was very
highly qualified in mathematics. I do not think this is Sister Catherine.
Joyce.
De: "Martin Liddy" <mliddy@yahoo.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: John Hersey's The Call, Sister Catherine (?), Ruth A. brack.
Date: mercredi 29 mars 2006 16:30
Sister Catherine was nun-nurse. SisterHitrudis per Joyce Cooktaught math.
Marty Liddy
De: "Tracy Strong" <tstrong@weber.ucsd.edu>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: RE: John Hersey's The Call, Sister Catherine (?), Ruth A. brack.
Date: mercredi 29 mars 2006 21:16
It is of course likely that Hersey
developed the Sister Catherine character as we know he did with most other
characters in that wonderful book from a composite of several individuals.
Having been but a babe in arms (actually a
basket) in Weihsien I am deeply grateful to all of you for providing these
windows onto this time.
Best,
Tracy B. Strong
-----
Original Message -----
From:
"Donald" <dmenzi@earthlink.net>
To:
"weihsien" <weihsien@topica.com>
Sent:
Thursday, March 30, 2006 9:17 PM
Subject:
Copies of
Fr. Scanlan's book
> Hello, all,
>
> Some months ago I emailed the group that I have two extra copies of Fr.
Scanlan's biography, Stars in the Sky. You will remember that was the
chief organizer of the Weihsien "black market." Two of you
responded that you would like me to send you a copy, but I've lost my notes on
your addresses. If the two of you who asked for copies will remind me of
who you are and re-send your address I will put one in the mail to you.
>
> Donald
>
De: "Ron Bridge"
<rwbridge@freeuk.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Copies of Fr. Scanlan's book
Date: jeudi 30 mars 2006 23:48
Donald,
I tried to get in on your generosity, Then
tried to get a copy myself from Abe Books and others with no success.
If you have not got the two taken up I
wopuld very much like one.
The Address
R W Bridge
Chillies Oast
Chillies Lane
Crowborough
East
Susex
TN6 3TB
UK.
I would really like to see it thus an alternative
solution is if you could mail it to me and I will then re mail it to the lucky
guy(girl) that got in first.
Rgds
Ron Bridge
De: "Albert Dezutter"
<albertdezutter@worldnet.att.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: John Hersey's The Call, Sister Catherine (?), Ruth A. brack.
Date: vendredi 31 mars 2006 3:21
There is a motherhouse in Milwaukee
for the Sisters of St. Joseph, which included Sister Blanda, Sister Verna,
Sister Hiltrudis, Sister Eutstella and another Sister whose name I can't quite
remember -- Sister Dianna (?) Donetta (?) my impression is that it starts with
a "D." Perhaps someone can supply the correct name.
All of those sisters were from Tsingtao,
and of the five I mentioned, Sister Hiltrudis and Eustella were the oldest.
None of them, that I know of, were ever in the interior of China. Their mission was teaching
school, which they did in Tsingtao and in the
camp at Weihsien.
Like Joyce, I was taught mathematics by Sister Hiltrudis -- Joyce in Tsingtao and I in the camp.
I also attended the St.
Joseph School
that Joyce mentions, for a year or a semester, I am not sure.
Sister Hiltrudis also taught in the Tsingtao American
School after the war,
starting in the fall of 1946. Having taught me in the camp, she insisted that I
start as a sophomore (second year of high school) instead of as a freshman,
which was my choice. She taught geometry in that school and gave me a
"C," which was the lowest grade I had ever received up to that time.
Sister Verna at the St.
Joseph School
was my first piano teacher (1940). Sister Blanda played softball with us there,
my first exposure to that game at the age of 8 (1940). The sisters served milk
and cookies every school day at 10
a.m. at St. Joseph
School.
I don't personally remember any nuns from the interior at the Weihsien
camp. I do remember a Sister Bede, who was from a different order of nuns than
the ones I have mentioned so far. She taught 5th or 6th grade in the camp. The
grades (forms you those of you familiar with the British system) apparently
didn't mean a lot in the camp. With almost individual instruction, children
(other than in the Chefoo school, of which I know nothing), went at their own
pace. I had completed a year of high school before turning 13. Normally a
person doesn't enter high school in the American system until after 14.
I have not read John Hersey's book, but my guess is that the character
he describes is a composite. There were a lot of Catholic priests during the
first six months of the camp who had been in the interior, learned the Chinese
language and dressed in the Chinese manner. They were American, Canadian, Dutch
and Belgian. The best known priest to this company is, of course, the Belgian
Emmanuel Hanquet, who was a particular friend of our family of four, the
assistant Scout Master for the general population kids and the French tutor for
my brother, John and myself. Our family consisted of my father Jean (French
rendition of John), my mother Olga, my brother John and myself.
It was my great privilege to see Father Hanquet again during our year of
residence in Belgium from
September 1949 to September 1950, and again
55 years later in the spring of 2005 when Leopold and his sister hosted
a get-together in a suburb of Brussels.
As we parted that night at my hotel, his last words to me were,
"See you in heaven." Of course, he is not there yet, so he may yet
say another word, which I hope will be equally auspicious.
Albert de Zutter
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
De: "David Birch" <gdavidbirch@yahoo.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: John Hersey's The Call, Sister Catherine (?), Ruth A. brack.
Date: vendredi 31 mars 2006 3:24
I was a Chefoo boy and a Protestant so I
was never close to the Roman Catholic priests and nuns. But I distinctly recall
SISTER EUSTELLA! She was such a friendly person and had the sweetest smile!
David Birch
New Westminster, BC
Canada
De: "Dwight W. Whipple"
<thewhipples@comcast.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: John Hersey's The Call, Sister Catherine (?), Ruth A. brack.
Date: vendredi 31 mars 2006 4:06
The other sister was Sister Donatella. I was six years old when we entered Weihsien
camp on March 20, 1943 and had my seventh birthday in July. I well remember
both Sister Donatella and Sister Blanda who taught our age group. It was a wonderful foundation for my school
years and I had no trouble integrating into both American and Canadian schools
when we returned home. Seeing these
names again brings back a flood of memories.
~Dwight W. Whipple
De: "Greg Leck"
<gregleck@epix.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: RE: John Hersey's The Call, Sister Catherine (?), Ruth A. brack.
Date: vendredi 31 mars 2006 5:07
Bush, Gertrude J, known as Sister Eustella,
born 1899, in camp until the end
of the war.
School Sisters of St. Francis, Milwaukee
Johns, Helen M, known as Sister Blanda,
born 1903, repatriated to the USA
in
1943.
School Sisters of St. Francis, Milwaukee
Kappes, Maria K, known as Sister Hiltrudis,
born 1897, in camp until the end
of the war.
School Sisters of St. Francis, Milwaukee
Lorenz, Gertrude, known as Sister
Donatilla, born 1904, repatriated to the
USA in
1943. School Sisters of St. Francis, Milwaukee
Vassen, Ruth, known as Sister Mary Venna,
born 1915, repatriated to the USA
in 1943.
School Sisters of St. Francis, Milwaukee
Though the sisters were apparently members
of the School Sisters of St. Francis, their residences in the USA is given as St Joseph's Convent, 1501 South Layton Blvd, Milwaukee.
Ruth A. Brack was NOT interned in
Weihsien. Her report is dated 1942, before
internment began. She was repatriated to
the USA on the Italian liner
TSS Conte Verde, which left Shanghai
at the end of June, 1942.
Sister Bede was Angeline Brielmaier, an
American, who was a member of the St. Francis of Assisi.
She had been moved in from Tsinan.
In addition to Ruth Brack's account, I have
read unpublished accounts by Sister Eustella and Sister Hiltrudis.
De: "Ron Bridge" <rwbridge@freeuk.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: John Hersey's The Call, Sister Catherine (?), Ruth A. brack.
Date: vendredi 31 mars 2006 11:55
Dear all,
it would be better if anyone has a query re
the name of an inmate that they ask Greg Leck or myself if they are in doubt.
Most of the names are on Leopold’s Web site anyway thus consulting that should
solve the problem before it arises.
Rgds
Ron
De: "Donald"
<dmenzi@earthlink.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Copies of Fr. Scanlan's book
Date: vendredi 31 mars 2006 20:42
Ron,
You are what is known in a different
context as the "first responder" so you get a copy all to yourself.
It's especially interesting where he
describes incidents like his imprisonment that are also reported by other
people. It shows how word-of-mouth reports
improve on history to make it a better or easier to remember story.
Best regards,
Donald
De: "Ron Bridge"
<rwbridge@freeuk.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Copies of Fr. Scanlan's book
Date: vendredi 31 mars 2006 23:40
Donald,
Thanks very much.I'll look forward to the
post
Rgds
Ron
PS my own e-mail rwbridge@freeuk.com
De: "Christine Talbot Sancton"
<sancton@nbnet.nb.ca>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: RE: Copies of Fr. Scanlan's book
Date: samedi 1 avril 2006 14:13
Dear Donald: what is the title of Fr
Scanlon's book? I would like to see if I can find it too.
Fr Scanlon made a deep impression on my
mother, Ida Talbot, as he must have on all whom he came in contact with in
Camp. I grew up with the story he told early in Camp of his life and also of
his courage and humour he showed in Camp. He must have been quite a person.
It is a shame that we didn't know that he
was living in the USA
for all these years, dying at an advanced age. I'm sure if Ida had realised
where he was, or in fact that he was still living, she would have at least corresponded
with him. Ida went by Greyhound bus from Toronto,
Canada to San Diego, Ca. to visit ex-Weihsiener Girlie
Cameron in the early 70s. She would have combined a visit to Fr Scanlon if he
had been living anywhere en route!
The miracle of the internet and of this
Topica site!
regards, Christine Talbot Sancton
De: "Natasha Petersen"
<np57@cox.net>
À: "weihsien"
<weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Old China
Hands
Date: samedi 1 avril 2006 15:09
Greck Leck, I understand that you are doing
a presentation in September in Portland
for Old China Hands. I would like to
have more info on the reunion. I am sure that Weihsieners would like to Have
this information.
Thanks,
Natasha
De: "Alison Holmes"
<aholmes@prescott.edu>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Father Scanlon's book
Date: samedi 1 avril 2006 15:30
So now we are all having our interest
piqued, especially when we hear that we have re-written history and that Father
Scanlon's book would be a good corrective!
Is it at all possible for you to photo-copy it for those of us who are
not first responders? I would be more
than happy to pay for copying costs, postage and handling, to get a copy of
this to add to my small Chefoo/Weihsien collection. Is that possible at all, Donald? Thanks so much for even thinking of doing
it...........Alison Holmes
De: "Nicky & Leopold" <tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Father Scanlon's book
Date: samedi 1 avril 2006 16:16
Hello,
The whole book is --- 348 pages written
"small" !
However, you can find the Weihsien-Chapter
by clicking on this link:
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/Scanlan/Book/txt_Scanlan.htm
best regards,
Leopold
De: "Dwight W. Whipple"
<thewhipples@comcast.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Old China
Hands
Date: samedi 1 avril 2006 18:49
If that's Portland, Oregon
we would like more information. Is this
something the general public can attend?
Thanks.
~Dwight W. Whipple
De: "Greg Leck"
<gregleck@epix.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: RE: Old China
Hands
Date: samedi 1 avril 2006 22:03
Ex Shanghailander Edward Immergluck is in
charge of the reunion.
It is being held in Portland, Oregon,
September 10 to 13.
The general public is invited, but
obviously it would be of most interest to those who lived in China or are
descendants of those who did.
I attended in 1998, 2000, and 2002 and met
many who were held in various camps. The
most recent reunion, however, had less ex internees, though children and
grandchildren of OCHers were attending in larger numbers.
You can contact Ed Immergluck at:
IMMER0808@MSN.COM
----- Original Message -----
From: Donald
To: weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2006 11:02 PM
Subject: Re: Father Scanlon's book
Alison,
Leopold
has already done almost all the work for us. All you have to do is go to
the Weihsien chapter of Fr. Scanlan's book (Stars in the Sky) on his
weihsien-pictures.org site, and either read it on line or download it and print
it out for your collection.
Well!
- I see that he has sent us all the link address in an email, so you just
have to click on the link in his email to get to the chapter.
Among
the most interesting differences from what was re-told are the circumstances
that led to his early release from imprisonment - somewhat different in
his account from what I had read in others or heard from my grandmother.
The differences are in the details, not in the general
"plot."
His
portrait of the commandant is also interesting. He says he heard later
that the commandant was a Christian, though that isn't confirmed by anyone
else. Does anyone have any information on that?
Donald
De: "Natasha Petersen"
<np57@cox.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Old China
Hands
Date: samedi 1 avril 2006 23:36
Thank you Greg. I have already heard from Ed. He will be
sending me a more detailed information email in a week or so. I will be forwarding it to the Weihsien list.
Natasha
De: "georgeanna knisely" <jknisely@paonline.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Father Scanlon's book
Date: dimanche 2 avril 2006 0:15
I am with Allison, I would be thrilled to
death to get this. Father Scanlon is one
of those legends from camp that I mention when ever I speak about stories from
camp. IF it is out of print, then it is
okay.
VERY interested, Donald.
Georgie Reinbrecht Knisely
----- Original Message -----
From: Donald
To: weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2006 1:58 AM
Subject: Re: Father Scanlon's book
Georgianna,
I
will check on additional copies available from other sources, but in the mean
time, do go to Leopold's site and get the Weihsien chapter.
Donald
De: "Nicky & Leopold" <tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: from Father Hanquet
Date: lundi 3 avril 2006 14:49
April 3.06
MESSAGE de E. HANQUET :
"Encore un chaleureux merci pour votre accueil si aimable vendredi
dernier.
Peux-tu envoyer le message suivant à Albert de zutter through internet à
weihsein@topica.com
:
Dear
Alby ( let me still call you that way) ; I must thank you for your recent
communication to weihsein@ topica.com, telling more about our past relations,
when we were in camp. I am almost 91 now ( on june 15) but still able to read
and write, walk with a stick and say mass every morning for some neighbours (
10. 16 people every day)
Almost
every month I meet Leopold Pander who visits me to bring the up-to-date messages
from weihsein@topicacom .
Yesterday,
30/03 I was their host in their nice home, around 10km from here.
Since
I decided to stop driving a car, he came friendly to Louvain-la-Neuve to pick
me up. Through his good car and perfect search I was kept informed about all
the friends corresponding on weihsein@topica.com
Very
friendly to you and freinds from Topica .
Father
E. Hanquet ."
De: "Mary Previte" <mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: from Father Hanquet
Date: mardi 4 avril 2006 21:43
Father Hanquet:
Please keep adding messages on our Weihsien
topica network.
How did life in Weihsien affect the way you
conducted religious services or activities there? How did confinement affect your faith?
Mary Previte
De: "Mary Previte" <mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Father Scanlon's book
Date: mardi 4 avril 2006 23:56
Thank you, Leopold, for giving us easy access
to Father Scanlon's chapter about internment in Weihsien.
What a fascinating account! I love reading Father Scanlon's exploits in
his own words.
When I read Father Scanlon's and Langdon
Gilkey's accounts (SHANTUNG
COMPOUND) of the amazing structure Weihsien
internees established to turn chaos into order, I feel downright angry at observations
that claim that this order and structure empowered the Japanese to control us.
What would Weihsien have been like without
the order and structure internee committees established inside those barrier
walls topped with electrified wires?
Order and structure empower children and
grownups to feel safe.
Mary Previte
De: "Dwight W. Whipple"
<thewhipples@comcast.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Father Scanlon's book
Date: mercredi 5 avril 2006 0:54
Yes, I echo Mary's comments re: Fr.
Scanlon's and Professor Gilkey's accounts.
It has been a long time since I read Langdon Gilkey's work but as I
remember it he credited the business community with taking the lead in
organization -- and implied that professional people sat back and let them but
certainly cooperated with the emerging leadership. I know that our own family was involved, my
uncle, Nathan Walton, taking a large responsibility during the six months we
were there [prior to repatriation]. I
suspect that each observer will have a little different perspective. We children have often remarked that the
years of internment, both in Tsingtao and
Weihsien were happy years for us. We,
too, felt safe.
~Dwight W. Whipple
De: "Tracy Strong" <tstrong@weber.ucsd.edu>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Cc: "'Jeanne Strong'"
<strongjr@whidbey.com>; "'John Strong'"
<jstrong@abacus.bates.edu>
Objet: question about the community spirit prompted by Mary Previte
Date: mercredi 5 avril 2006 4:24
Dear all -
My father, Robbins Strong, once remarked to
me that one of the striking things about the Weihsien camp was that when they
(i.e. you) tried to enforce a version of a "if you slack off you get
less" policy (as there must have been some goldbrickers) all spirit of
community disappeared and that the spirit of community depended to some degree
on the willingness of all to support those who did less.
Does this correspond to any or your
experience?
With all best wishes,
Tracy B. Strong
De: "Nicky & Leopold" <tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Father Scanlon's book
Date: mercredi 5 avril 2006 14:10
Dear Mary,
Father Scanlan is often mentioned on our
Topica-chat-list and also on my web-site. There is a mini-search-engine on the
home page --- you can click on that. Then, you just enter "scanlan"
--- and see what you get. I got 28 answers :-))
Best regards,
Leopold
From: Raymond Moore
To: weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2006 3:31 AM
Subject: Chinese newspaper
article
Hello
everyone!
I
do enjoy the snippets and discussion on our Weihsien network.
My
brother Frank has lived in China
for the last six or seven years in Hanzhong, the town where I was
born. He is now back in Australia for twelve months living
in our small flat while he does some writing.
While
in China, Frank was given an
article from a newspaper in southern China somewhere which was written
in Chinese. As he was working at the time in the Hanzhong Teachers College,
he asked one of the women who had a desire to become a translator, to translate
it for him. She did quite a bit of it, and then, when Frank
was out of the country for a while, she disappeared and he hasn't seen her
since. This means that he has lost his original cutting from the Chinese
paper, and that he has an unfinished article. In spit of
that, I found it interesting and include it below. It leaves a number of
questions in my mind, and it has some information that I had not heard
before. "Miss Delmay" sounds very like you, Mary! And I
think "Mrs Karl" could be Miss Carr. You have to remember that
the article by "Miss Delmay" was translated into Chinese, then back
into English by Frank's student, and then the English has been "tidied
up" by Frank. Here is the section of the article that has survived:
*************************
Freedom – August 17th, 1945
“In the memories of the more than 1500 prisoners of the Le Dao Yuan
Concentration Camp in the Wei county (now Weifang
City) in Shandong province today is the happiest and
most unforgettable day. Japan
has surrendered and the American paratroopers are coming. They are free. The
planes were flying low and the parachutes were coming down and landing on the
field outside the camp. The American paratroopers have come. Normally we were
forbidden to pass the gate but now we see the Americans and rush out of the
gate without a thought to care. The walls do not contain us now. I found myself
in a crowd of people who were all sobbing and laughing. We were skin-and-bones.
