Subject: RE: New Questions

Dear Mr. Neal Wu,

Thanks for your message.

We wholly appreciate your research for the historical facts about our old Weihsien Concentration Camp and we hope that the Weihsien website will be able to help you to fulfil your quest. We will try to help you the best we can.

Keep in mind that the now ― living ex-prisoners of Weihsien during WWII were children in 1945 and generally ignorant as to all the problems our parents had to negotiate. The Weihsien-paintings’ website has been created to “REMEMBER” and all the documents and testimonies in this website are facts you can rely upon.

The follow-up of all these messages (― now that Yahoo has let us down! ― ) are on the website ― regularly updated by the webmaster.
http://weihsien-paintings.org/TheGroup/messages/2020-11/2020-11.htm

Now to your questions:

- Imperial War Museum in London:
I have no privileged contact with them but the last time I received a letter, it was from Mr. Roderick Suddaby in November 2008. A most charming and helpful gentleman. I know that he has died since but I do not know who replaces him in the “Archive” department. You can eventually write to: Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, London SE1-6HZ – telephone 0207416-5220 Fax: 020-7416-5374.

- About Eric Liddell in Camp:
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/EricLiddell/index.php

Eric was idealised by the Chefoo kids in camp and also by a movie later on, in 1981: “The Chariots of Fire”. In the more recent film: “On Wings of Eagles” (2015) ― if it is based on a true story it is far from being the exact historical truth ! It is a question of interpretation … or maybe, the beginning of a legend.

Besides Eric Liddell, there were many other persons of interest in our concentration camp. Remember that we were more than 1400 in there with highly competent and important people of the Western World in China ― the “enemy nationals” as the Japanese called us.

- Where was Eric Liddell buried?
GoTo:
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/NormanCliff/people/individuals/Eric01/p_grave-Topica.htm

and also: the July messages from Stanley Camp about the cemeteries in China …
http://weihsien-paintings.org/TheGroup/messages/2020-07/2020-07.htm

Your last question:
- The photos ― who took them?

Cameras and radios were forbidden in camp.
The photos before WWII were taken by missionaries and the people who lived there:
http://weihsien-paintings.org/EricGustafson/index.php

http://weihsien-paintings.org/NormanCliff/history/txt_BriefHistory.htm

When the war ended and the Americans came to liberate us, they came with cameras and films and took many pictures of all the camps in China and elsewhere.

Many pages of the WeiHsien-paintings website illustrate this.

During the war, NO PHOTOS allowed but many paintings were done of the camp because many prisoners came to camp with their coloured pencils and painting outfits & watercolours.

This message will be shortly transferred to the Weihsien Paintings’ website.
Whoever wishes to add a complementary information is welcome to do so by simply sending a message to: weihsien@proximus.be

Best regards,
Leopold

Sent: Sunday, November 8, 2020 7:59 AM
To: pander.nl@skynet.be

Subject: Re: New Questions

Dear Mr. Leopold Pander,

I hope everything is well with you.
Recently, the new museum has received many Chinese government leaders. The Chinese government is very concerned about the new museum.

I have also attended several meetings in recent days.
It is worth mentioning that we are planning to apply for Weifang to become a "city of peace", just like Nanjing in China, to become a "city of peace".

As you know, Weihsien concentration camp involves many people in many countries. We hope to commemorate this period of history through a series of activities, call for world peace and convey the wish of "world peace" to the whole world.

I am trying to get in touch with the Imperial War Museum in London. I really need some historical materials to help us study the history of Weihsien concentration camp, restore this history, and then better tell the world about this history.

Our historical data collection team is conducting investigations all over China, and I am mainly responsible for overseas historical data collection. I wonder if you have a better proposal?

All the people in our museum hope to have enough historical materials to help us study the history of Weihsien concentration camp. For all the people who have been held here, for the researchers all over the world, for the peace building of the world.

Recently, we are going to go to Nanjing for an inspection tour, and we will arrange a team of people to visit Mr. Wang Chenghan's home (Wang Andy, a Chinese translator at the time of liberation).

If someone wants to shoot a video and tell the story that happened here, we would like to thank you very much. Please ask them to send the video to our email or use wetransfer.

ldybgs@163.com

Eric Liddell, do you know anything about him? Where was he buried after his death?

Who took the photos in Weihsien concentration camp?Before or after liberation?

