Dedication of Eric Liddell Memorial Stone at Weifang, China, June 9, 1991 Left to right: Charles Walker, Norman Cliff, David Michell, Peggy Judge, a niece of Eric.Liddell.
ERIC H. LIDDELL
Liddell was born in Tianjin, of Scottish parents in 1902. His career reached it's peak with his gold medal victory in the 400 meters event at the 1924 Olympic games. He returned to China to work in Tianjin as a teacher.
Liddell was interned in a camp at the present site of the Weifang second Middle School and died in this camp shortly before the Japanese were defeated in 1945. He embodied paternal virtues and his school life was spent encouraging young people to make their best contribution to the betterment of mankind.
Eric Henry Liddell (16/1/1902 - 21/2/1945)
Eric Liddell was a missionary of the London Missionary Society and hero of the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris. Liddell taught science in the camp, organised sports for the young, chess games and many other activities which helped the youth of Weihsien to receive some guidance and motivation. Liddell died of a brain tumour on 21 February, 1945, some six months before liberation from camp.
The Eric Liddell Monument.
By Norman Cliff
Charles Walker, an Engineer working in Hong Kong, was moved by the Liddell story (being a fellow Scot) and raised funds locally and in Scotland for a monument to be erected in his memory in Weihsien, and obtained permission for the project from the Chinese authorities.
In June 1991 David Michell and I travelled with a group of ...
What Characterizes the Spirit of Eric Liddell?
By David J. Michell, 1991
The spirit of Eric Liddell has come through many of the events and experiences of his life. What is the message of Eric Liddell for today, ninety years since his birth and almost fifty since his death? Many things characterize his spirit. ...
Conclusion
As I conclude, I want to take you back to the setting of Weihsien Camp in 1945. In the cold North China winter afternoon I was with a small group of school chums outside the dilapidated camp hospital. We saw Eric, bundled up warmly, walking under the bare trees beside the place where he had taught us to play rounders. He stopped to talk with us and smiled. As he spoke, we knew nothing of ...
Significant Dates in Eric Liddell's Life
Beautiful hymn that soothed Liddell's pain
By GRAHAM TIBBETTS
Evening News
Thursday, January 14, 1999
Band played on as Scots Olympic hero lay dying in a Prisoner of War camp.
As he lay dying in a Japanese Prisoner of War Camp; Olympic legend Eric Liddell heard the strains of a brass band floating through the stale air of his room.
A devout Christian, he asked the makeshift musicians playing outside his window to strike up one of his favourite hymns in a bid to ease his suffering.
And so the evocative music of Be Still, My Soul drifted through to Liddell on his sick bed, the ...
ERIC LIDDELL IN WEIHSIEN CAMP - 1943 - 1945
By Norman Cliff
... " Then we were surrounded by dozens of the local internees who had already been here for five months. They were tanned, thin and barefoot, looking like creatures from another world. We realised that it would not be long before we would have a similar appearance. They spoke with British, American and Continental accents.
Within a few days of arriving a fellow Chefoo boy pointed to a man standing nearby in a group of people, and said, "That's Eric Liddell, the man who refused to run on a Sunday at the Olympics". The man in question was ...
CHEFOO AND WEIHSIEN REVISITED
Dr. David Michell - June 28, 1991
Norman Cliff and I were two members of the group organized by the Eric Liddell Foundation which visited China from June 6 to 11, 1991. The primary purpose of the visit was to unveil a memorial stone to Eric Liddell at the No. 2 Middle School in Weifang, the site of the Weihsien Prison Camp, where the Chefoo Schools were interned during World War II.
Norman and I found that ...
REFERENCES
A Boy's War. David J. Michell, OMF Books, 1988. Chariots of Fire. W. J. Weatherby, Dell/Quicksilver, 1987. Courtyard of the Happy Way. Norman Cliff, Arthur James, 1977. etc. ...
Middle School Students - Weifang -
June 9, 1991, middle School Students - Weifang -
June 9, 1991, David Michell addressing the audience
June 9, 1991, David Michell addressing the audience
June 9, 1991, the Audience - Weifang -
June 9, 1991, Norman Cliff addressing the audience
Liddell taught science in the camp, organised sports for the young, chess games and many other activities which helped the youth of Weihsien to receive some guidance and motivation. Liddell died of a brain tumour on 21 February, 1945, some six months before liberation from camp.