Among us were the British and American prisoners. We gave the paratroopers a
crazy welcome. Now the Japanese guards have put down their guns and the war is
over.”
This is the beginning of Miss
Delmay’s article entitled ‘A Description of the Experience in the Wei County
Concentration Camp’. In that year she was 12 years old. She had been three
years in the prison with her sister and two brothers. This was the time that
had elapsed from being taken into custody
by the Japanese soldiers to being saved. The surrender of Japan and the
coming of the American paratroopers gave her the freedom that she had been
longing for. It was through her memory and the memories of other campers that
the cruelties of the Japanese soldiers, the desire for freedom and the
threatening experiences of the foreign people in this secret concentration camp
have never been forgotten.
Brutality Concentration Camp
December 7th, 1941 the Japanese Airforce made a surprise
attack on Pearl Harbour and eliminated the main power of
the American Navy in the Pacific area. After that Britain
and America declared war on Japan. The war
of the Pacific Ocean broke out. At that time
the Japanese people who lived around Pearl
Harbour had been spying
on the American Navy and gathering information through the bar rooms, ballrooms
and brothels that they opened up. Japanese Naval personnel disguised themselves
as fishermen in order to spy on the American navy. The Americans hated the
Japanese for this deeply. After the attack on Pearl
Harbour the American Government
rounded up all Japanese, more than 60,000 of them, in the Hawaii
and San Francisco area and imprisoned them near Los Angeles thus putting
them out of touch with the outer world.
The Japanese retaliated against the American action by imprisoning all
British and Americans in the parts of China
occupied by Japan. The American and British prisoners north of
the Changjiang river were imprisoned in the LeDaoYuan camp. The British and
Americans captured in the south were sent to Shanghai
and Hong Kong. Later the Shanghai prisoners were moved to the
LeDaoYuan camp.
December 8th, 1941 a small team of Japanese military police
and a squadron of a puppet army lead by Captain Tang Ben surrounded LeDaoyuan
and claimed it as a concentration camp. On that day an 18 year old nurse, Wei
Xifang was on her way home when she saw the military police. She was frightened
and turned to run away but Tang Ben saw that she was young and beautiful and he
had bad thoughts and caught the girl and raped her in broad daylight. Later he
forced the girl to live with him for a very long time.
An old man from Qingdao,
Han Tong Wen, who is now 70 years old was at that time a student at the Guang
Wen primary school in Le Dao Yuan. He remembers that when the puppet army
stationed itself in LeDaoyuan they ejected the previous residents including the
hospital and school workers and their families. They rounded up a lot of
workers from the surrounding villages and forced them to cut down the trees
near the compound wall and demolish the small walls inside the compound and use
the bricks and stones to build watchtowers. In every watchtower there was a
searchlight, a siren, a signal set and a machine gun. Besides there were
electric nets on all the walls. Inside the compound there was a road around the
wall. The guards patrolled this with dogs all the time. There was a barbed wire
fence inside the road to prevent prisoners from approaching the compound wall
and the front gate.
Once the camp was set up the Japanese senior police replaced the guard
of military police. They called the camp………..( C.A.C). The residents called it
the Foreign People’s Concentration Camp.
Groups of foreign people were sent here including Jiang Jie Shi’s
former adviser, the American – Lei Zhenyuan, the President of the Theological
College of North China – Dr Hers, the Dean of Studies of Qi Lu University – Mr
Davis, Fu Ren University’s teacher Heng An Shi
and the 400 metre champion of the 1924 Olympic Games – Eric Lidell.
There was also 327 students who were children of foreign people from a foreign
school who were confined in the compound. There were more than 1500 American
and British people imprisoned in this camp.
Delmay recalls: “I remember a day in November in the year 1942. We were
escorted by Japanese soldiers to a place three miles away from the city. This
was where we were first kept…after 10 months had passed we were put into a ship
and stuffed together like matches in a box. We got to the Wei county via the Shandong Peninsula. That was the end of our trip.
Amongst the 1500 prisoners were more than 500 children. Most of the prisoners
were British then people from Europe. They had
been living in Tianjin, Beijing
and other parts of North China.”
Splendid, bitter life in Le Dao Yuan. After the concentration camp had
been set up but the three words ‘Le Dao Yuan’ were still on the large board
over the gate. The Japanese soldiers built this ‘Realm of Happiness’ with
bayonets and dogs but the 1500 Americans and British spent 1000 days of hard
life there. The Japanese called the concentration camp a living place but the
rules there were just the same as a military camp. In the morning when the bell
rang all the prisoners would get up quickly and wash and dress and then gather
on the parade ground. We stood in six rows according to the hut we lived in.
The guard would call the roll and the prisoners would answer in Japanese one by
one. This was the most important event of the whole day and was never delayed
by wind or rain. In the book The Concentration Camp of Wei County, it says:
‘The morning roll call was the
never-failing activity of the concentration camp. After the bell rang all the
prisoners would gather on the parade ground. They lined up in six separate
groups. Each group had its regular place and each person held a number board in
front of him or her. Each person had to say their number in turn. The guards
would check and if no one was absent the bell would be rung and the prisoners
dismissed. During the day were classes and labouring activities. Everyone had
to labour for the concentration camp according to his or her skills and
knowledge. Everybody would do many different jobs. The students also had to
labour out of class. After supper there was time for activities and evening
prayers. When the bell rang for bed-time everybody had to go immediately to
their room and go to bed at once. They were forbidden to stay outside or in
another room. In the dormitories there was only 18 inches between beds.
Snoring, hiccupping and the sounds of urinating were the music of the night.
For the adults the inability to keep a secret or have a secret was the most
troublesome deprivation. Most of the adults were deeply troubled that the war
would never end. There were also the ones who hated the Japanese for their
brutal behaviour and the humiliation and suffering they had experienced early
in the war. But for the children the war was nothing but having classes and meetings
and outdoor activities and games. We believed that the teachers would solve all
the problems and if they couldn’t – God would! Many years later Mrs Karl, who
had been the Headmistress of the Primary School in the camp wrote:
“I was not afraid of the Japanese
soldiers nor of being detained at that time. To worry about the future was of
no benefit to oneself nor would it change the facts. I would often feel during
the day as if I was facing the end of my life. Would I be forced to dig a grave
for myself and be buried here? Then I would pray for the younger generation.”
Miss Delmay was deeply moved by Miss
Karl’s spirit of devotion and belief in God.
It’s said that the children never felt frightened when they saw the
Japanese soldiers doing bayonet practice. Long after the children themselves
couldn’t understand their former attitude.
In the children’s
memories Uncle Eric ‘Li Da’ was their
closest friend. It was Uncle Eric who gave them endless happiness during these
hard days. It is not necessary to say that the experience of suffering and
sorrow can never be fully expressed. We overcame most things by inventing
activities such as on Saturday was ‘Killing Flies Day’. Our weapon was a knife
and we searched everywhere and tried our best to kill as many flies as
possible. Too many flies made people panic because of the threat of disease. So
we were organized to kill flies. Little John was the most successful with 3,500
flies to his credit. He counted them and put them all into a bottle. He won the
first prize. The prize was a box of food from the Red Cross food parcels. These
activities were usually organized by Uncle Eric. He also encouraged us everyday
to do exercises on the parade ground to keep healthy. This surprised others.
There was a question at that time – should malnourished people do exercises?
Some doctors in the Shanghai and Hong Kong concentration camps said it was not good to do
exercises when one was not getting enough food. But in the Wei county camp we
had a different idea. We played basketball and football on Saturdays and the
host of all these activities was Uncle Eric Li Da who had won a gold medal in
the Olympic Games. Most of the people in the camp knew Li Da very well. He was
a good speaker and actor and was often praised much too highly. Many years
after he won the gold medal a film was made about his life and achievements
called ‘The Chariots of Fire’. His experiences were dramatized. For example it
was shown how he refused to run in the Olympic Games on a Sunday because it was
against his beliefs. In fact he was not such a serious man in our eyes when he
was not in the public eye. He would always put his heart and soul into whatever
he was doing. It was a surprise to us after associating with him for such a
long time to find out that he was a prominent world figure, written up in the
newspapers and famous twenty years before. We would look for Li Da when we
broke a hockey stick. He would tear up a sheet from his bed and bind the hockey
stick up. After he had fixed it no one would think of that hockey stick as old
anymore. Because of the interminable
boredom of the life in the camp some of the young people carried on secret love
affairs to satisfy their sexual desires. Li Da understood the situation and
arranged games and other activities with the help of some of the missionaries.
In order that the students from Tianjing could catch up with others in the
class Li Da volunteered to be their teacher. There were three kitchens in the
camp and Li Da’s kitchen No 1 was the best. Who could not help but like Li Da?
In February,
1945 in cold and snowy weather Li Da died of a tumour. The campers were very
sad especially the children. A lot of people were choked up with sobbing and
tears. A guard of honour was organized to show respect and sorrow. His good
friends carried him to the small graveyard set aside by the Japanese soldiers
and buried him.
‘They shall
mount up with wings as eagles,
They shall run
and not be weary.’
There is a small plot of land with thick grass near the north wall of
the No 2 Middle School in Weifang city of Shandong province. In the middle there
stands a stone monument engraved with these golden words. All the teachers and
students know that it is for Uncle Eric Li Da who died in the Le Dao
Concentration Camp in February, 1945.
De: "Mary Previte"
<mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Chinese newspaper article
Date: jeudi 6 avril 2006 14:24
Hello, Everyone:
I'm responding to Ray's contribution of a translation of a story about
Weihsien that appeared in a newspaper somewhere in China.
Portions of this story attributed to "Miss Delmay" seem to come from my magazine article,
"SONG OF SALVATION AT WEIHSIEN
OPRISON CAMP." That account
appeared as the cover story of The
Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine, August 25, 1985, to commemorate the 40th anniversary
of the ending of World War II. By the way, that story is available on
Leopold's wonderful Weihsien web site.
The story is also available in China. It has
been translated into Chinese and published in a Chinese/English booklet by Moses Chu, a Chinese businessman
who attended missionary schools in Chefoo (Yantai). Mr. Chu, now 90, is a prolific writer who lives in Tempe, Arizona.
But huge portions attributed to Miss Delmay in this translation have no
resemblance to my account. It is wildly embellished with "facts" I
know nothing about.
"Miss Karl" definitely refers to Miss Carr, the principal of the Chefoo Prep School. Material quoted from "Miss Karl" comes from comments she made to me
when I interviewed her on a visit to England
in 1985 as I was preparing to write my
story for The Philadelphia
Inquirer Magazine.
My Chinese name is Dai Ai Mai -- perhaps a tiny resemblance to Delmay.
Did you play the game of "gossip" or "telephone"
when you were a child? Someone starts a whispered sentence which passes from
person to person around a circle. By the
time the sentence gets around the circle,
it has little resemblance to the
original. Reading this account from Ray
reminded me of that game.
Mary Tayor Previte
De: "Ron Bridge"
<rwbridge@freeuk.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Copies of Fr. Scanlan's book
Date: vendredi 7 avril 2006 12:46
Donald,
Many thanks for Fr Scanlon's book which
arrived today, I am gong to read it with pleasure I am sure.
Do I owe you anything?
Rgds
Ron
De: "Mary Previte" <mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: New York OFF BROADWAY show about Eric
Liddell
Date: samedi 8 avril 2006 10:45
Go to _http://fireoffbroadway.com/_
(http://fireoffbroadway.com/) for a full
outline of performances for the OFF
BROADWAY show about Eric Liddell.
BEYOND THE CHARIOTS starts next week in New York.
Mary Previte
----- Original Message -----
From: Donald
To: weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Saturday, April 08, 2006 5:57 PM
Subject: Re: New York
OFF BROADWAY show about Eric Liddell
Thanks,
Mary. We'll be sure to see it.
Donald
and Jane
De: "Natasha Petersen"
<np57@cox.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: New York OFF BROADWAY show about Eric
Liddell
Date: dimanche 9 avril 2006 13:40
Donald and Jane,
I am looking forward to reading your review
on the Off Broadway show about Eric Liddell.
Natasha
De: "Donald"
<dmenzi@earthlink.net>
À: "weihsien"
<weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: A letter from Hugh Hubbard
Date: lundi 10 avril 2006 2:48
Hello, all,
Since many of you remember Hugh Hubbard
from Weihsien, I thought you might be interested in reading a journal-letter
that he wrote during the six months after the 1937 Japanese invasion of North China, which I just copied from a page in the
Oberlin Times that my mother had saved.
This is a good reminder of the kind of
thing that happens in wartime to the civilians in occupied territory. There are hints of the difficulty of controlling
soldiers by civilian occupying authorities and officers, who may themselves be
decent people and disapprove of murder, looting, rape, etc.
Donald
THE
OBERLIN TIMES
Hugh
Hubbard Writes Of Chinese Conditions
A second letter, in
diary form, written by Hugh W. Hubbard, who is now in Paotingfu, China,
has been received by his wife, Mrs. Mabel Hubbard of North Park street. The letter is of great interest due to Mr.
Hubbard’s first-hand knowledge concerning the Chinese crisis. He tells of the
havoc wrought in a war torn country, of his work of organizing schools and of
conditions in general.
Following are
excerpts from the letter:
Oct. 13.
One deep impression
is that of the complete evacuation of all teachers and students. Every teacher gone from Tunghsen (our mission
school) except one teacher of classical Chinese. The same is apparently true of every school
in town, and this is a great educational center with a student population of
about 7,000, in middle schools and higher. How in the world will we get on without
these intellectual leaders? In church and reconstruction it means that the need
and value of missionaries will be greater than it has been at any time in my
day.
Yesterday and today
the airplanes went back and forth to the front in almost ceaseless procession,
apparently coming from Tienstsin and going towards Shih C’hia Chuang. There is
a rumor abroad that Shih C’hia Chuang has been taken and it seems likely. One
retreating Chinese soldier stopped to talk to our evangelist Wang Tzu
Ming. “What can we do?” he said. “First
they come with bombers and bomb us. Then more airplanes machine-gun us. Then
an army of tanks run over us. Then comes the cavalry and back of them the
infantry, which we seldom get a shot at with our only, weapons, our rifles.”
Our church is full
of soldiers and as I wrote the above, I was asked to go over with them and ask
the commanding officer to get the soldiers out of the people’s homes around
here so that they could go home. Also to
try to get them to go easy on our furniture.
One band of soldiers who occupied the church started to burn benches,
smashed pictures and made a general mess of things. Another earlier bunch behaved very well,
never went into the church, sealed it up, cleaned up the yard before leaving
and went out of their way to be friendly, even making a contribution to the
refugees here. The present commander did
not invite us to sit, but assured us that he would keep order and would not
allow his soldiers to harm the people.
The Romanist
cathedral was bombed and has daylight through its roof. The premises were hit a
number of times.
Went over the Presbyterian residences with
Bill Cochran and studied the effect of shell fire. Merwin’s house was the worst, the roof having
been hit at the cross-section of the ridge and smashing a huge hole through,
fragments of the shell going through the upper story down into the living and
dining rooms into the floors and furniture.
The dining room table has a neat hole as a souvenir. The Leete’s piano loaned them was untouched. I later saw that a smaller shell had exploded
in Cochran’s kitchen, pitting up walls and ceiling badly. Three others hit his servants’ quarters. Every window broken. Shells missed the Cochran and Mackey house by
about six feet, but tore up the sides badly.
One struck Whallon’s study.
Another exploded in the women’s hospital hostel and killed and wounded
several refugees. One of the wounded was
the faithful fellow with the big goiter who had I been their postman so
long. The shell that went through the
church wall near the pulpit would have killed scores of the 40 refugees inside
had it exploded. The American
flag on the men’s hospital had two holes in it, but the hospital seemed untouched. Many of the fine trees in the compound have
great branches lopped off. Three Chinese soldiers came running thru a hole in
the back wall and were killed by an exploding shell just back of the Cunningham
house.
In a village to the
north of the city a general massacre occurred in which, it was variously estimated,
from 300 to 700 civilians were killed.
On Sept. 22nd 1
took the boat at Kobe
and the morning papers had heavy headlines across the pages saying ‘PAOTINGFU
NINE TENTHS DESTROYED” and that 10,000 of the enemy had been killed. Paoting may
be one-thirtieth destroyed and that is bad enough, but there is no evidence
whatever to support any claims that even 100 Chinese soldiers were killed
here. The greatest loss was probably in
the systematic looting indulged in by high and low. The Japanese command was seen by foreigners
to send out several truck-loads of furniture and boxes from the house they
occupied. Almost every store shows signs
of having been broken into and it is doubtful if any were overlooked. Elmer says that our compound was entered over
the wall at night by Japanese soldiers from a dozen to fifteen times. They wear
no identifying insignia whereby they may be reported, even today.
Our house still has
refugees in it, the Niehs occupying our parlor, Chang Ch’unho’s mother in the
dining room and a family in the cellar.
The Su Chieh-ch’en’s were in this office, but left for the south and I
have moved out their bedding and occupied it myself.
Chiang Kai Shek
broadcast Saturday night, saying that great sacrifices were being made for the
nation, but they were not a tenth of what must be made before we are
through. He then said that what we all
need is the sacrificial spirit of Jesus.
As a missionary, I
have a great sense of defeat. It seemed
that we were so near to making of China something of a great
Christian democracy, to take her place as a peaceful and cooperative member of
the family of nations. Her leaders were
asking for the help of Christian friends and many of them were
Christians. Now China will be rapidly pushed in the direction of
Russia and will naturally be
deeply influenced by her, or will become thoroughly militarized, either by Japan or against Japan. Armed force and bitter
hatred will be rampant for long years. Is China’s fate of no moment to the
rest of the world?
Oct. 15.
Today there seem to be more people daring to
appear in the city. There are always some straggling in from the South. They are carefully searched at the city
gates. Mostly old men and women and
children. Young men and women are conspicuous by their absence.
First mail delivery
yesterday! It comes by carrier down the
railroad and takes five days. I called
at the P. 0. and found a subordinate in charge, gradually beginning to reorganize. Five cent stamps on sale in small quantity.
A section of the
city at the crossroads of the West and North streets was burnt out. Some of the firemen put it out, but were
mistaken by the Japs for soldiers and when they took refuge in the Commercial
Guild, they and all the staff of the guild, were shot or bayoneted, including
one or two prominent merchants. This is
the origin of the report I gave about the chamber of commerce. Actually over 20 were killed there. About 25 shops seemed to have burned.