We look forward to your reply.
Best wishes.
From,
Neal Wu

From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Friday, November 6, 2020 9:56 AM
To: 'Rita Lewi'
Cc: 'gregleck@epix.net' ; 'angelalousia@yahoo.ca' ; 'Christine Sancton' ; Carinne Cunningham ; 'brasscranes@gmail.com' ; pierre.ley@pandora.be

Subject: zoom

GoTo : https://www.chineseamericanmuseum.org/

Dear Rita,

Thanks again for your interest in our old Weihsien Concentration Camp for your exhibit in the spring of 2021 !
I especially noticed your interest in the paintings that were created during our imprisonment.

… Cameras were ― of course ― forbidden by our captors but as many internees had come to camp with their pencils and water colours they painted instead of taking pictures. If you search the Internet, you will find paintings and sketches done in numerous other concentration camps, in Asia as well as in Europe.

Before the war, the Weihsien Compound was a beautiful place to live in ― as the paintings show, but remember that we were 1500 prisoners crammed in that small space.

https://www.google.com/search?q=concentration+camp+sketches&sxsrf=ALeKk01GOS_HJ6a9w998lEH7z9-XrjO0mA:1604649925515&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj50bHmuu3sAhXNGuwKHY7iAmAQ_AUoAXoECBsQAw&biw=1440&bih=757&dpr=1

You questioned me on “where the people lived” …

GoTo:
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/RonBridge/habitants/weihsien02.xls
… it is an *.xls-file. You can download it and appreciate all the data contained in the file.

You can also buy the book: “Captives of Empire.”
http://www.captives-of-empire.com/

… a book written by Greg Leck ― a historian ― who had access to mountains of documents and has realised a correct synthesis of all the concentration camps in China. At the end of the book, you will access a complete listing of all the people imprisoned by the Japanese during WWII.

Regarding the books to read, start with:
http://weihsien-paintings.org/books/Gilkey/p_Gilkey.htm

… you will have to buy it because I did not have the publisher’s permission to recopy it for the website.

Also:
http://weihsien-paintings.org/books/MushroomYears/p_FrontCover.htm

http://weihsien-paintings.org/books/ForgivenForgotten/p_FrontCover.htm

http://weihsien-paintings.org/NormanCliff/Books/Courtyard/p-Frontcover.htm

http://weihsien-paintings.org/rdjaegher/pages/page02.htm

and many other books in the “BOOKS” chapter of the Weihsien-Paintings’ website.

… you can read them with your smartphone or iPad when in the train between Maryland and Washington.

You questioned me on the organisation of the camp.
Who was the boss?
The camp was organised as a mini-democracy !!

… here is a copy/paste of a page I had prepared for the website but finally decided not to publish it.

... At the arrival - in Weihsien Concentration Camp - (of the "Ennemy Alliens") in March 1943, the Japanese decided that the camp would be managed by nine committees such as:
General Affairs, Discipline, Labour, Education, Supplies, Quarters, Medicine, Engineering, and Finance ...

... and that a Japanese would be in charge of each of these departments of camp life; under him would work one internee who would be the chairman of the committee concerned.

- Read Langdon Gilkey's book: "Shantung Compound" written in 1966 -
http://weihsien-paintings.org/books/Gilkey/p_Gilkey.htm

The members of the committee were democratically elected every six months amongst the camp population, the men of the colonial world in China at that time and who were imprisoned in Weihsien. -

http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/NormanCliff/NoticeBoard/Oukaze/NoticeBoard.htm#07

In 1945, when the camp was liberated, the head of the committee was Mr. McLaren. -
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/NormanCliff/people/Committee/McLaren/txt_McLAREN.htm

Hope all this helps you …
Bien amicalement,
Leopold

From: Leoplod PANDER
Sent: Monday, November 2, 2020 8:52 AM
To: 'weihsien@proximus.be' ; 'ldybgs@163.com'
Cc: Carinne Cunningham ; pierre.ley@pandora.be

Subject: FW: New Questions

Dear Mr. Wu,

Yes! Jacqueline de Saint-Hubert is still alive and I have forwarded this message to her daughter.
Yes! Janette Ley-Pander is my sister and she will also have a copy of this message.
I have forwarded your letter to the Group ― (as well as this message).