Two babies were
born on the compound last night and one tonight making a total of 10 among our
refugees.
Oct. 17.
Up at six today to
see some refugees off to Peiping, the second
batch we have sent through the authorities.
Got two letters off by one of
them. Then armed myself with the pass I
got from the Emergency Bureau and started for Fan Village
with Mr. Huan, who arrived from his home in the country only yesterday. We went past the airfield and found it
considerably enlarged at the expense of the farmers’ fields in the vicinity. It
runs over and obliterates the motor road at one point.
Fan Village was
largely deserted, none of the important leaders daring to stay. Only a few men and two old women were
around. Every house and room was said to
be thoroughly looted and this was certainly true of the half dozen we went
through. The restaurant where we usually
eat was cleared out. I met the owner as I came out and greeted him and said,
“They looted your shop, too.” “Yes, they cleaned me out” he said, laughing as
though it were a huge joke. I certainly envy these Chinese their ability to
laugh at misfortune.
We found
everywhere the sure signs of Japanese occupation – empty wine bottles, Japanese
saki, cases of which seem to be on every train and every station platform
between here and Peiping. Eight villagers were killed, mostly run
through by bayonets, although one was shot when he tried to run away with the
Chinese soldiers. The language
difficulty leads to many misunderstandings and loss of temper and then often a
killing.
We went to
our village residence where Mabel and I have lived, and found it had been
treated as the other places.
Oct. 18.
A beautiful full
moon sheds its beams upon us tonight and everything seems so quiet and peaceful
that it is hard to realize what a business men are making of this wonderful
world given us to live in.
A message came
early this morning from Fan
Village to say that Mr.
Li, the village head, had heard of our visit yesterday and had returned home to
await us today. Mr. Huang and I started
out after breakfast and, keeping off the main road, reached the, village. Mr. Li’s house was deserted and we soon
learned that there were Japanese in the village searching for chickens and
that Li was hiding in the fields. After
they left, without seeing us, a villager went out and called him. He came in, a very different man from the one
I left last year. He had a month-old beard covering his face, a dirty towel on
his head and a manure basket on his back.
His clothes looked like those of a beggar. This was partly a disguise as a poor
man. But he told me that he had not
slept for three days or nights after the Jap flag flew over Paoting,
from thinking of the disgrace that this old country should be conquered in this
way. His daughters are still in hiding.
Some Jap soldiers
came to church yesterday at the Presbyterians’ and said they were Christians
and that there were a good many more in town!
We received a contribution of 160 bags of damaged flour yesterday for
our refugees out of the 10,000 or more left in our school by the Chinese army
and taken care of by us. This will help
feed the penniless, but if we have to keep them on we will be needing thousands
of dollars. These people have many of them lost all they had of food, clothing
and belongings and winter is coming on.
What can we do with them? I
believe that 380 were yesterday on the relief roll out of the thousand or more
on the compound.
Oct. 22.
I went in to a busy
market – now deserted – to see what had happened to our Christian Union
Bookstore. A bomb had made a large gap
in the bazaar wall right opposite and looters had been busy. Fortunately, they were not much interested in
our Christian literature and other stores offered greater attractions. However, pens and pencils and stationery had
disappeared, some being spilled on the floor and in the street and heaps of
books lay in confusion. I got half a
dozen refugees to volunteer to rebuild the broken wall and a watchman is now on
the job. The last looters are said to
be the local riffraff, who take what is left after soldiers skim off the
cream. I am inclined to believe that
there is no looting by any Japanese soldiers in the city now. In fact, they are pretty well kept out of the
city, thanks to their authorities.
Oct. 24.
Our church looks
somewhat the worse for wear. The steps leading up to the pulpit platform were
burnt for firewood. The clock was
smashed, as were the pictures of Christ, or at least one smashed and the other
removed. The pulpit has two long scrolls
behind it with religious sentiments on them and one of these was torn and mutilated. The pulpit itself has parts missing to the
decorations in the form of crosses. Most
of the benches survived, although some made firewood also.
Oct. 25.
Haueh-t’ung (our servant) went out of the compound and was stopped
and searched in the south suburb and $2.70 taken from him. He says that these soldiers stood under the
entrance to the suburb and searched everyone that looked better than a beggar.
As soon as money was found and taken, the victims were sent gruffly on their
way. Another man was threatened with a
bayonet and robbed in front of our gate and a few steps away a number were similarly
treated. Soldiers have now been billeted in the villages to the south of us.
On the other hand,
we had a visit from the head of the Japanese civil office, who seems to be
sincerely trying to put a stop to this lawlessness, but who admits that he has
no authority over the military. He asked
us for our frank statements of instances of misbehavior, which were given
him. Let us hope that he succeeds in
getting the military authorities to control their soldiers. But if they misbehave here under the nose of
the authorities, what will they not do in the villages?
Just heard today
that P’an Ench’ing, one of our Christians and for years manager of our bookstore,
committed suicide by jumping into a well, rather than face the torture of the
Japs who were looking for him because his son-in-law is an officer in the
Chinese army. Poor mild P’an, who never
hurt a fly!
The Peiping
Chronicle comes quite regularly now, arriving six days after publication.
The city streets are quite full of people and more shops beginning
to open. Some do business only through a window. One salt shop at the end of the bridge in our
south suburb has been doing business through the window some days, but was
today forced open by Jap soldiers at about the close of business and money was
demanded. However, the money had been
hustled out the back door as they were trying to get in the front. Disappointed, one of the soldiers lunged with
his bayonet at the man in charge, but the latter dodged and got off with only a
slight cut in the neck.
Oct. 29.
Conditions
do not improve as rapidly as we might hope.
Yesterday I took a
trip out to four villages. Here is a sample of the kind of story I heard. These
gendarmes came out to Yao Chia Chung for cabbage. They chose the best heads and told the farmers
to weigh them. The farmers said, “Never
mind weighing. Help yourselves.” No,
they must be weighed and paid for. So
the farmers weighed them, then were made to carry them to headquarters, where a
receipt was made out for $20, the amount due.
One farmer receipted with his thumb print and received the $20. They were then dismissed, but a soldier followed
them out and presently demanded the $20.
It was handed over, of course, and he graciously gave them 40 cents,
thus making only $19.60 by the transaction.
Another typical
story from the same village, as told me by an old farmer: “Two soldiers came into
my yard and said something which I could not understand. How can we understand their language? Then one poked me with his bayonet in the
ribs and pointed at my chickens. I
hurried to catch them, but it was not easy. ‘Bang’ went his gun and my dog fell
dead. He made me catch all six. Then he pointed to the pig pen and I knew he
wanted pig. I had to get down into the
pit and wade in the filth, trying to catch a pig, not a simple job. You’d think that if I gave him one of my two
pigs it would be enough. But no, he
threatened me again and I had to catch the second. Then I had to tie them on a wheel barrow and
take them to their camp. As we left my
yard, ‘Bang,’ and my other dog was dead.
I had to skin the pigs for them and they let the skin and the head,
which they did not want.”
This is what the Japanese in Japan hear and read:
Excerpts from
dispatches from Paoting to the Osako Mainichi,
a leading Japanese paper,
By Shoji Takishima,
Paoting, Sept. 26: “Outside the walls
many Chinese are returning to their homes and a special corps is going to take
good care of the distressed Chinese, putting the city in good order.”
By Shigeru Sato,
Paoting, Sept. 29: “An animated
atmosphere is now fast brewing in and out of Paoting, although the city was pillaged
by the lawless Chinese troops.
Reconstruction of the city has already been started with the citizens
relieved of fear and terror by the entry of the Japanese troops.”
Nov. 1.
Have been trying
for several days to organize classes for the refugees and others who might care
to study. Committees and sub-committees
have been meeting and we finally have a set-up which covers everything from
kindergarten to adult education. It
occurred to us day before yesterday to notify the authorities that we were starting
these classes. Then our trouble
started. We have been to see them half a
dozen times and finally today get word that we must get textbooks from Peking, from
the new educational authorities there. This will delay starting for another
week or more.
Nov. 3.
Conditions are slow to improve.
Soldiers were robbing people on our street yesterday. I have within half an hour been asked to help
the case of a well-to-do farmer from a nearby village who has been arrested by
the gendarmerie and is virtually being held for ransom on some flimsy spurious
charge. Weather is getting cold and we
must do something for those who have no homes, or who have lost clothes and
bedding and money.
De: "Natasha Petersen"
<np57@cox.net>
À: "weihsien"
<weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: 2006 Old China Hands Portland
Reunion
Date: lundi 10 avril 2006 17:42
I have the
information on the Reunion to be held in
September. This document has four
attachments, and my computer will not send them to all the Weihsien members. If you would like the info please send me
your request and your name and email address in the email itself. Otherwise I
have to print your email to get your email address.
I am hoping
to attend. It would be interesting to
know who is planning to go. Let us know.
Natasha np57@cox.net
----- Original Message -----
From: Bill Einreinhofer
To: MTPrevite@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 3:28 AM
Subject: CCTV
Hi Mary,
Last February I was interviewed for the CCTV program “Dialogue”
regarding my documentary “So Very Far From Home.” I have just learned that portions of that
interview, as well as footage from the August Weihsien commemoration, will be
broadcast on CCTV-9 on Wednesday April 12 at 19:30 (7:30 pm) Beijing time, or 7:30 am EDT.
On Thursday April 13 the program will be repeated at 0:30 (12:30
am), 07:30 (7:30 am), and 13:00 (1:00pm) Beijing
time. That converts to Wednesday April
12 at 12:30 pm, 7:30 pm and Thursday April 13 at 1:00am EDT.
CCTV-9 is China’s
English-language broadcast channel.
Besides being seen throughout China, it is also available as
streaming video on the Internet.
Here is their web address: <http://www.cctv-9.com/2005/>
Once
on their website, click the button marked “Live Broadcast” at the appropriate
time(s). You can go directly to the
streaming video via this web address: <http://www.cctv-9.com/2005/default.asp?videoName=live&videoSpeed=300>
I have no idea what is actually in the program, but I thought you
and some of the other people who participate in the Weihsien Topica Bulletin
Board might be interested.
Bill
<MTPrevite@aol.com>
wrote:
Four
terms is correct. Eight years.
Mary
De: "georgeanna knisely"
<jknisely@paonline.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: CCTV
Date: jeudi 13 avril 2006 15:30
Mary,
Forgive me!
I need to
thank you for the Mother-Daughter Program from 1967!!!! What a neat gift for our women. They were so appreciative and enjoyed seeing
the names and remembering.
With love
and appreciation, Dusty
De: "Nicky & Leopold"
<tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Fw: message for Topica
Date: lundi 17 avril 2006 19:40
----- Original Message -----
From: FatherHanquet_c/o_Leopold
To: Nicky & Leopold
Sent: Monday, April 17, 2006 6:29 PM
Subject: message for Topica
Cher Leopold,
Voudrais-tu transmettre
ce message à Topica?
Bien à toi,
E. Hanquet.
--- Mary
Previte's question: ---
How did
life in Weihsien affect the way you conducted religious services or activities
there? How did confinement affect your
faith?
To answer
these questions, I must first remind you of a few facts about our internment in
Weihsien Camp.
During the
first 6 months of 1943 we had to organize ourselves the best we could. Various
tasks were distributed amongst the prisoners having the abilities or the good
will to help. With more than 2000 men, women and children, the compound was
overcrowded. We were living one on top of the other in overcrowded rooms.
The
departure of the more or less 200 Fathers and Nuns during the summer of 1943,
allowed us to re-arrange the prisoners in their housings. Only 11 priests and 4
nuns remained in the camp. All the others were sent to Peking
where they were accommodated in two convents and at their costs. Until that
date, in summer '43, we mostly stayed amongst ourselves and had only few
contacts with our fellow prisoners. The occasional contacts we might have had
occurred during our meal times, the inevitable queues, and during our chores.
By the end
of that same summer there was a new departure of the American families going
back to the States thanks to a prisoner-exchange agreement with the Japanese
authorities. They were to be repatriated on board the neutral Swedish vessel,
the "Gripsholm".
--- Then,
at the beginning of winter arrived the Chefoo School,
children and teachers. Much later on came a small group of Italians, mostly
wealthy people from Shanghai
whose possessions and businesses were confiscated by the Japanese.
It took us
about a year to get to know all the camp people a little better and to get
thoroughly acquainted.
I already
told you about my work in kitchen No.1 with Langdon Gilkey and Robin Strong.
Besides cooking, we found a noodle-machine and successfully tried to make
noodles! It was only after that experience that we started using our christen
names.
I also
remember that we had to wait until the Chefoo School
students moved to the upper floors of the hospital to get to know them better.
We used to have a little chat with the elder students when they passed by our
block on their way to the hospital dormitories. We were in block number 56, the
house with two floors and an exterior staircase in the middle.
We, the 11
remaining priests had friendly conversations with them. From then on began our
relationship with Norman Cliff, Stephen Metcalf, Brian Thompson and many
others. As a way to engage conversations, we started to teach them French, but
that didn't last for long because their School Principal forbade the students
to have further contacts with us. He felt responsible for them and feared they
might loose their faith.
I must tell
you that as young and healthy priests, we were very active in everyday
camp-life. We often accepted the hardest chores. Many internees saw us as we
were --- not as "Fathers" but as prisoners like all the others. This
allowed us to build many a friendship. We were approached by many for all kinds
of services such as participating in the Christmas choir conducted by Father
Gyselinck or to appear in a show. I hope you remember that I played a Roman
soldier in "Androcles and the Lion" with Father Palmers.
We also
helped the younger prisoners. Very early during our imprisonment and with the
help of Mr. Coburn, we took the initiative in creating a scout troop. To do so,
we changed all the exterior signs of recognition with any existing scout
organizations, as these were severely forbidden by the Japanese.
A close
collaboration took place around 1944 between the discipline and education
committees to protect the younger ones against the potential dangers of life and
to occupy more wisely their study and leisure time.
As for the
liturgical celebrations we never had the slightest problem. The celebration
schedules at the Assembly Hall on Sundays were shared between the Catholics,
the Church of England and the different Protestant groups. The concerts and
serenades played by the Salvation Army Band were appreciated by all.
Intellectually,
contacts were made in educational classes, participating in teaching classical
Chinese with Lucien Porter, ecumenical interactivities with Hugh Hubbard and
many other subjects.
It is true
that we haven't lost our time in Weihsien Camp and I have personally much
improved my knowledge of the "human being" during these 32 months by
a better understanding of the Protestants' way of thinking.
It helped
me in having a more familiar and affectionate approach with all the Protestants
I met with later in my life.
Father
Hanquet
----- Original Message -----
From: Donald
To: weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Monday, April 17, 2006 8:32 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: message for
Topica
Thanks,
Leopold,
That
is a lovely interview. It made me wish that my Grandfather had a better
opportunity to become acquainted with Fr. Hanquet before he left on the
Gripsholm. Even so, he writes admiringly of the "magnificent
Fathers," both for their willingness to do the hardest jobs and for their
prowess in baseball, which he greatly admired.
Donald
De: "Mary Previte"
<mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Fw: message
for Topica
Date: mardi 18 avril 2006 16:38
What a
wonderful letter enriched with a
fascinating view of Weihsien from someone who saw the camp with the
eyes of an adult!
Thank
you, Father Hanquet. Please keep writing.
I remember
Father Palmer and the older Harle sister from the Chefoo group taking walks around the basketball (ROLL
CALL) court near the hospital --while
she practiced French conversation
with Father Palmer.
What
memories do any of you have of outdoor
Easter services with Brigadier Stranks
and the Salvation Army band?
Mary
Previte
De: "georgeanna knisely"
<jknisely@paonline.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: New Book!
Date: mardi 18 avril 2006 23:43
Hey,
Have you
seen the new book out by David McCasland?
ERIC LIDDELL: PURE GOLD. Just
started it , looks good. Even if it
didn't I would have bought it, right?
Georgie Knisely
De: "Mary Previte"
<mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: New Book!
Date: mardi 18 avril 2006 23:51
Hello, Georgie:
Check the
Foreward to see if it is written by my brother James. I
believe this book has also been translated into Chinese.
Mary
De: "georgeanna knisely" <jknisely@paonline.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: New Book!
Date: mercredi 19 avril 2006 18:41
As far as I
can see, Mary, there is no forward. It
was printed in 2001 Discovery House Publishers, but mine is paperback, maybe
that is why. Funny, I had never heard of
this one. The best one I have is Surrender
by a brit from Hong Kong who was going to do a
sequel to CHARIOTS OF FIRE.
Are you,
did you go to the monologue of Eric Liddell off broad way. ? I would have loved to, but just not enough time. Love to hear anyone who did. How was it.
Georgie Knisely
De: "Mary Previte"
<mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Foreward to PURE GOLD -- a
book about Eric Liddell
Date: jeudi 20 avril 2006 2:30
PURE GOLD
Foreword
The
Eric Liddell I Knew Eric Liddell was my
hero long before the 1981 Academy Award
winning movie, Chariots of Fire, brought
him to the attention of the world.
Interned together in the Japanese concentration camp in Shandong, Weifang,
during the War of Resistance, I was mesmerized as “Uncle” Eric gathered us boys
around and told us his stories. We sat
spellbound, imagining his world record breaking
400 meter
run in the 1924 Paris Olympics. He told us of the time a year earlier where he
picked himself up after having been tripped by another runner, made up the time
lost, pulled ahead at the last moment to win the race. We loved to hear him
tell of the Dalian
track meet in 1928. After winning the
400 meter race, he almost missed his boat back to Tianjin. Only a wave’s pushing the boat back
closer to the dock narrowed the space and allowed him to throw his bag aboard
and leap onto the deck. We could see it
all.
With the
Beijing Olympics coming in ’08, Pure Gold is a great book for sports fans. It
paints its pageantry in bronze, silver, and gold. Here the reader will find the excitement of
international track competition - friendly rivalries, team work, sportsmanship,
unfulfilled dreams, and broken records.
Pure Gold
is much more than that. It is the story
of a very common, yet unique, man – Eric Liddell. From Liddell’s birth in Tianjin,
the author traces his background and upbringing in China,
Scotland and England in the
turmoil of the first half of the 20th century. Eric was born two years after
the Boxer Uprising. He and his close-knit family lived and suffered through the
threat of rising Japanese aggression and the tumultuous years of the establishment
of the Republic. He experienced danger and separation during World War I and
World War II.
Eric was
not only a great athlete; he was also a remarkable educator. Coming to China barely 20 years after China’s age-old Examination System ended, he taught
mathematics and science at the Tientsin
Anglo-Chinese College.