Twenty years ago, the same question arose and the necessity of sharing old photos, paintings and documents resulted in the creation of the Weihsien paintings’ website that has grown ever since. All the original artefacts are the property of their owners as the website ― we can all understand ― is the virtual reproduction of all these treasures be they sentimental or not. I have had the permission to reproduce them providing that: http://www.weihsien-paintings.org be non-profit and free access to all.

Many “originals” of diseased persons are now archived at the Imperial War Museum in London.
https://www.iwm.org.uk/

I wish you success in your quest.
Best regards,
Leopold

From: 乐道院·潍县集中营博物馆
Sent: Monday, November 2, 2020 7:10 AM
To: Leoplod PANDER

Subject: New Questions

Dear Mr. Leopold Pander,

Is Madame Jacqueline de Saint-Hubert still alive? Can her daughter, who lives in America, be contacted? Is Janette Ley Pander your family? Is she your sister?

Besides, do you know if other people still keep the old photos? Can these old photos be donated to the museum?

I have written a notice. Can you post it on your website?
Best wishes.
Neal Wu

乐道院·潍县集中营博物馆
ldybgs@163.com

乐道院·潍县集中营博物馆
文物征集

亲爱的朋友们，

我是乐道院·潍县集中营博物馆的工作人员，尼奥·吴。

2019年5月，潍坊市博物馆正式交接潍县乐道院暨西方侨民集中营旧址的管理工作，并从原管理机构，潍坊市外事办，交接了一些物品以及资料。我们组建了研究小组，对交接的资料和物品进行了整理和研究，并开展新博物馆的建设工作。2020年9月3日，新博物馆，乐道院·潍县集中营博物馆正式开放。

时至今日，全世界面临着许多问题。你们作为第二次世界大战的亲历者，深刻的了解战争对全人类的危害。因此，乐道院·潍县集中营博物馆的主要工作，就是为世界讲述发生在潍县的故事，呼吁全世界的人们，铭记历史，珍爱和平。

自9月3日至今，乐道院·潍县集中营博物馆接待了大量的游客以及团体组织，为他们讲述了这段历史，所有人都对战争造成的苦难深感悲痛。因此，为了更好地宣传新博物馆，更好地讲述这段历史故事，新博物馆希望征集与潍县集中营有关的一切文物实物，如果您的手里还保留着一些实物，例如：老照片、绘画原件、旧日记、旧书、影像资料、集中营时期使用过的物品等等。我们诚恳的希望您能够捐赠给博物馆，我们将通过专业的技术，妥善的保管这些文物，并将它们向世人展出。

如果您有与乐道院和潍县集中营有关的文物，请您随时联系我们，我们的邮箱是：ldybgs@163.com。

最好的祝愿。
来自，
尼奥·吴
乐道院·潍县集中营博物馆
2020年11月2日

The Courtyard of the Happy Way & Weihsien Concentration Camp Museum
Collection of cultural relics

Dear friends,

I'm Neal Wu, a staff member of The Courtyard of the Happy Way & Weihsien Concentration Camp Museum.

In May 2019, Weifang Museum officially handed over the management work of the Former site of The Courtyard of the Happy Way & Weihsien Concentration Camp, and handed over some articles and materials from the original management organization, Weifang Foreign Affairs Office. We have set up a research group to sort out and study the materials and articles handed over, and carry out the construction of the new museum. On September 3, 2020, the new museum, The Courtyard of the Happy Way & Weihsien Concentration Camp Museum, was officially opened.

Today, the world is facing many problems. As witnesses of the Second World War, you have a profound understanding of the harm of war to all mankind. Therefore, the main work of The Courtyard of the Happy Way & Weihsien Concentration Camp Museum is to tell the story of Weihsien for the world, and appeal to people all over the world to remember history and cherish peace.

Since September 3 to now, the museum has received a large number of tourists and groups, telling them about the history. All of them are deeply saddened by the suffering caused by the war. Therefore, in order to better publicize the new museum and tell the historical story better, the new museum hopes to collect all the cultural relics related to the concentration camp in Weihsien. If you still have some physical objects in your hand, such as old photos, original paintings, old diaries, old books, video materials, articles used during the concentration camp, etc. We sincerely hope that you can donate to the museum. We will take good care of these cultural relics through professional technology, and display them to the world.

If you have cultural relics related to The Courtyard of the Happy Way and Weihsien Concentration Camp, please contact us at any time. Our email address is: ldybgs@163.com 。

Best wishes.
From,
Neal Wu

The Courtyard of the Happy Way & Weihsien Concentration Camp Museum

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