After winning gold in Paris and glory and acclaim
at the University
of Edinburgh, Eric declared
his philosophy of education. In Tianjin
and in Weifang, it did not change. This is how he put it:
“Athletics
is part of educating the whole person. A man is composed of three parts – mind,
body, and soul, and only when we instruct each part in such a way that one is
not overestimated, but each receives proper emphasis, we will get the finest
and truest graduates from our University. As we realize that we not only have
to store our minds with knowledge, but to educate our bodies for the strenuous
life we must go through, and also remember that we are spirit as well, then we will send out
graduates who are really worthy of
taking their place in any part of life.”
Eric
modeled this ideal in his own life. Deeply
involved in running and rugby in
university, he tied for first place in inorganic and physical chemistry.
He led his
church’s youth program and taught Sunday
school for poor children in the slums.
What made
Eric Liddell great?
Eric
Liddell was real. In a day when students are concerned about corruption in government and immorality
in society, here is a model to emulate,
a man of integrity, principle, and unwavering spirit. He was prepared to sacrifice himself and his
position for his convictions. Principles that are important for public life are
equally important in personal life. In sports, in work, and in life, Eric said the end never justified the means.
A story he
often told us in concentration camp illustrates his values. From the grandstands,
Eric watched athletes from the UK and the US
compete in an obstacle race. The front runner knocked over a hurdle.
This left the opportunity for the next runner to dash through the gap and gain
an advantage. Instead, the man swerved to the side, jumped over a standing
hurdle before moving back to the inside track. Eric never forgot the thrill
that went through him, or the answering cheer that rose from the crowd.” That
was the finest thing done that day,” he
told us.
Lord Sands
in Edinburgh summed
up Eric’s philosophy of life in these words: “This young man put his whole career
as a runner in the balance, and deemed it as small dust, compared to remaining
true to his principles. There are greater issues in life than sport, and the
greatest of these is loyalty to the
great laws of the soul.”
Eric
Liddell persevered. The ideals and standards Eric set for himself were made,
not for the moment, but for life.
Determination and perseverance marked his pursuit of excellence in
sports, in education, in service to others, and in his religious faith. When
another runner tripped Eric in the 440 yards event in the British Triangular
International in 1923, he refused to let the setback determine the outcome of
the race. With unwavering perseverance, he leapt back into the race, went for
gold, and got it.
The
disturbances and dangers of the War of Resistance made teaching in Tianjin and serving the
people in the countryside precarious if not downright life threatening. Yet he remained at his post when others chose
the safer course and left. Even in concentration camp, when there were no
textbooks to teach chemistry, he created his own teaching materials from
memory.
Eric’s long
courtship with Florence
illustrates his perseverance. He knew that she was the one for him. He could
wait. Eric Liddell was a humble man.
Headlines trumpeted his triumphs, and people’s voices shouted praises. “It would take a great deal of spiritual and emotional maturity for a 22-year-old Eric
Liddell to cope with the kind of success that had turned men’s hearts and
tripped their feet since the beginning of time,” says David McCasland. Eric kept his head.
After the
Olympics, when suddenly called upon to give an impromptu speech at St. Giles’
Cathedral, he spoke quietly: “I hardly know what to say on this occasion
because there are many here who deserve this just as much as I do.”
He
recognized the enormous contribution his parents had in his life, his teachers
had in his education, his coach had in his running, and his colleagues had in
service together. He had no sense that God gave him a special blessing because
he had refused to run on Sunday. God was gracious, but He is not obligated to
give the gold in any of the world’s contests to one who obeys His will.
Under pressure
of the Japanese occupation in Tianjin,
Eric volunteered to buy bread for others who couldn’t get to the market early
enough. When a north China
wind storm covered the floor and furniture with Gobi Desert
dust, his host family found him up at 4:30 in the morning quietly cleaning the
home. He had a true, humble servant spirit.
Eric
Liddell was a deeply caring person. In the midst of all the adulation after his
1924 Olympics and similar successes, he embraced those who had not won. Eric
liked to quote the words he had seen engraved over the entrance of the University of Pennsylvania sports field: “In the dust
of defeat as well as in the laurel of victory, there is glory to be found if
one has done his best.”
He cared
for his students at the Tianjin
Anglo-Chinese College
as though they were his own younger
brothers. Eric always had time to listen to their concerns and to help in class
work, sports, or other family matters. His students loved him.
In the
Weihsien concentration camp, Eric was like an uncle to those of us separated
from our parents. Though he had taken a firm personal stand on not running on
Sunday, he was willing to referee our Sunday afternoon games when he discovered
fights breaking out between the teams. When he discovered that some of the
older youth, children of Tianjin and Beijing business
families, were holding sex parties, he gave his own free time to organize
wholesome week night activities.
Our
headmaster shared a secret at Eric Liddell’s memorial service in 1945.
He had
learned that “Uncle” Eric had planned to sell the gold watch presented to him
by the City of Edinburgh
in order to buy softball equipment for the camp’s recreation program.
Eric
Liddell was a man of Faith. Though he was born into a devout Christian home and
had attended church all his life, it was not until he was 21 that Eric decided
to tell the Lord that he wanted to serve Him. That decision was sealed when he
accepted an invitation to speak publicly for the first time to rough Scottish
miners. There Eric personally encountered God and his pilgrimage of faith
began. Up to that point Jesus Christ had been only an historical figure to be
admired. Now He became his personal Saviour, guide and friend.
Over the
next 20 years that relationship was steadily deepened through regular study of
the Bible, reflection, prayer and Christian fellowship. He was greatly helped
by the Oxford Group and their emphasis in Bible study on reading accurately,
interpreting honestly and applying drastically. The latter meant living each day
by the Four Absolutes: absolute honesty, absolute purity, absolute unselfishness,
and absolute love. This was the new standard Eric set for himself. He knew that
to attain to such a standard in his own strength was impossible. This led Eric
to a personal pursuit of the cleansing, filling and empowering of the Holy
Spirit.
In
concentration camp, he loved to speak from the Sermon on the Mount and on the
gifts of the Spirit. We boys sensed that these were not empty words.
Uncle Eric
modeled these ideals.
Eric
Liddell was a Scot with a heart for China. Eric was born in China and is buried in China. His body
has become part of Chinese soil. As the author states: “At the peak of his
athletic career with the world at his
feet, 23-year-old Eric Liddell turned away from it all and set his face toward China.”
Why? The
love of Christ constrained him.
In 1937,
he wrote from the Hebei countryside: “It
is good for me that in a year of
unprecedented hardship and suffering for the people, I should have been
sent away from the city and … should
have been given … an opportunity of seeing some
of the hardest hit places.” Eric gave himself to helping hungry people.
He rescued wounded peasants and brought them to the Christian hospital for treatment.
Why? The love of Christ constrained him.
In 1941, to
protect his pregnant wife Flo and their two daughters from the unpredictable
dangers of Japanese occupation, Eric sent them by ship to Canada. He
stayed on to teach and to serve the people. He knew the risk. He also understood
the responsibility. Pure gold fears no fire. He gave this verse to others. It was also his resolve:
“I would be
true, for there are those who trust me;
I would be
pure, for there are those who care;
I would be
strong, for there is much to suffer;
I would be
brave, for there is much to dare.”
How? The
love of Christ constrained him.
Eric
Liddell never was a student or teacher at the China Inland
Mission School
in Chefoo, yet when his path joined ours in the Japanese concentration camp in
Weihsien, he touched our lives. The closing verse of our school song summed up
“Uncle” Eric’s short 43 years:
“Plaudits
of men we lightly appraise,
Set we a
nobler aim –
Ever to
bring through the toil of our days
Glory to
God’s great Name.
Many the
voices that ring in our ears,
Many the
cries of need;
God give us
grace in the coming years
His voice
alone to heed.”
James H.
Taylor III
Hong
Kong SAR
China
De: "Ron Bridge"
<rwbridge@freeuk.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Foreward to PURE GOLD -- a
book about Eric Liddell
Date: jeudi 20 avril 2006 9:10
I was
interviewed by David McCausland the author of Pure Gold on my recollections of
Eric (His parents were great friends of my grandparents and he took part in
several sports with my father ion the 20s and 30s. Pure Gold was published 2001
by Discovery House Publishers affiliated to RBC Ministries Grand Rapids
Michigan 49512
ISBN No is
0 57293 051 9 and there was a three part TV programmed on the subject also done
by RBC.
Rgds
Ron
De: "georgeanna knisely"
<jknisely@paonline.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Foreward to PURE GOLD -- a
book about Eric Liddell
Date: jeudi 20 avril 2006 18:13
Thank you
so much!!!! This was not in my
book. Maybe not in the papaerback. I will put it in. Thanks so very much, Georgie
Did I send
you this. I am just starting to send it out.
Have my visa and tickets, so guess it is go unless something really
tragic happens in the next week or so.
Why me?? Yes, I asked that often
- I am so blessed!
Dear, dear friends,
April 20, 2006
I am off on another adventure – I
hope. May 1st I leave for Afghanistan and
return on the 23rd. People asked if I
ever question God, “Why me?” I certainly
do often. I am so blessed! A teacher from China,
where I have helped for 4 years went to Kabul
and is teaching there – another Christian
International School. She dropped my name and they said, Bring her on
and I am going. So I guess in the big
world they would call it networking – I call it blessed.
Jay and I traveled through Afghanistan in
1979! Centuries ago and thought we just
had to go there and teach. Well, it
never happened so now I get the chance to go for a short period. When I received my librarian degree, I was
thrilled because I thought I could now support my children happily, if anything
happened to Jay. Well, I get my way paid
now, and have a wonderful time. Time is
a donation, but I love the feeling of contributing.
I have been given names of people
who are there and hope I have time to get out of the school a little and see
the real world of Afghanistan. It was a rugged country then and must be more
so now, after 20 years of war and still outside of Kabul, war still.
I have also been privileged to
visit a woman on death row, another friend goes with me and once a month we
visit and try to encourage them that the world still knows they are there and
cares. Strangely enough, they seem to
encourage us more and make us so aware of all that we have in freedom, space,
opportunities, etc. We may only visit one person at a time. So we each visit the same individual each
time. There are two other women on death
row in PA. I write to them, but cannot
visit them.
Sooo, as you can see, I do not
seem to sit home for long. I have done a
lot of speaking on India and
Pakistan,
because I was privileged to go there on a mission tour last year. I am secretary on two Boards –a United
Methodist Conference Mission Board and a Non-profit, temporary welfare
Board. You certainly learn a great deal
about the many companies and individuals and NGOs that are available and
helping. We need them all and more with
the many disasters we are having and the economy as it is – changing a great
deal.
I covet your prayers while I am
going and being there and coming home.
De: "David Birch"
<gdavidbirch@yahoo.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: New e=mail address
Date: jeudi 20 avril 2006 20:16
Dear Audrey,
Thank you
for sending me a copy of your new email address.
However,
once again, I must tell you that your 'overeager' computer got carried away and
sent me a total of five identical emails informing me of your new address. I
wonder if others are also receiving multiple copies of the same email!
This has
happened occasionally in the past re emails coming from you.
Sincerely
David
berean
<berean@xplornet.com> wrote:
Dear Family and Friends:
Please be advised that as of NOW our e-mail
address has changed. We could not do anything different as to
notification. So if you have tried
e-mailing us within the last 6 hours or more and have received your letter
returned==you will know why. And please
try again. Our new e-mail address is:
berean@xplornet.com
Sincerely,
Audrey
Nordmo Horton
De: "berean" <berean@xplornet.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: New e=mail address
Date: jeudi 20 avril 2006 23:52
The message
kept coming up saying that it couldn't be sent due to such and such an
address. I apologize. Audrey
----- Original
Message -----
From: David
Birch
To:
weihsien@topica.com
Sent:
Thursday, April 20, 2006 10:46 AM
Subject: Re: New
e=mail address
Dear Audrey,
Thank you for sending me a copy of your new
email address.
However, once again, I must tell you that
your 'overeager' computer got carried away and sent me a total of five
identical emails informing me of your new address. I wonder if others are also
receiving multiple copies of the same email!
This has happened occasionally in the past re
emails coming from you.
Sincerely
David
De: "Raymond Moore"
<raym82@hotmail.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: RE: Foreward to PURE GOLD -- a
book about Eric Liddell
Date: vendredi 21 avril 2006 2:08
Thanks
Mary, for including the full text of your brother's forward to "Pure
Gold"
by David McCasland. My copy did not
include it, and I have now printed your email and slid it in to the front of
the book.
Great book.
Warm
regards to you all,
Ray Moore
De: "Mary Previte"
<mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Eric Liddell play, BEYOND
THE CHARIOTS, now playing in New York
Date: vendredi 21 avril 2006 3:31
Reminder:
The Eric Liddell
play, "BEYOND THE CHARIOTS," with Rich Swingel is now playing Off Broadway
tomorrow -- Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
For details
go to fireoffbroadway.com
Mary
Previte
De: "Mary Previte"
<mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Foreward to PURE GOLD -- a
book about Eric Liddell
Date: vendredi 21 avril 2006 3:44
Hello,
Georgie:
I will look
forward to hearing all about your trip when your return. What amazing opportunity and ministry!
Mary
Previte
De: "Mary Previte"
<mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: PURE GOLD -- where to buy
it
Date: vendredi 21 avril 2006 4:02
Information
about where to purchase PURE GOLD
PURE GOLD
is available in Chinese translation with the
foreword I wrote, also in Chinese. The original English edition does not
have a foreword. Thus, unless we put my
foreword in English on the web, it is not available elsewhere.
The English
edition of PURE GOLD was published by Discovery House Publishers in Grand Rapids. I presume it
should be available in the US
in most Family or Christian bookstores. I would be surprised if there is not a UK
edition, though I have not seen it. People who are interested in getting a copy
can go to Amazon.com, Google, or Yahoo.
For the
Chinese edition of PURE GOLD, I would suggest the following:
US & Canada - call Ambassadors for Christ 1 (800)
624-3504 or email:
_bks@afcinc.org_
(mailto:bks@afcinc.org)
UK - call COCM 44-01908-234-100 or email: _cocm@cocm.org.uk_
(mailto:cocm@cocm.org.uk)
Australia - call OMF 61-(2) 9868-4777 or email: _au@omf.net_
(mailto:au@omf.net)
New Zealand - call Bamboo 64-(09) 630-5997 or email:
_bamboo@omf.net_
(mailto:bamboo@omf.net)
Hopes this
helps
James
Taylor
De: "Donald"
<dmenzi@earthlink.net>
À: "weihsien"
<weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Eric Liddell Play
Date: samedi 22 avril 2006 23:14
Hello, all,
We saw the
play, Beyond Chariots, last night. It
was very well done, with writer-actor Rich Swingle playing multiple roles, from
Chinese students to Japanese guards - and Liddell, of course.
Mary will
be pleased to see the historical note by James that puts the play in its larger
context. If you go on Sunday, Mary, you
may meet one of Liddell's daughters, who we were told plans to attend then.
Donald
De: "Mary Previte"
<mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Eric Liddell Play
Date: lundi 24 avril 2006 4:00
Helo,
Everybody:
I attended
the Saturday matinee of the Erifc Liddell drama, BEYOND THE
CHARIOTS, Off Broadway in New York
yesterday. How deeply moving that
after more than 60 years since Eric
Liddell died, the influence of
Eric's life and his walk with God continue to touch thousands of lives!
I was asked
to speak briefly following yesterday's performance.
Write/actor
Rich Swingle tells me that they are considering taking this show to China either
before or during the Olympics.
Liddell's
daughter, Heather, was scheduled to
attend tonight's performance.
Those of us
who attended the reunion in Weifang last August heard Stephen Metcalf's very moving story of how
Eric Liddell influenced Stephen's
life.
After
Stephen won a race between boys from the Chefoo
School and those from Tientsin, Eric took a special interest in Stephen and recruited Stephen to
be his assistant in keeping athletic
equipment repaired for games for the young people in the camp. Shortly before Eric died, he gave Stephen
his much-patched running shoes.
Eric
inspired Stephen both by Eric's life and the messages he gave during Bible
studies which Eric conducted for young people in the camp. Talking about the Sermon on the Mount, Eric
used to ask if Jesus REALLY meant what he said:
"Love your enemies."
Could you love the Japanese?
Those influences ripple on.
Stephen Metcalf recently retired after serving God for a lifetime as a
missionary to Japan. I wish all of you could have heard Stephen's
tribute to Eric Liddell last August 15
at the Eric Liddell monument, now located just behind the back entrance to the hospital
in Weifang.
Mary Previte
De: "Nicky & Leopold"
<tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Eric Liddell Play
Date: lundi 24 avril 2006 8:51
hello,
this should
help:
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/60YearsAfter/texts/txt_Metcalf.htm
all the
best,
Leopold
De: "georgeanna knisely"
<jknisely@paonline.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Eric Liddell Play
Date: mercredi 26 avril 2006 4:40
Mary,
How was the
play? Why did Rich Swingle write it and
what did he talk about or how present it.
Thanks, Georgie
De: "Marti Suddarth"
<MarthaSuddarth@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Martha Morrison Kramer
Date: lundi 1 mai 2006 20:58
My name is
Marti Kramer Suddarth. I'm the
grandniece of Martha Morrison Kramer, who was at Wei'Hsien from March to
September 1943, before being sent to America on the motor ship
Gripsholm. I'm not sure if this
qualifies me for membership on this list, but if it does, I am very interested
in learning more about my grandaunt.
Marti
Suddarth
grandniece
of Martha Morrison Kramer
De: "Nicky & Leopold"
<tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Fw: search for morrison
Date: mardi 2 mai 2006 10:14
----- Original Message -----
From: Nicky & Leopold
To: weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 10:04 AM
Subject: search for morrison
Dear Marti,
Hello,
Can this
help you?
You can
also go to this link:
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/pander/Weifang2006/Slide_Show/02_Weihsien/p_01.htm
and click
on picture No. 365 ---
Best
regards,
Leopold
(I was 4
years old when we were liberated in 1945)
De: "Marti Suddarth"
<MarthaSuddarth@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Fw: search
for morrison
Date: mardi 2 mai 2006 16:56
THANK YOU,
so much! I didn't know there was such a
wall. I didn't find Aunt Martha's name,
but she left in September of 1943. Maybe
the list was compiled later?
When I was
a little girl, my parents had told me that Aunt Martha (who is actually my
dad's aunt) was under "house arrest" while in China. It wasn't until after Aunt Martha died (in
1981) that I learned that after being under house arrest for a while, she was
sent to a Prisoner of War camp. I don't
know if Mom & Dad didn't want to upset me when I was little or if maybe
Dad's parents didn't want to upset HIM when he was little. (He was a small child during WW II.) Maybe Dad didn't know the truth himself
until recently.
Now I wish
I could ask Aunt Martha so many questions, but of course, I can't. Dad's
brother and his wife printed some letters that Aunt Martha had written in China and while on the Motorship Gripsholm
coming back to the U.S.
... that's all I have. I'm hoping to
learn more about what really happened.
THANK YOU,
everyone, for allowing me to be a part of this list.
Marti
(Kramer) Suddarth
Grandniece
of Martha Morrison Kramer
De: "Greg Leck"
<gregleck@epix.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: RE: Fw: search
for morrison
Date: mardi 2 mai 2006 19:30
The
Weihsien list is very incomplete. Many
of those on the MS Gripsholm are not recorded.
There were
over 1500 repatriates from the Far East in
1943. Many had not yet been interned,
due to exemptions for health or political reasons.
Your great
Aunt Martha was living in Peking and a teacher at Yenching University
before the war. After December 8, 1941,
Allied nationals in Peiping, as it was then known under the Japanese, lived
under a number of restrictions, which were tightened after the escape of a
National City Bank of New York
banker, via the Western Hills, in May of 1942.
Armbands for enemy subjects were issued and those living in smaller Out ports
and isolated mission stations were brought to Peking
to live. There were a few cases of strict
"house arrest" but most did not experience this. Eventually, most Allied civilians in Peking,
Tientsin, and Tsingtao were interned at Weihsien.
A small number were interned at a camp
set up at the Peking British Embassy.
Greg Leck
www-captives-of-empire.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Donald
To: weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 5:19 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: search for
morrison
Marti,
Welcome
aboard!
Apparently
our grandparents were together on the Gripsholm prisoner exchange. If you
want to know what that trip was like, including two journals (George
Wilder and Howard Galt) and some watercolor sketches by Gertrude Wilder of the
places where they stopped on the way, you can find them at my
"family" web http://d.menzi.org. Just click on the
"Directory" link then on "Repatriation Journey."
I'm
sure that exploring Leopold Pander's wonderful web site will be quite an
adventure for you.
Donald
Menzi
De: "Tracy Strong"
<tstrong@weber.ucsd.edu>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: RE: Fw: search
for morrison
Date: mercredi 3 mai 2006 2:00
Dear Donald
- many thanks for the web site - and I am charmed to find that George Wilder
baptized me on Sept 12, 1943.! Your grandparents and my parents (Robbins and Katherine
Strong) were thus on the same voyage of the
Gripsholm.
Tracy B.
Strong
----- Original Message -----
From: Donald
To: weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2006 4:24 PM
Subject: RE: Fw: search for
morrison
Dear Tracy - Yes, and I believe that your parents and my grandparents lived in
the same multi-family home in Oberlin for a while after repatriation. Do you remember
their Oberlin address?
Donald
De: "Mary Previte"
<mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Greg Leck's book
Date: mercredi 3 mai 2006 21:44
Hello,
Greg,
Is your
book out yet? Please give us all the
details,
Mary Previte
De: "Mary Previte"
<mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Weihsien liberator, Jim
Moore
Date: jeudi 4 mai 2006 2:28
Hello,
Everybody,
Jim Moore
tells me that cancer has spread to his lungs.
Last summer, unexpected surgery for cancer of the colon prevented Jim
from joining us for the 60th
anniversary of our liberation from Weihsien.
He is 86.
A member of
the super-secret Office of Strategic Services, Jim Moore was one of the six
Americans who parachuted from a B-24 bomber to liberate the Weihsien Civilian
Assembly Center,
August 17, 1945.
Jim Moore's
is truly one of the amazing sagas of World War II. The son of Southern Baptist
missionaries to China, Jim had
attended and graduated from the Chefoo
School in the 1930s. After Japan
attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, Jim read in the school's alumni magazine that
the Chefoo School had been captured and interned by
the Japanese. He resigned from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) where
he was a Special Agent, joined the U.S. Navy and the Office of Strategic
Services, went to China,
and signed on to the rescue mission.
Yes, he
liberated his own Alma Mater.
When he got
inside the camp on August 17, 1945, the first person he asked to see was
"PA" Bruce, Head Master of the Chefoo School. Many
of his former Chefoo teachers welcomed him that day -- Masters
Bruce, Martin, Welch, Houghton.
Despite
some difficulty breathing, Jim continues very up-beat. He tells me that he is now living a day at
a time.
If you'd
like to write or phone Jim to express your appreciation for the gift of freedom
he gave us in 1945, use the following contact information.
James
W. Moore Phone: 214-341-8695
9605 Robin
Song Street
Dallas, Texas 75243
USA
Why don't
you tell him your very personal memories of August 17, 1945?
Jim does
not use e-mail.
Mary Taylor
Previte
----- Original Message -----
From: Donald
To: weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2006 5:08 PM
Subject: Some thoughts on Jim
Moore's Story
Mary,
Your
touching information about Jim Moore's story is yet another example of the kind
of "circularity" - connectedness and "wholeness"
- that sometimes occurs in life, and which seems to be especially true of
the whole Weihsien story. Yesterday for me it was hearing
that Tracy Strong had discovered that my grandfather had baptized him in
1943, a connection that neither of us were aware of. And now Tracy and I
are re-connected in a way, by being members of this email group. Today we
learn from you how Jim Moore in his own lifetime was able to complete a
cycle by actively responding to the news of his alma mater's capture and
choosing to set out on a course that eventually led him to being one of those
who liberated Chefoo's captivity. And now those whom he liberated
are once again together with him, sending him love and support as he
approaches the end of his life.
I
always find it a little amazing when these hidden
connections become apparent. It would be wonderful, wouldn't
it, if by the end of our lives here we could look back and see
our own life story as a series of these vignettes, each one complete
with a satisfying ending and no remaining loose ends? I
imagine that for believers there is a trust - or at least a hope - that
the sum total of all the little vignettes of all our lives, and those of
past and future generations, adds up to a meaningful and purposeful story,
whose plot and ending we can only guess at.
At
least for now the Internet and email have made it possible for us to discover
some of the hidden connections and stories that we would never know
about without it. Thanks to you and to everyone who has
used these new resources so effectively to bring us all closer
together. It has added a whole new dimension
to all of our lives.
Donald
De: "Greg Leck"
<gregleck@epix.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: RE: Greg Leck's book
Date: jeudi 11 mai 2006 5:20
Dear Mary
and Weihsien Topica Members:
As some of
you may know, I have been working on a book about internment for several years
now. This is not light summer reading
for the beach, but an extensively researched, serious, academic history of the
Japanese internment of Allied civilians in China, 1941-1945. There are hundreds of footnotes and the
bibliography, which is in size 8 type, runs to ten pages. There is an extensive index; three columns
per page and running to over six pages.
To put the
book together I have scoured archives from San Francisco
to New York, as well as repositories in Canada, the UK,
Italy, Australia, New Zealand,
Hong Kong, Switzerland,
and Japan. I have examined tens of thousands of pages of
documents (hundreds of which were in French or Japanese), read over 120
published accounts, and listened to over sixty ex-internees tell their
stories. Though I have no personal
connection to Weihsien, my own family lived in Shanghai during the war and family members were
held in three different camps there.
The book's
title is Captives of Empire. You can see
more at
www.captives-of-empire.com
http://www.captives-of-empire.com/
The website
will soon be updated with details of the book.
I chose the
title because firstly, internees were the prisoners of Dai Nippon or the Empire
of Japan. But some were also, in a way,
captives of their economic or personal empires in China. Lastly, many Britons ended up being captured
because their own government told them to stay in China.
The book is
an extensive documentation of the internment experience. Weighing in at five
pounds, it is large format (8.5 inches by 11 inches), 738 pages in length, and
contains over 650 illustrations, 20 maps, and extensive color images. It covers the life of Westerners in China before the
war, life under the Japanese occupation, life in the camps, and the aftermath
of the war. Each camp is also discussed
in a separate chapter. Listed is information on 13,544 individuals who were
held in camps in China or Hong Kong. This
includes several hundred documented Weihsien internees who are not on the
Chinese memorial in Weifang.
A chapter
on repatriation details how repatriates were chosen, and describes the journey
of the various ships to Goa, Lourenco Marques, and onward to New York.
There are extensive first person accounts as well as photos of each ship
and photos of repatriates on board the MS Gripsholm.
Those who
were in Weihsien, or had relatives there, will be interested in a number of new
discoveries related to that camp.
- A sketch
of a dormitory room by internee Jim Murray.
- A photo
of five Weihsien girls in the food queue.
- An
illustrated poster for the "Sewing Advisory Group" listing the
internees available for advice.
- A Women's
Auxiliary poster advertising a Sewing Bee and Story Telling.
- Sketches
and drawings of camp activities
- A photo
of tin cups and containers made from recycled cans (from Ash Camp, but no doubt
similar to those used in Weihsien)
- A photo
of the hospital
- A
Weihsien internee in the camp dentist's chair (and smiling, too)
- Photos of
the Japanese Consular Police, including them shepherding internees from the
American Embassy to the Peking train station.
- A
painting of a dark uniformed guard in a watchtower at Weihsien by internee Nick
Milhailoff.
- A sketch
of Weihsien internees waiting for roll call to begin.
- Two
colorful posters for plays put on in camp, "Stewdents" (featuring
Joyce
Cook and
others) and "Red Hot and Blue" the last play before liberation.
- A photo
of two Weihsien internees at a piano.
- An
envelope mailed from Weihsien to a neutral Irish national in Peitaiho.
- A 1943
Weihsien Christmas card.
- A 1942
photo of Weihsien escaper Laurance Tipton wearing his red armband.
- A 1945
photo of Mary Previte, her three siblings, and Raymond Moore and David Allen on
an airstrip, getting ready to board a flight to Xian. (I discovered this photo in the National
Archives. Mary was unaware of its existence.)
- A photo
of Weihsien children playing in camp - it looks like "ring around the
rosey."
- A drawing
of Chinese traders on the wall after liberation.
- A photo
of a Chinese market set up after liberation.
- Japanese
Consular Police inspecting luggage prior to internment
- Internees
carrying luggage on the grounds of the Peking American Embassy.
- Weihsien
students in a classroom
- A group
of children in a Weihsien dining hall.
- A photo
of Weihsien internees in the hot water line.
- A view of
an inner courtyard in camp.
- Weihsien
internees arriving in Tsingtao after
liberation.
- US Army
personnel talking with internees
- Internees
boarding trucks to take them to the Ershilipu airstrip to be airlifted out.
- Internees
boarding C-46 transports
- A photo
of internee women cleaning vegetables
- Internees
after the war.
It has been
a tremendous job to put this all together.
I am acting as my own publisher and have different printers and a book
binder involved - and I have literally put together each book, by hand, on my
dining room table, placing every single one of the 738 pages in the correct
order for every one of the books.
Because of the short print run, large size, length, and extensive use of
interior color, it has been an expensive project. Before I decided to do the project myself, I
was quoted prices of $150 -$170 to print and bind each volume! I am selling the books at roughly what it
cost me to print and bind them - $75. I
think the final book looks very professional - most people would not know that
it is a self published volume.
In
September I will be giving an illustrated talk on the camps at the Old China
Hands Reunion and hope to have further Weihsien photos to show.
sincerely,
Greg Leck
De: "Alison Holmes"
<aholmes@prescott.edu>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Greg Leck's book
Date: mardi 16 mai 2006 0:17
Greg, I
went to your website and tried to send you a message there but do not know if
it got through. I would like a copy of
your book. Please let me know if you
received the message. Thanks, Alison
Holmes
De: "Greg Leck"
<gregleck@epix.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: RE: Greg Leck's book
Date: mardi 16 mai 2006 2:10
Hello Alison,
I did not
get the message via the website but this one did come through fine.
I will
reserve a copy for you. Don't send
anything until you hear from me later in the month - I want to be certain they
are ready to go, which means I will have them in hand!
Thanks,
Greg
----- Original Message -----
From: Dwight W. Whipple
To: weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2006 7:17 AM
Subject: Re: Greg Leck's book
Hi Greg~
I am interested in having your book, too. Please
put me on the list, and autograph it for me, if you will!
~Dwight W. Whipple
4728A Lakeshore Lane SE
Olympia,
WA 98513
360.456.4300
De: "Pamela Maters"
<pamela@hendersonhouse.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Greg Leck's book
Date: mardi 16 mai 2006 16:06
Dear Greg --
I would
really like to get a copy of your book "Captives of Empire" when it's
published. I am really intrigued that you have a picture of the poster for
"Professor Thomas and his Stewdents" as that was one that I did. In
fact, I have a colorful page in my autograph album (if I can lay my hands on
it) signed by Gerry Thomas and all the cast...of which I was a minor member.
Will scan the page and send it on to Weihsien Topica.
Here is my
address: 3001 Camino Heights Drive,
Camino, CA 95709-9508
Pamela
Pamela
Masters - Author/Publisher
Henderson House Publishing
Titles: The
Mushroom Years, Sass & Serendipity
Phone:
530-647-2000
Fax:
530-647-2002
pamela@hendersonhouse.com
http://www.hendersonhouse.com
De: "Joyce Cook"
<bobjoyce@tpg.com.au>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Date: jeudi 18 mai 2006 5:48
Autograph book
Dear Greg
and Pamela and other Weihsieners. I also
remember the play with Professor Thomas and I too have all the signatures in my
autograph book. In fact I sang a duet sitting at a piano with Tisha Metcalf
(Gerry Thomas' stepdaughter) singing "September In The Rain" and also
managed a solo "Daddy Wouldn’t Buy Me A Bow Wow" (Maybe it is a good thing recorders weren’t
available in those days).
I met Tisha
a few years ago in London
for lunch (Gaotse) She is now almost blind and living in a nursing home. After
Pamela sends her material I will add my autograph book entries for general
information. Best regards.Joyce.
De: "Nicky & Leopold"
<tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: autograph book
Date: jeudi 18 mai 2006 11:03
Dear Pamela, Dear Joyce,
Hello,
I'd be glad
to add any copies-of-pages from your autograph book you wish to the
Weihsien-picture-gallery-web-site --- for all to share with you.
Best
regards,
Leopold
De: "Mary Broughton"
<wilmar@clear.net.nz>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: change of address
Date: samedi 20 mai 2006 5:58
I have just
changed my email address
to
maryhbroughton@swissmail.org
I too found
Father Hanquet's interview so very interesting.
I am so sorry our Headmaster stopped the French lessons. He did his best but was rather over
protective in other ways too. I have always said one of the joys of Weihsien
was meeting and seeing so many different people from different walks of
life. In fact over the last year in Camp
my best friend was Gay Talbot and we spent many hours discussing what we
believed, happily agreeing to differ in a few areas. I was 15 then.
I seldom
write but I do enjoy reading all the Weihsien letters at Topica,
Greetings
to everyone,
Mary
(Hoyte) Broughton
De: "Mary Previte"
<mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Update on three surviving
Weihsien liberators: Moore, Nagaki,
Hannon
Date: mercredi 31 mai 2006 7:09
Hello,
Everybody:
Here's an
update on our three surviving Americans who liberated Weihsen: Jim Moore, Jim
Hannon, and Tad Nagaki. All three are 86 years of age.
I telephoned all three on our Memorial Day holiday weekend.
Jim Moore
is being cared for at home in his struggle with cancer that has moved from the
colon into his lungs. Hospice workers
now help with his care. Jim remains upbeat and sharp as ever, despite his
telling me frankly that he's living a day at a time. Ever the gentleman, he
says he deeply appreciates your cards and letters. Jim's is a remarkable story. The son of
missionaries to China, Jim
grew up in China, spoke Chinese,
and attended and graduated from the Chefoo
School. When head read in the school's alumni
magazine that Japanese had marched the school into internment camp, he joined
the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and shaped a plan to help liberate the
school.
By the way,
Jim is the only college graduate on the team that liberated us. He and Raymond Hanchulak moved on from the OSS and finished their
careers in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
If you'd
like to write, Jim's address is James W. Moore, 9605 Robin
Song Street, Dallas, Texas,
75243, USA.
I know he'd love to get a letter telling what you remember about Liberation
Day.
Tad Nagaki,
a widower, still actively farms corn, beans, and wheat with a younger brother
in America's
heartland. Of the five Nagaki siblings, only Tad and his younger brother
remain. Each of my chats with Tad opens a chapter for me about the
Japanese-American experience in the United States. This time Tad told
me about his parents settling in Nebraska
as tenant farmers in the early 1900's -- tilling the soil with a horse-drawn
plow. In more modern times, Tad and his brothers have had as many as ten
tractors. I still remember the windmill in front of Tad's farmhouse when Emily Bryant
and I visited him in 1998.
Jim Hannon
and his wife, Gin, are celebrating their 63rd wedding anniversary today not to
mention their creative partnership. Jim
continues hand writing books and screen plays. Gin turns them into manuscripts
and book or screen proposals. But Jim
says he suffers increasingly-serious problems with his balance and has suffered
several falls recently. He says he remains optimistic about one or more of his
books turning into a movie, but says that his limited mobility also limits his
ability to market his books into movies. In marketing, phone calls and letters lack the power of
face-to-face meetings.
I will be
grateful for ever for knowing these men.
America has heroes. I know their names.
Mary T
Previte
----- Original Message -----
From: Greg Leck
To: weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Friday, June 02, 2006 5:56 AM
Subject: Captives of Empire
Dear Topica Members:
My book, Captives of Empire: The Japanese
Internment of Allied Civilians in China, is now available. I picked
up the books from the bindery yesterday and I am very happy with their
appearance.
Here is a brief outline of the book, as
well as payment methods and shipping costs.
(I don’t know if Topica accepts HTML format
– if not, the Table of Contents in your email will appear disorganized.)
Table of Contents
|
|
|
Foreword
|
ix
|
|
|
|
Acknowledgements
|
xi
|
|
|
|
A Note on Transliteration
|
xii
|
|
|
|
Glossary and Abbreviations
|
xiii
|
|
|
|
A Note on Currency
|
xiv
|
|
|
|
Introduction
|
19
|
|
1
|
|
Halcyon Days
|
27
|
|
2
|
|
While Storm Clouds Gather
The Shanghai Volunteer
Corps
The Badlands
Showing the
Flag for Empire
|
37
42
44
48
|
|
3
|
|
8 December 1941
Last Boat out of China
The SS President Harrison Crew
|
55
58
64
|
|
4
|
|
Under the Shadow
The Pao Chia
The BRA
Santo Tomas Transfers
Stranded in Shanghai
The Italians in China
|
73
76
82
87
96
98
|
|
5
|
|
Bridge House
|
105
|
|
6
|
|
The Best Possible Home
|
121
|
|
7
|
|
Housing
Pets in Camp
|
137
142
|
|
8
|
|
Food
The Food Queue
|
153
158
|
|
9
|
|
Work
|
177
|
|
10
|
|
Medical Care and Health
A Trip to the Dentist
Bedbugs, Mosquitoes, and Pests
|
187
194
201
|
|
11
|
|
The Authorities
Guards
Roll Call
|
205
209
224
|
|
12
|
|
The Red Cross
|
229
|
|
13
|
|
Law and Order
The Black Market
|
239
248
|
|
14
|
|
Sports and Activities
|
255
|
|
15
|
|
School and Education
|
261
|
|
16
|
|
Entertainment
|
273
|
|
17
|
|
Repatriation
From Within the Empire
The Amazing Saga of Edgar Whitcomb
|
283
296
301
|
|
18
|
|
Newspaper, Mail, and Communications
|
307
|
|
19
|
|
Religious Life
|
317
|
|
20
|
|
Escapes
|
323
|
|
21
|
|
Resistance and Collaborators
The Lunghwa Riot
|
347
350
|
|
22
|
|
Humor
|
367
|
|
23
|
|
Children
Families Divided
|
375
376
|
|
24
|
|
Liberation
|
385
|
|
25
|
|
Last Moments of a World
|
407
|
|
26
|
|
Epilogue
|
419
|
|
27
|
|
The Camps
Ash Camp
Canton Camp
Chapei Camp
Columbia
Country Club
Haiphong Road
Camp
Lincoln Avenue
Camp
Lunghwa Camp
Pootung Camp
Shanghai Religious Centers
Stanley Camp
The Stanley
Tiger
Weihsien and the North China
Yangchow A Camp
Yangchow B Camp
Yangchow C Camp
Yu Yuen Road Camp
|
427
428
434
438
444
448
456
460
466
474
478
480
484
498
502
506
512
|
|
28
|
|
Nominal Rolls
Ash Camp
Canton Camp
Chapei Camp
Columbia
Country Club
Haiphong Road
Camp
Lazarist Procuration
Lincoln Avenue
Camp
Lunghwa Camp
Peking British Embassy
Pootung Camp
Sacred Heart
Senmouyeu Nuns’ Residence
Stanley Camp
Weihsien Camp
Yangchow A Camp
Yangchow B Camp
Yangchow C Camp
Yu Yuen Road
Camp
Zikawei
|
519
521
528
529
549
550
555
561
567
592
593
613
614
615
655
685
690
696
705
718
|
|
|
|
Bibliography
|
721
|
|
|
|
Index
|
731
|
|
|
|
Credits
|
738
|
Ordering Information
Captives of Empire: The Japanese
Internment of Allied Civilians in China, 1941-1945.
scheduled publication date: June 1, 2006
Shandy Press SAN 2 5
7 – 0 1 8 1
ISBN: 0-9772141-0-9
Library of Congress Control Number:
2005906868
8.5 inch by 11 inch, hardcover with full
color illustrated dust jacket
738 pages
665 color and black and white
illustrations, 20 maps
Nominal Rolls of internees in China and Hong Kong
with biographical details - 13,544 individuals listed.
Index, extensive bibliography
Price (direct from author, all
prices in US Dollars)
$75.00 plus shipping
Shipping:
United States
- airmail $14.00, each add'l copy $10
- media mail $5.00, each add'l copy $3
Canada
- airmail $19.00, each add'l copy $5
-surface mail $12.00, each add'l copy $4
United Kingdom - airmail $30.00, each add'l copy $9
-
surface mail $12.00, each add'l copy $4
Australia
- airmail $42.00, each add'l copy $12
- surface
mail $13.00, each add'l copy $3
New Zealand
- airmail $42.00, each add'l copy $12
-
surface mail $13.00, each add'l copy $3
Hong Kong - airmail $42.00, each
add'l copy $12
- surface mail $13.00, each add'l copy $3
Allow 6 to 8
weeks for delivery by surface mail.
Shipping Weight: 5 pounds 8 ounces (2.5 kilograms)
Payment Methods:
Personal check drawn on funds in a US bank
Cashier or Bank check, payable in US
dollars.
Credit Card (Mastercard or VISA)
How
to Purchase
By check: Send payment in US dollars for purchase
price plus shipping costs, payable to Greg Leck, along with your shipping
address, to:
Greg Leck
101 Bunny Trail Drive
Bangor, PA 18013
USA.
By credit card: use your credit card to send purchase
price, plus shipping costs, in US dollars, via the Paypal website at www.paypal.com
Use the email
address gregleck@epix.net
as the recipient. Or, go to the book’s website, www.captives-of-empire.com,
scroll down to the bottom, and click on the button for the country destination
and desired shipping method.
De: "rod miller"
<rmmiller@optusnet.com.au>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: NZ Weihsien
Date: samedi 3 juin 2006 23:56
This maybe
of interest to some of you.
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/name-035506.html
Rod
De: "Greg Leck"
<gregleck@epix.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: RE: Greg Leck's book
Date: dimanche 4 juin 2006 1:59
Dear Pamela,
I have the
books ready to go (finally). You can
find details about payment methods, prices, and shipping options at the updated
website:
www.captives-of-empire.com
http://www.captives-of-empire.com/
The
"Stewdents" poster came out quite well, with your name displayed.
thanks,
Greg
De: "Greg Leck"
<gregleck@epix.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: RE: Greg Leck's book
Date: dimanche 4 juin 2006 1:59
Hi Dwight,
The book
has finally arrived and is ready to go.
You can find out about shipping options, prices, and more at the updated
website:
www.captives-of-empire.com
http://www.captives-of-empire.com/
thanks,
Greg
----- Original Message -----
From: Greg Leck
To: weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Sunday,
June 04, 2006 1:56 AM
Subject: RE: Greg Leck's book
Dear Alison,
The book has finally arrived and is ready
to go. You can find out about shipping options, prices, and more at the
updated website:
www.captives-of-empire.com
thanks,
Greg
De: "David Birch"
<gdavidbirch@yahoo.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: NZ Weihsien
Date: dimanche 4 juin 2006 5:03
Thank you
Rod! The record you have passed on to us of camps in the Far
East in which New Zeelanders were interned during WWII is a vital
document although terribly sad!
Compared
with camps such as that at Changi, Weihsien, as I quite clearly recall, was
quite akin to 'heaven on earth!' Although food was inadequate as Captain Mason
states, the Japanese were never physically cruel to us. Some have other
memories however, although I believe these acts of cruelty were the exception
rather than the norm.
Thank you
again, for giving us this important document!
David Birch
(13 yrs old
at end of WWII)
De: "rod miller"
<rmmiller@optusnet.com.au>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: NZ Weihsien
Date: dimanche 4 juin 2006 22:24
David
You’re most
welcome.
Just saw it
when researching a NZ coast watcher.
You may
have already done so but if you go to the Australian War Memorial web site
collections database
http://www.awm.gov.au/database/collection.asp
search with the words china camps and you will
see some photographs of the Yangchow Internment Camp C was also known as
Yangchow Civilian Internment Centre which may be of interest.
This link
may work for one of the photographs.
http://www.awm.gov.au/database/cas.asp?accum=p02428.001
There is a
photograph of a red arm band like on the cover of Greg's fabulous book etc.
Kind
Regards
Rod Miller
Sydney.
De: "Mary Previte"
<mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: World War II Magazine
article about Jim Moore
Date: lundi 12 juin 2006 4:37
The
July-August issue of WORLD WAR II Magazine -- now available -- includes an
article I've written about our own Jim Moore, now age 86, of Dallas, Texas. Moore, a member of OSS Unit 101, was one of
the seven-man "DUCK MISSION" that liberated the Weihsien Concentration
Camp on August 17, 1945.
The
five-page account tells how Moore and American liberators set out the day after
the Japanese Emperor capitulated -- intent on preventing the massacre of Allied
prisoners in Japanese internment camps in Asia. The 1,500 Allied prisoners in Weihsien
included Jim Moore's teachers and his classmates from his own alma mater, the Chefoo School. Located in China's
Shantung province, the Chefoo School
educated the children of missionaries to China.
The son of
Southern Baptist missionaries to China,
Moore had graduated from the Chefoo School
in 1936.
I plan to
forward the story to Leopold Pander's WEIHSIEN web site.
Mary
Previte
De: "Nicky & Leopold"
<tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: World War II Magazine
article about Jim Moore
Date: mardi 13 juin 2006 14:45
Dear Mary,
and Weihsien friends ---
Thanks very
much for your story about Jim Moore. It is now accessible by clicking on this
link:
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/Mprevite/WWIIMagazine/WeihsienConcentrationCamp.htm
I still
have to make other links to this text via your chapter and also the chapter
named "The Magnificent Seven".
You can
also find new documents just sent to me by Norman Cliff (in his chapter). A
pass in Cinese delivered in Chefoo, 1937 -- by the British Consul. Also a badge
and a pin given to us by the mayor of Tsingtao
after our liberation.
Many thanks
- again - for sending all this my way ---
Leopold.
De: "Mary Previte"
<mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Captives of Empire
Date: mercredi 14 juin 2006 21:07
Hello,
Greg:
My Captives
of Empire has arrived safely and I've sat glued to my chair reading it. What an amazing piece of research you've
given us! Congratulations.
I hope you
sell out IMMEDIATELY and have to order a second printing.
When you've
finished your backbreaking job of shipping these copies to enthusiastic
readers, I hope you'll let me have a copy of the photo of us six
Chefoo children getting ready to fly out of Weihsien.
Mary
Previte
De: "Raymond Moore"
<raym82@hotmail.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: RE: Captives of Empire
Date: jeudi 15 juin 2006 5:47
I haven't
received my copy yet as it's coming to Australia via surface mail, but I
am looking forward to it. As one of the
six, I would love to have a copy of the picture too if that is possible.
Thanks in
anticipation of a great read
Ray Moore
De: "Nicky & Leopold"
<tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Fw: de E. Hanquet
Date: dimanche 18 juin 2006 12:26
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul-Emile
Laggasse" <pe_lagasse@hotmail.com>
To: "pander leopold"
<pander.nl@skynet.be>
Sent: Saturday, June 17, 2006 8:50 PM
Subject: de E. Hanquet
CECI EST UN MESSAGE DE E.
HANQUET
LLN 17-06-06
Cher Léopold,
J'ai beaucoup apprécié
l'article de M. Previte que tu m'as apporté. Peux-tu lui envoyer de ma part le
texte ci-joint.
To Mary
Taylor Previte:
I am just
through reading your 14 pages on «Rescue from de sky» and I wish to tell you
how much I am moved by your script: excellent article on late Jim Moore, one of
your heroes, now wonderfully depicted in your pages.
Bravo Mary,
for this perfect talk memorizing glorious events of your life in China.
Although 91
already, I am still able to vibrate and be deeply moved by what you published.
3 cheers to
you and to your work.
Very
friendly yours, Father E. Hanquet
De: "Mary Previte"
<mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Weihsien liberator, Jim
Moore, died at home today
Date: dimanche 18 juin 2006 22:51
Jim Moore,
one of the six Americans who liberated the Weihsien Concentration Camp in 1945
died peacefully at home today. He was 86.
If you'd
like to send a card or letter to Jim's wife,
Pat, here is the address:
Pat Moore,
9605 Robin Song Street, Dallas, TX 75243
Leopold
Pander's wonderful Weihsien web site has an article I wrote about Jim Moore for
the July-August issue of World War II Magazine. You can access Jim's remarkable
story at http://www.weihsien-paintings.org
(http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/
)
Mary Taylor
Previte
De: "Mary Previte"
<mtprevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Fw: de E. Hanquet
Date: dimanche 18 juin 2006 23:13
Thank you,
Father Hanquet:
What a thoughtful message! What a gift to be blessed with 91 years -- and good health!
I hope you'll continue to add memories for
Leopold's Weihsien web site.
Mary
Previte
De: "David Birch"
<gdavidbirch@yahoo.com>
À: "Weihsien"
<weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Jim Moore, Weihsien
Liberator and Chefoo Alumnus
Date: lundi 19 juin 2006 22:06
I was most
thankful that Mary sent out a recent email about Jim Moore and gave his phone
number. Mary said that Jim was always very thankful for the letters, cards and
phone calls from Weihsien folk!
So a week
ago I phoned and had the privilege of chatting briefly with this wonderful man.
Jim sounded very upbeat and vigorous. Who would have known he was about to die?
We had a pleasant conversation and I told him that when he came to rescue us I
was a thirteen-year-old boy who was totally thrilled by these fearless
paratroopers coming down to us from the clear blue sky!
Jim and I
had something very special in common, namely that we were both "Chefoo
boys!"
Just before
we parted, Jim said to me, "I'll see you in the next world!" He told
me that he was trusting in Jesus Christ as his Saviour just as I am!
My only
regret is that Jim was not well enough last year to attend our Weihsien
reunion. He was 85 at that time and in poor health!
A great man
has passed on!
David Birch
De: "georgeanna knisely"
<jknisely@paonline.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Weihsien liberator, Jim
Moore, died at home today
Date: mercredi 21 juin 2006 3:44
Mary,
I just read
your Rescue from the Sky!!!! And cried -
what did you expect. That was so
beautiful - two sides of the story. Yes,
I remember where I was. With my best
friend, it was her birthday and we were grinding peanuts, making peanut
butter! And yes, we ran out to the ball
field and then on. Still the most
exciting day in my life!!!!
And now reading Captives of Empire and
seeing all of it in this huge book and there were so many more camps then I
ever realized.
And now I appreciate you even more than
before, for finding these men and getting us all together again.
Love ya,
Georgie Reinbrecht Knisely
De: "Donald Menzi" <jweprinmenzi@earthlink.net>
À: "weihsien" <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Stephen Metcalf's Speech
Date: dimanche 2 juillet 2006 5:08
Hello, all,
I recently
came across a reference in a 1921 letter to an Ohio clergyman named Metcalf, and I wondered
if he could be related to Stephen Metcalf, who spoke at the 60th anniversary
celebration. I didn't find out, but
found it interesting that when I "googled" Stephen Metcalf I found
that the first listing was the speech he gave to us. The surprising thing that it was posted on
the web site of the U.S.
embassy in Beijing. The web address is:
http://beijing.usembassy.gov/081705ea.html
.
Leopold -
is this included in "our" web site?
If not it would be a good addition.
Donald
De: "Tapol" <tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Stephen Metcalf's Speech
Date: dimanche 2 juillet 2006 11:30
Hello,
If you
click on: http://www.weihsien-paintings.org and go to the chapter "60Years
Later"
- click on
the links --- I just added your interesting link.
or
- click on
"speeches" --- go to Stephen's speech and the Beijing link is just at the bottom.
--- all the
best,
(thanks for
the tip, :-))
Leopold
De: "Gay Talbot Stratford"
<stillbrk@eagle.ca>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Stephen Metcalf's Speech
Date: jeudi 6 juillet 2006 2:50
DearDonald,
Many thanks
for making Steven's speech available.
I found it truly moving, his observations
about Japan
fascinating, and his quiet spirit shining through it all inspirational.
Weihsien
has borne fruit of great value.
Thanks
again,
Gay Talbot Stratford
De: "Alexander Strangman" <dzijen@bigpond.net.au>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Contact
Date: vendredi 7 juillet 2006 13:18
Dear Weihsien-ites,
I would
appreciate it if someone could supply me with Stephen Metcalf's e-mail address
or other ?
Regards,
A (Zandy)
Strangman
De: "Tapol" <tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Contact
Date: vendredi 7 juillet 2006 13:23
Dear Zandy,
You should
be able to reach him at this address ---
sametcalf@hotmail.com
All the
best,
Leopold
De: "Joyce Cook" <bobjoyce@tpg.com.au>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Professor Thomas and his stewdents.
Date: dimanche 9 juillet 2006 8:14
I can now
send my autographs of Professor Thomas and His Students but I have lost Greg
Lecks address. Please Greg can you send to me and I will return. Thanks. Joyce
Bradbury.
De: "Alexander Strangman" <dzijen@bigpond.net.au>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Contact
Date: mardi 11 juillet 2006 9:40
Dear Léopold,
Thanks for
supplying me with Steven's e-mail address.
It's a nice feeling to know there is someone on the other side of the
world who is always willing to be such a big help!
Have you
been watching the FIFA World Cup?
My wife Jen
was never a sports minded person, but living with me and my sports programs has
changed her a bit.
This time
she has been almost as interested in the W/C Soccer as I was. Having the best coverage ever, of this years
World Cup, from one of our Sydney TV stations, made watching it, a real
pleasure. Not only were replays or game
high lights with expert commentary shown each day , but interesting travelogues
of the areas and towns where the games were due to take place, were also
presented, which was so interesting put you in the right frame of mind to see
more.
The Germans
certainly went out of their way to show the world, they are now a happy and
friendly people.
When Wimbledon came on at the same time, there was even more
to keep ones interest up.
Then the
team that couldn't score a goal against the Aussie Socceroos for 90 minutes,
until they took a 'dive' and was awarded a questionable penalty to be able to
finally score, and then went on to win the final against France.
The
TV's wild scenes of Italian soccer fans
celebrating their team's win in the World Cup, was unbelievable. I can't remember seeing scenes of celebration
like that, even for the end of World War ll!
But we were all too tired, I guess.
Then
suddenly, it was all over and what one was left with, was an awful empty
feeling. But life goes on!
How has
life been treating you all in Belgium
recently, Leopold. It must be almost
mid summer over there with everything looking nice and colorful, and Nicky's
garden in full bloom, I'm sure. We have
gone past the shortest day and are now looking forward to the return of our
warmer days but not the hottest summer ones, though.
How is Fr.
Hanquet getting along? I suppose you
are still doing interesting things with your computer?
Take
care,
Zandy
De: "Donald Menzi" <jweprinmenzi@earthlink.net>
À: "weihsien" <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Inviting a new member
Date: mercredi 12 juillet 2006 16:02
Hello,
anyone,
I've
forgotten how new people can get added to the list. My sister, Betty, wants to join. Her email address is
emenzi@hughes.net.
Please send
her what she needs in order to get on the list.
Thanks.
Donald
De: "Tapol" <tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: weihsien - via satelite
Date: mardi 18 juillet 2006 20:41
Hello,
Go to
"Google-earth"
You can
download it via Internet, --- it's free!
Go to 36°
42' 05,01" North
and 119° 07' 33,93" East
It is the
exact position of our Weihsien-camp's Hospital roof.
Remember, I
asked Google for a High-Definition map of our camp ---- now we have it.
Thanks
"Google" --- you're real great :-))
Best
regards,
Leopold
PS I can't
send you the map via Topica (too big file) --- but I'll try to fix something on
my web site ---
De: "Ron Bridge" <rwbridge@freeuk.com>
À: "Tapol" <tapol@skynet.be>; "M
and D Beard" <phoenix7788@hotmail.com>; "Donald Menzi"
<dmenzi@earthlink.net>; "Mary Previte" <mtprevite@aol.com>;
"Janette & Pierre @ home" <pierre.ley@pandora.be>;
"Zandy" <dzijen@bigpond.net.au>
Objet: Re: superposition of Weifang & CACW
Date: mercredi 19 juillet 2006 19:06
I will do
some work on it I am still not sure about the scale of the various sketch maps
that we have seen over the years, Given that the rooms in the hutted rows were
12 ft x 8ft 10 inches that makes each block of 12 rooms 106 feet long without
any walls we know the walls were 1 1/4 bricks wide i.e. 12 inches and for 12
rooms there would be 13 walls giving a total block length of 119 feet i.e.
nearly 40 yards from the scales quoted in the various books with maps the
average seem to suggest that each block was only around 27 yards ( 80 feet) i.e.
making each room just over 6 feet6 wide which we know is wrong.
In summary
I think that the superimposing is slewed and that it should extend to the left.
That is a first assessment
Rgds
Ron
----- Original Message -----
From: Donald Menzi
To: Ron Bridge
Cc: weihsien
Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2006 5:43 AM
Subject: Re: superposition of
Weifang & CACW
Ron,
I
agree with you about the likelihood that the hand-drawn versions of the
Weihsien maps are likely to be a little off in scale - very understandable if
you can imagine how you would do it without any surveyor's instruments.
My
urban planner's instincts tell me that the outer boundaries then are likely to
be reflected in street patterns now, and so I have superimposed my own guess as
to the locations of the perimeter walls on the attached image as red
lines.
Actually,
that it's a tribute to the original map-makers that they got it as close to
exactly right as they did.
Donald
De: "Ron Bridge" <rwbridge@freeuk.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: superposition of Weifang & CACW
Date: vendredi 21 juillet 2006 0:45
Donald,
I totally
agree with you I have done some playing around with a pair of dividers although
not a town planner I was taught aerial reconnaissance 50 years ago and all my life
have been in and out of maps and mapping.
I think
that the west boundary of the camp coincided with the N/S road that is now
there that the south boundary ran along that road tree lined running south of
eat interesting how the corner cut off is the same relative shapes the Camp
wall. The blocks 50 and the hospital are correctly to scale but that the scale
to the NW of the camp with the long blocks was at about 80% of the rest.
If this
theory is correct the block with the Blue roof is on the site of the old Block
24 and 23.
AS you say
town planning follows road lines and vice versa some of London is still defined by Roam Roads and
given the situation between 1945 and 1980 it is unlikely a developer flatted
the camp and id aplan building development and that it is far more likely that
buildings fell down or were developed individually.
The other
point about the sketch maps is the size of the field in the NW corner it was
too small for baseball but OK for softball, that has a 30 yd diamond. I also
seem to remembers that when soccer football was played the penalty and goal area was combined and that
the whole field was 75% of an actual official soccer field which would make
it 80 yards. I think that that has been
cut off when the E/W road at the intersection with the N/S road (top left of
map) was cut and that "Tin Pan Alley (also known as Rocky Road) was there
by the side of what now looks like a running track and that the Main Street
should be were the superimposed Tin Pan Alley now is.
We will get
there in the end.
Rgds
Ron
De: "Tapol" <tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Fw: superposition of Weifang & CACW
Date: samedi 22 juillet 2006 13:01
Dear Ron,
--- click
on this link:
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/maps/GoogleEarth/p_Weifang_CACW.htm
Your
remarks were most constructive.
I got the
two Japanese villas wrong --- so I changed the shape of Father Verhoeven's map
to make the villas coincide with the two other ones. Block 23 is now in the
right place and so are Block-50 and the Jap-villa just in front of it. Now, the
sketched hospital is much bigger than the real one.
I'd say
that the West boundary is correct because if you look at the aerial view taken
by the B-29 in 1945 (sent to us by David Beard) the actual road - N/S orientation
±182°) is just West of the river-curve . That actual road passes between our
camp and the outer wall or ditch excavated by the Japanese after Tipton and
Hummel's escape. One more detail: the exact position of Eric Liddel's grave
(plot-59) can now be ± located in the small garden behind (or in front) of a
building built on our old cemetery.
click on
this link:
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/NormanCliff/people/individuals/Eric01/p_grave_1991.htm
All the
best,
Leopold
De: "Ron Bridge" <rwbridge@freeuk.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: superposition of Weifang & CACW
Date: samedi 22 juillet 2006 13:26
Leopold,
We are getting
there. I have got copies of the rest of those aerial shots of Weihsien. I will
see if I can relate into bends in the river but the course of that might have
changed. We are also not sure if the North on Fr Verhoven map is True or
Magnetic and I need to establish variation circa 1944
I also have the very detailed survey map of
the graveyard with all those that were buried within the walls, some outside in
July.Aug45.
I have been
tied up with other matters all week but the light is emerging at the end of the
tunnel!
Rgds
Ron
De: <mstanzick@hotmail.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: RE Tisha Metcalf
Date: lundi 24 juillet 2006 0:59
> Message -----
> From:
Joyce Cook
> To:
weihsien@topica.com
> Sent:
Thursday, May 18, 2006 5:41 AM
>
>
> Dear Greg and Pamela and other
Weihsieners. I also remember the play
with Professor Thomas and I too have all the signatures in my autograph book.
In fact I sang a duet sitting at a piano with Tisha Metcalf (Gerry Thomas'
stepdaughter) singing "September In The Rain" and also managed a solo
"Daddy Wouldn’t Buy Me A Bow Wow"
(Maybe it is a good thing recorders weren’t available in those days).
I met Tisha
a few years ago in London
for lunch (Gaotse) She is now almost blind and living in a nursing home. After
Pamela sends her material I will add my autograph book entries for general
information.
Best
regards.Joyce. Dear Joyce,
My name is
Moira Thomas Stanzick and I am Tisha Metcalf's sister. It is true that Tisha is almost blind but she
is not living in a nursing home.
She has a flat of her own in Arundel, England. I spoke to her just the other day and she is
doing well.
I just
found this web sight and I love it. It's
nice to know that you remember Tisha and my father.
Fondly,
Moira
De: "Pamela Maters" <pamela@hendersonhouse.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: RE Tisha Metcalf
Date: lundi 24 juillet 2006 20:15
Hi Moira!
If you give
me your mailing address, I have a book for you.
I think
you'll enjoy your mother's antics in the first chapter. She was some lady!
Pamela
De: "Joyce Cook" <bobjoyce@tpg.com.au>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: RE Tisha Metcalf
Date: mardi 25 juillet 2006 7:59
Dear Moira. I am thrilled to hear from you and
to know that Tisha has her own place and that she is all right. Do give her my
love and also to yourself. I send Tisha a Chrisamas card with my news every
year but I have not heard from her for the last two ore three years. I hope you
enjoy this site. It has given me so much pleasure. Is your little brother
Terence ? still around. I hope so. Regards Joyce Bradbury Cooke. Your ex
compound No. 2 neighbour.
De: "R. E. Stannard Jr." <restannardjr@yahoo.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Contact for OCH in Portland Sept.10-13?
Date: vendredi 28 juillet 2006 1:49
Natasha
Petersen
Can you
help me get in touch with Ed Immergluck for information on the Old China Hand
gathering in Portland Sept.10-13?
I signed
onto the weishen site only to get your e-mail address, which was only partially
visible when a google search on this topic led me to this site (verrrry
interesting!) and your exchange with Greg Leck. Greg is traveling in Poland and
doesn't have his computer with him to look up the address.
(FYI the roanoke email address on
your automatic welcome letter bounces)
I'm one of
six siblings who were born and/or were raised in China
(Ningbo, Shanghai,
Shaoxing) and three of us were in Chapei camp in Shanghai with my parents March-September
1943, then repatriated on the Teia Maru and Gripsholm.
Did you
know the Scovels at Weishen? Carl was one of our gang of five who ran together
on the repatriation ships, and after WWII we were schoolmates at Shanghai American School.
He now is retired in the Boston
area after a distinguished career as a Univeralist-Unitarian minister at Kings
Chapel, and is currently organizer of a forthcoming 2008 global reunion in
Salem of Shanghai American School alumni. His brother Jim is retired from a
career with the Long Island daily Newsday.
Anyhow I'd
be grateful if you can put us in touch with Ed Immergluck. Several of us are
considering attending.
Ted
Stannard
R.E.Stannard Jr. (Ted)
& Femmy T.
Stannard
e-mail :
restannardjr@yahoo.com femmystannard@yahoo.com backup : stannard@cc.wwu.edu phone: (360) 392-0712 postal : 4328 Frances Avenue, Bellingham,
WA98226-8735, USA Western Washington
U. prof.emeritus; American University in Cairo
ret.
De: "R. E. Stannard Jr." <restannardjr@yahoo.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: OCH in Portland Sept 10-13
Date: vendredi 28 juillet 2006 5:19
Natasha
Petersen -- belay my earlier query. My
sister has located a lost letter and provided Ed Immergluck's contact
information. For others thinking of attending the Old China Hand gathering in
Portland Ore Sept.10-13, Ed's contact information is:
Ed
Immergluck, co-organizer
2215 NW 13th St.
Corvallis, Oregon 97330
541-754-0808,
Fax 541-754-2626
e-mail:
IMMER0808@msn.com
Regards to
anyone here who was on the 1943 Gripshom exchange. I've often wondered what
happened to the other three kids in our gang: Johnny Hayes, Charlie Loucks, and
David Philippi. The names mean anything to anyone here?
Ted
Stannard
De: "Joyce Cook" <bobjoyce@tpg.com.au>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Contact for OCH in Portland Sept.10-13?
Date: vendredi 28 juillet 2006 8:54
Scovels
were, I am pretty sure, in our compound No. 2. It was a large family and I
think the father was a Dr. Scovel.The children if I remember correctly were
qualified to be issued with an egg a day each and I can remember Mrs. Scovel
saying Sunnyside up or sunnysidedown? Joyce Bradbury (nee Cooke)-----
De: <suishude@sohu.com>
À: "DallasSwan" <DallasSwan@aol.com>
Objet: From Weifang China
Date: jeudi 17 août 2006 17:42
From Sui
Shude, Weifang China<p><p>Dear
Weihsieners and Weihsien Friends-related,
Today Last
year, August 17th 2006, Weifang People's Government and Weifang Foreign Affairs
Office held the celebration on "The 60th Anniversary of the Liberation of the
Weihsien Camp" in Weifang,
China. It is a
big gathering and a successful meeting for all Weihsieners and families, and an
important time and chance for Weihsieners and families to visit and explore the
old concentration camp site, to evoke the past memories, to seek and talk to
old friends and to establish friendship with new friends, the People of
Weifang.<p><p>I am so proud that in that short period of time, with
the help of many friends all over the world, to find, contact and invite so
many Weihsieners and families for the occasion. Here I want to say THANK YOU to
those friends who offered great help to me on my contacting job.
<p><p>I especially want to extend my sincere thanks to
Assemblywoman Mary Previte of U.S.A., Bill Einreinhofer, David Beard, David
Birch, Desmond Power, Donald Menzi, Estelle Cliff Horne, Francis Joyce, Gladys
Swift, Ian Grant, James Taylor, Jim More, Joyce Bradbury, Leopold Pander,
Natasha Petersen, Neil Yorkston, Nicky Leopold, Norman Cliff,Pamela Masters,
Roy Campbell, Tracy Strong and many other friends that all on my
list.<p><p>We are so happy that all the people participated in the
meeting enjoy their trip and stay. We are so happy that our government find the
right time to hold a celebration like that. We are so happy that the
celebration aroused the interest of so many people and sounded the whole world.
<p><p>Weifang People's Government will try all the best to maintain
the camp-site well, as well as the exhibition rooms and the old houses, and to
furnish more and more new-collected articles, information and content to it, to
preserve this historical site forever to tell and teach the younger
generations. And most important, to keep it for memories and visits of all
Weihsieners and their families all over the world!
Today, as
the contacting organizer of the celebration meeting, I am thinking of you all,
who came to the celebration, who contacted me for information of the event and
who visited the camp-site with me.....
I wish you
all the best and look forward to see any of you again in Weifang.
Sui Shude
Foreign and
Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Weifang People's Government E-mail: suishude@sohu.com
E-Mail: emailshude@yahoo.com.cn<p>Tel/Fax:++86-536-8233692
De:
"Tapol" <tapol@skynet.be>
À:
<weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Fw: Emmanuel.
Date: jeudi 24 août 2006 11:42
Hello,
--- does anybody have more details about
this "secret-defence-group"????
Best regards,
Leopold
----- Original Message -----
From: Father Hanquet
To: Cliffnorman@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2006
11:31 AM
Subject: Re: Emmanuel.
Dear Norman,
In answer to your question of July 02, I
cannot tell you more than what I already wrote in our chat on
"Topica": I remember that upon our return from the field where we
cheered the arrival of Major Staiger and his group on August 17, 1945 around 12
a.m., we approached the wall of the ball field, he came down of our shoulders
and said:
"You stop here. Now, it is our turn to
act."
He had orders to rescue the inmates of our
camp and probably knew that the Japanese guards had to surrender but that was
not so sure. So we let him go with the other paratroopers.
At that moment, I noticed two of our inmates (Roy Chu and Wade) standing
on watch on the other side of the wall. One had a hatchet in his hand and the
other a long kitchen knife hidden inside his jacket. Both of them had put on
their sleeve the red armband that they had to wear in town before coming to
camp.
Later, I asked them why they were on watch there and they told me that
they were members of a small secret defence group who had mission to fight for
our lives against the Japanese guards, in case they did not accept to
surrender. I never asked for the details. I suppose that they disbanded since
their group was no longer necessary.
Yours very friendly,
Father Hanquet
----- Original Message -----
From: Cliffnorman@aol.com
To: tapol@skynet.be
Sent: Sunday, July 02, 2006 8:08 PM
Subject: Emmanuel.
Dear Leopold and Nicky,
Would you consider asking Emmanuel to tell us all about the defence
group which was ready to resist the Japs if they resisted the surrender - who
they were, how they prepared themselves for this eventuality? This is just a suggestion.
I am busy getting ready to go to the East.
Yours aye,
Norman
De:
"Tapol" <tapol@skynet.be>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Cc: "Gordon Helsby"
<ghelsby@capincrouse.com>
Objet: new chapter, new
book
Date: jeudi 31 août 2006 17:54
dear all,
Gordon Helsby just sent his parents' book
about Weihsien Prison Camp.
I started with the pictures and now I'm
busy with the chapters ---
go to
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/GordonHelsby/indexFrame.htm
Best regards,
Leopold
De: "Greg
Leck" <gregleck@epix.net>
À:
<weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: RE: weihsien - via satelite
Date: dimanche
17 septembre 2006 23:01
Dear Leopold,
I just got back from the Old China Hands
Reunion in Portland, Oregon.
While there, several people asked me about a
Belgian girl who was interned in Lunghwa - Aline "Poupee" Bodson.
Is there anyway to determine if she
returned to Belgium
after the war?
Perhaps Fr. Hanquet would know
something? She may have married. Her parents were Robert and Alphonsine
Bodson, and she had a sister, Claudine.
Thanks for any suggestions you can offer.
regards,
Greg
De:
<grannydavies@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: weihsien - via satelite
Date: lundi 18
septembre 2006 0:20
Sorry Greg, do not recall a Belgium girl
atWeihsien Phyllis Davies
-----
Original Message -----
From: Tapol
To:
weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Friday, September 29, 2006 9:39 AM
Subject: your book,
Dear Greg,
We finally received your books --- you sent
by "air-mail" on June 20th!
Magnificent work. Congratulations :-))
On page 495, at the bottom-right is a photo -"Inside the
transport"- --- On the right of the picture is my mother holding our
Weihsien-born sister - Mary-Lou and next to my mother is a little boy
seeming to be on another planet. Well, that's me !! I remember that flight back
to Tientsin. I was sick and felt awfully
miserable. The American soldiers tried to cheer me up and even gave me a little
toy-dog. That, I remember.
Thanks very much Greg ---
Leopold
-----
Original Message -----
From: Tapol
To:
weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2006 10:23 AM
Subject: Re: your book,
Dear Greg,
Thanks again for sending a better
definition of that photograph by separate e-mail. I did not recognize him at
first, --- but the man with the worried look at my right is my father. He was
certainly wondering at "what was going to happen next ----"
Best regards,
Leopold
De: "Joyce
Cook" <bobjoyce@tpg.com.au>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Fw: Saw
this on the news
Date: vendredi 13 octobre 2006
4:10
This email was received from Margo Shiels
an ex Shanghai resident and it interests me a gcreat deal and I am sure it will
interest many who have been classified as "Not British Enough" I do
not have Ronald Bridges address unfortunately but I am sure he ought to be
aware of this. I will ask Margo for the source of the article. Best wishes
Joyce
Bradbury
----- Original Message -----
From: Margo Shiels
To: Bradbury, Joyce
Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006
2:58 PM
Subject: Fw: Saw this on
the news
Subject: Saw this on the news
Joyce
Can you make a claim?
Margo Shiels
Pensioner wins WWII compo battle
From correspondents in London
October 11, 2006 03:04am
Article from: Agence
France-Presse
Send this article: Print Email
AN 83-year-old woman told she was not
British enough to receive compensation for being interned by the Japanese
during World War II has won her legal battle with Britain's Ministry of Defence.
Diana Elias was held in a prisoner of war
camp for four years from the age of 17 with her parents, who were from India and Iraq,
after the fall of British-ruled Hong Kong in
1941.
She was refused a payment under a ministry
compensation scheme for internees because of a rule which disqualified those
who were not born in the UK
or had no UK-born parent or grandparent, even if they had British nationality.
But England's Court of Appeal has now
ruled that she should receive £10,000 ($25,141) in compensation as well as
nearly £4000 ($10,056) for hurt feelings after she was discriminated against by
the government.
In a strong criticism of ministers'
handling of the case, presiding judge Lord Justice John Mummery told the court:
"The result of inadequate preparation has been an embarrassing
administrative and legal muddle, personal pain, charges of incompetence, costly
litigation and political apologies."
The ministry had appealed against a High
Court ruling last year which found that the blood-link rule constituted
unlawful discrimination on the grounds of race. This was dismissed by the
court.
An estimated £250 million ($628.54 million)
has been paid under the internees compensation scheme to about 25,000 applicants.
Mrs Elias, of north London,
was not in court in central London
to hear the judgment.
De: "Ron
Bridge" <rwbridge@freeuk.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: RE: Saw this on
the news
Date: vendredi 13 octobre 2006
10:25
Thanks for that I am very much involved in
this and an another case which will be heard in December. I have got the 120
pages of Judgement which I
Have managed to condense to 63!! The Lady
concerned was in Stanley Camp HK.
The judgment effects about 600 who have been
excluded because the Ministry of Defence UK changed the rules they have
subsequently changed them again and this third change is also probably illegal
Rgds
Ron
De: "Joyce
Cook" <bobjoyce@tpg.com.au>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Saw this on the news
Date: samedi 14 octobre 2006 5:48
Thank you Ron. As you know my brother Eddie
and I have been excluded but are both very anxious to obtain justice in this
case. Therefore any information we can get relative to the present and
forthcoming proceedings will be important to us. We will keep watching.
Regards.Joyce Bradbury.
De: "Ron
Bridge" <rwbridge@freeuk.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: RE: Saw this on the news
Date: samedi 14 octobre 2006 11:45
Joyce, Kevin and any one else involved.
The MoD are still wriggling I am just about
to deal with them as one does with a poison snake.
Make sure you keep your case alive by writing
to ask if the Diana Elais Court of Appeal Judgement effects your claim, make
sure that you tell them that you are aggrieved and a former British internee at
being discriminated against because of your PLACE of birth and what are they
going to do about it. If they send you a 20 year claim form answer it
truthfully but ensure that you place on it "That notwithstanding the fact
that I do not comply with this arbitrary rule imposed 60 plus years after the
event that you were interned as a British Subject, that you were wronged by the
British Government when they reviewed the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty terms
in the 1950s and refused to reopen the Treaty under Article 26 as legally entitled
to do to get a better deal from Japan.
IF anyone would like to copy the text of
their letter and their own circumstances to me I will put you on the list of
cases to be solved. MY own
e-mail is rwbridge@freeuk.com
Rgds
Ron
MY problem to date is that there are about
600 cases out there and I only know the names of less then half
De: "Joyce
Cook" <bobjoyce@tpg.com.au>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Saw this on the news
Date: dimanche 15 octobre 2006 10:48
Thanks Ron. We will do as you advise and
hope we will succeed this time. Thanks. Joyce Cooke / Bradbury..
De: "Tapol"
<tapol@skynet.be>
À:
<weihsien@topica.com>
Cc: "Janette
& Pierre @ home" <pierre.ley@pandora.be>
Objet: Re:
any messages
Date: mardi 28
novembre 2006 12:23
Hello,
Is everyboy OK? :-))
Nothing special, --- out here in Belgium.
We are still studying Greg Leck's book ---
a heavyweight of information and very pleasant to read.
Went to visit Father Hanquet a few days
ago. At 91-and-a-half he is in good health and full of stories to tell about China and also
anecdotes about his everyday life. He is still very active. Unfortunately, I
didn't have a single "Topica-message" to print for him to read.
Janette is also fine and more than very busy with her grandchildren.
The Olympic games of 2008 are just behind
the temporal horizon. I guess that our Weifang friends will not let that pass
without mentioning Eric Liddell and the Weihsien-Concentration-Camp. Anyone
knows something about that?
Best regards,
Leopold
PS My "web-site" has nothing new
since a few months already --- I'd gladly add --- whatever ???
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ron Bridge"
<rwbridge@freeuk.com>
To: <weihsien@topica.com>
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006
6:36 PM
Subject: RE: any messages
> Natasha,
> I am still on the planet.BUt have had
nothing
> Rgds
> Ron
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Natasha Petersen
[mailto:np57@cox.net]
> Sent: 25 November 2006 14:08
> To: weihsien@topica.com
> Subject: any
messages
>
> Has anyone received or sent messages
since October 15th.? I have not.
>
> Natasha Petersen
>
De: "Donald
Menzi" <jweprinmenzi@earthlink.net>
À:
"weihsien" <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Off the List?
Date: mercredi 29 novembre 2006
9:55
Jane just got an email from Leopold that I
didn't receive. If this means that I got
dropped from the list, will someone please put me back on?
Thanks.
We just had a visit from Sui Shude, who was
the translator for a group of 6 transportation system management people from
Weifang. He says that the museum centre
is being staffed on a full-time basis, and that they have tour groups visiting
it several times a month, in addition to local citizenry. Also, that the school has been transformed
into Weifang High School, instead of Weifang's Middle
Schools. During dinner, the most-travelled
among the group said that he had been in a dozen different countries but this
was the first time that he had ever been invited into a private home for
dinner. It was a nice, friendly evening.
All the best to all of us.
Donald
De:
"Natasha Petersen" <np57@cox.net>
À:
"weihsien" <weihsien@topica.com>
Cc: "Jane Weprin-Menzi"
<jweprinmenzi@earthlink.net>
Objet: off/on listing
Date: mercredi 29 novembre 2006
18:52
Donald,
I checked.
You are still on the list. I do
not know why you did not receive the email.
I will try to remember to check with you next time a message is posted.
Hope that your Thanksgiving was wonderful,
and I wish you a most holy Christmas.
Natasha
De: "Gay Talbot
Stratford" <stillbrk@eagle.ca>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Seasons Greetings
Date: dimanche 10 décembre 2006
23:07
May everyone experience the happiness of
this time of year,and every best wish for the New Year.
I received a photograph taken by a Japanese
photographer for propaganda purposes during our first year in Weihsien. Three
charming young ladies were in the foreground. Barbara Barnes was the name of
one; I was rather dour in the background.
It was truly a whisper from the past.
Regards to all,
Gay Talbot Stratford
De: "Buddy
Graant" <jlgrant@sympatico.ca>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Seasons Greetings
Date: lundi 11 décembre 2006 3:17
Wishing everyone who was in Weihsien a very Merry Xmas and many more to follow.
I now live in Niagara Falls,ON. Canada. Thank you Natasha for
setting up this site.
John Grant (a.k.a. Buddy)
De:
<gregleck@epix.net>
À:
<weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Weihsien photos
Date: mardi 12
décembre 2006 2:21
I wonder if this photo was one I saw in the
Japanese archives?
There are a number of people pictured who
should be clear enough to identify, though I have not had a lot of success in
doing so when I have showed the photos at various talks.
On the other hand, several have recognized people
in the groups photographed leaving camp by USAAF transports.
regards,
Greg
De:
"Tapol" <tapol@skynet.be>
À:
<weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Weihsien photos
Date: mardi 12
décembre 2006 17:39
Dear Greg,
Could you put those pictures on the Internet
so we ca also see them --- ?
Thanks in advance :-))
Merry X'mas and Happy New Year to all
Leopold
De:
<MTPrevite@aol.com>
À:
<weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Weihsien band and
Weihsien orchestra
Date: vendredi
15 décembre 2006 2:32
Hello, Everyone:
Peter Bazire in the UK is collecting memories of the
Weihsien band and the orchestra to document this important part of the "spirit team," that helped keep hopes
alive in Weihsien. Peter was the youngest member of the band.
His mother, Eileen Bazire, an artist and a musician
with the Chefoo School group, transcribed much of the music for the
orchestra and created wonderfully-detailed posters announcing many of the orchestra's performances.
So far Peter has talked to Nelma Stranks
Davies in Australia. Nelma
was the soloist in Mozart's concerto No. 20 in Weihsien. She is now nearly 89 .
Peter has also talkled with Joyce
Stranks Cotterill in the USA
and Norman Cliff and Douglas Sadler in
the UK.
If you have memories or information about
the Weihsien orchestra or band, please
contact Peter Bazire at _psbazire@yahoo.co.uk_
(mailto:psbazire@yahoo.co.uk
)
***
A journalist at the Fort Monmouth
(USA) Army base has
written a series of articles about Nisei who served in the US military
service during World War II. The
series commemorates the 65th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl
Harbor, December 7, 1941.
Her series includes an article about Tad Nagaki, liberator of Weihsien. I'll send out a copy as soon as the
article reaches me.
Tad continues farming his land in Alliance, Nebraska,
and reports that he enjoys good
health. I talked with him a few
weeks ago on Veterans Day.
In January, Tad will celebrate his 87th birthday.
Jim Hannon, the other surviving liberator
of Weihsien, is in fragile health.
If you'd like to send Chridstmas cards
and/or notes of appreciation their
addresses are:
Tad Nagaki, 5851 Logan
Road, Alliance, NE,
USA 69301
Phone:
308-762-2968
Jim Hannon,
P. O. Box 1376,
Yucca Valley, CA 92286
Phone:
760-365-2210
Mary Previte
De:
<MTPrevite@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Story about
Weihsien liberator, Tad Nagaki
Date: dimanche 17 décembre 2006
2:25
This story was written by a reporter for the newspaper that serves
Fort
Monmouth, New Jersey, USA
Soldier becomes ‘Armored Angel’ freeing prisoners
by
Renita Foster
Sgt. Tad Nagaki didn’t notice the cumbersome parachute and combat equipment strapped to his body as he
struggled to climb aboard the B-24
Liberator Bomber in Kunming, China.
His thoughts were focused instead on
what would probably be his last mission in
World War II.
Reports had reached American headquarters in China
the summer of 1945 that Japan planned
to kill all Prisoners of War (POW). To
prevent the massacre, seven-man rescue teams that included medics, communications specialists and
interpreters were hastily organized to
find and evacuate POWs in China,
Manchuria, and Korea.
Determined to make one last difference as World War II came to an end, especially
since so many lives were at stake,
Nagaki immediately volunteered for the mission. As the “Armored Angel” droned toward Weihsien Concentration Camp in
the Shantung Province, he remembered how he
almost didn’t get the chance.
Almost four years earlier on Dec. 7, 1941, Nagaki was having a grand time visiting
New York City.
The Nebraska farm boy and now Army Soldier, was fascinated by
the huge city and all it had to offer.
So much so, he didn’t learn of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor until he returned to his unit at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.
“I never heard an announcement of any kind that day about the
bombing,” said Nagaki. “I was in Japan earlier that year, and when I heard speculations there might be war
with the United States
I thought I better get home. That was
around April. Now it was nine months later,
but I was still surprised and shocked.”
Although Nagaki was the only Nisei (second generation Japanese American)
in his unit, he never noticed any
different treatment until his outfit deployed without him.
But America was
Nagaki’s country too. More determined to
serve than ever, he pursued his ambition of becoming a pilot. He passed the physical examination and
produced recommendations for acceptance
as an air cadet. A letter from his commander, however, denied the
request because he was Nisei.
Instead, Nagaki was transferred to Fort Thomas, Kentucky where he shared a barracks with about 40 other Nisei Soldiers.
Gardening, planting trees, and loading
supplies became their main duties. Later, it was laundry with the
quartermaster branch.
“I couldn’t believe it,” said Nagaki. “There’s a war going on and
other ‘Americans’ are allowed to go and
fight. But I’m stuck cleaning up an Army post! Is that any way to treat
a devoted American Soldier when his
country’s threatened?”
Then one morning as he prepared for daily details, Nagaki saw an announcement
posted on the camp bulletin board. It
was a request for volunteers for a special Nisei warfare unit. After two long, unsuccessful years of
“begging” for combat duty, Nagaki
grabbed the opportunity to join the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT).
During infantry training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, the Office of Strategic
Services (OSS) petitioned for Nisei
volunteers in intelligence work described as “more hazardous than combat” and “a one-way ticket.” As someone who lived
for adventure and action, Nagaki was a
natural.
Fourteen out of 23 were selected for an elite team of Nisei in OSS Detachment
101, including Nagaki. His Japanese
reading and writing abilities acquired while attending Japanese summer school as a youngster proved invaluable.
After expert training in parachuting, radio operations, infiltration, survival,
hand-to-hand combat, cryptography and
guerrilla tactics, Nagaki’s unit jumped into Northern
Burma in January 1943. They were the first espionage unit sent behind enemy lines
throughout China, Burma, and India.
“We Niseis had bonded together for the sole purpose of proving our patriotism.
And the significant strength in the
brotherhood we felt was our secret weapon,” said Nagaki.
“And we all knew how much more dangerous
the duties were for us if captured by
the Japanese.”
While living in straw huts and adjusting to insects and K-rations,
Nagaki accumulated valuable tactical
experiences like sabotage and hit and run harassment operations. He
also translated enemy documents and
prepared propaganda literature.
Additionally, Nagaki trained two platoons of Kachin and Shan tribesmen in north
and central Burma. And he parachuted behind enemy lines to gather information and monitor
Japanese troop movements.
“I volunteered to go behind the Japanese forces while stationed in Burma.
Parachuting was the only way in so that helped me earn airborne wings. It
might not have been the same as being an
airplane pilot, but I did get wings!” grinned Nagaki.
Nagaki began the journey to Weihsien Concentration Camp on August 17,
1945.
Located in the Shantung Province,
the operation was given the code name
“Duck.
”
The Japanese had surrendered
three days earlier, but none of the 1500 prisoners in the camp knew the war was over.
The B-24 flew as close to the trees as possible to ensure the jump was
a short one, just 400 feet in fact. The
maneuver deprived the Japanese guards space and time to fire at the rescuers.
Nagaki was astonished at the sight below as the bomber circled the area.
The prisoners, many of which were
children, were running wildly toward the gates as they realized freedom
was just moments away. Thunderous
cheering and shouting, even dancing greeted the
rescuers as the floated towards the earth. The team had barely touched
the ground when they were mobbed by the
exhilarated POWs and brought back to the
camp. Although the guards
had initially pointed weapons at the prisoners,
they now retreated to their
barracks.
“They knew the war was over,” said Nagaki. “We contacted the
Commandant and there was a quick, peaceful
surrender.”
A parade of worshipers followed the American Soldiers everywhere,
begging for souvenirs like buttons,
insignia and pieces of parachute. One little girl cut off hair from
Nagaki’s head while another woman
insisted he autograph her baby’s bonnet. The Americans delighted the POWs in return with treats of
Juicy Fruit Chewing Gum and chocolate.
The children added to the celebration by relentlessly singing ‘You Are
My Sunshine’ and Maresey Doats and
Doesey Doats and Little Lambsey Divey.’
After learning American songs from their rescuers, the children continually sang those as well.
Among the prisoners was Mary Previte, a future Assemblywoman in the New Jersey legislature,
who was only 12-years-old and hadn’t
seen her parents in five and a half years. Fifty-two years later, Previte literally tracked down
Nagaki and the other rescues to
personally thank them.
“I was very surprised and also very delighted the first time Mary
contacted me,” said Nagaki. “She had
tried contacting other members of the rescue team and only found widows.
I was the first one she found alive so
she was veryemotional as well. One of the
questions she asked me was how I felt about being followed by children
every where that day and I told her like
being on a pedestal. I still remembered the
event quite well, right down to the little girl cutting off some of my
hair for a souvenir.”
Previte still calls Nagaki every holiday,
including this last Thanksgiving.
She also sends him a birthday card every
year. More than 20,000 Allied POWs were liberated from Manchuria to
Indo-China by the OSS Soldiers who were honored with the Soldier’s
Medal. But Nagaki insists he’s no
hero. “I did what any American what have done,” Nagaki
said simply. “We were gung ho and more than willing to help. And that’s the way
all of us felt.”
(Editor’s Note: This is the sixth story in
a series featuring the Nisei (second
generation Japanese Americans) during World War II.
Picture caption: Nisei MIS attached to OSS detachment 101 to through Guerrilla and Ranger
survival training on Catalina
Island. Tad Nagaki is in
the front row, fifth soldier, left to right.
Caption:
Sgt. Tad Nagaki (left), interpreter, and
T/4 Raymond N. Hanchulak, medic, are awarded the Soldier’s Medal for
heroism for helping to liberate 1,400
allied prisoners from the Weihsien Civilian Assembly Center in China’s Shantung Province, August
1945. Photo courtesy Mary T.
Previte. #
De: "Dwight W. Whipple"
<thewhipples@comcast.net>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Story about
Weihsien liberator, Tad Nagaki
Date: dimanche 17 décembre 2006
2:45
Nice to see Weihsien "talk" again
after a long hiatus. Our family was
repatriated in 1943 so we were not around for the liberation. I always felt cheated about that when I was
young. I was seven years old during
repatriation and remember it like it was yesterday but when I heard about
planes and parachutes at Weihsien I often wished we had stayed in the
camp. In fact, our parents offered our
places to others, older and medical needs being a priority, but we were told
that no changes could be made to the lists that were posted. So we left Weihsien in September 1943. The story of Tad Nagaki is touching. Thanks, Mary, for making it available.
~Dwight W. Whipple
De: "georgeanna knisely"
<jknisely@paonline.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Story about
Weihsien liberator, Tad Nagaki
Date: lundi 18
décembre 2006 22:05
Dear Mary,
Thank you for all your past work and this
report. Wonderful keeping up.
I wonder how many people have written
stories just for their families that we will never see, but whom we lived
through Weihsien and other times in China?
With appreciation, Georgie
De:
<MTPrevite@aol.com>
À:
<weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Story about
Weihsien liberator, Tad Nagaki
Date: mercredi 20 décembre 2006
5:32
You're right, Georgie:
I'm sure there are personal records and
diaries out there
Happy Christmas.
Mary
De: "Joyce
Cook" <bobjoyce@tpg.com.au>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Fw: Story
about Weihsien liberator, Tad Nagaki
Date: lundi 25 décembre 2006 0:23
To all WeiHsieners and friends. Bob and I
wish you a very merry
Christmas and a Happy and healthy New Year.
Jopyce Bradbury nee Cooke.----- Original Message -----
From: MTPrevite@aol.com
To: weihsien@topica.com
Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 1:08 PM
Subject: Re: Story about Weihsien
liberator, Tad Nagaki
You're right, Georgie:
I'm sure there are personal records and
diaries out there
Happy Christmas.
Mary
De:
"Alexander Strangman" <dzijen@bigpond.net.au>
À:
<weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Yule-tide greetings
Date: lundi 25
décembre 2006 5:39
To my fellow internees,
Wishing you a joyful Christmas season with peace and contentment in
2007.
Zandy
De:
<grannydavies@aol.com>
À: <weihsien@topica.com>
Objet: Re: Yule-tide greetings
Date: mardi 26
décembre 2006 2:33
Have a blessed Christmas,
Phyllis