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From: Angela
Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2023 6:58 PM
To: Leopold Pander
Subject: Fw: what an perfect e-mail re our liberation!

Hi Maida,

Can't believe it was 78 yrs ago & me turning 80 in Oct & you're 93 yrs & hope you are well.

The Japs were indeed brazen! No one ever thought they'd have the audacity to bomb Pearl Harbor! the West thought their vision bad but no one ever dreamt they'd ever confront the British empire! Singapore figured they'd attack by sea & had fortifications but the wily Japs came over land by bikes & could ever believe they'd conquest Hongkong.

Well, we survived but have no recollection & wish I did especially for the walks with you & to witness the day of liberation with the parachutes landing to liberate us. Am so thankful to read what Leopold has posted & read every bit of it.

To think you had me with you on that special day!

My old friend Molly Foyn born Feb 1944 passed away in March — lived Newcastle, On — at least she & family attended 2015 reunion & we returned to Tientsin & Tom & I treated them to Peking duck dinner also Louise de Jonghe & daughter.

My daughter & I paid a visit to Anne de Jonghe last year .

My husband Tom passed away in Jan from a heart attack.

Am doing alright & spending most of summer Birch Bay, Wa, just across the border & Ayesha & grandsons visit me. It's a trailer park but now park models as she has with a loft.

Mine is 40 ft so ample space — Olympic size pool,tennis courts kids playground & I swim both adult hours.

Hope this finds you & family well!
cheers Angela





From: Roy Campbell
Sent: Monday, August 21, 2023 1:41 PM
To: weihsien@proximus.be
Subject: Anniversary of liberation

It is both hard to believe that I am 93 and that liberation was 78 years ago when I was 15.

It is important the history of what and why we were in that situation. My parents told me that the Chefoo school after the war was on in Europe asked the British govt. If the school should be moved to a part of China not occupied by the Japanese. The answer was the Japanese will never touch British citizens After Pearl Harbor the Japanese walked into our compound within 24 hours and our houses at any time until we were moved to camp.

The boys found it amusing when the Japanese had a ceremony on their playing field declaring it the property of the Japanese emperor.

My father brought up in the heyday of the British Empire could not believe the Japanese walking into Hongkong on Christmas the fall of Singapore and the sinking of 2 British battleships within a few days after the war started on Dec 7, 1941.

Hopefully, we do not bear grudges but do not forget the history of what happened in those times I still say that the most exciting day of my life was when the Americans parachuted down in the fields outside our camp and liberated us. One of the parachuters who liberated us had asked to go on the mission because he was an alumnae of the Chefoo schools Arachuters

Maida Harris Campbell

Sent from my iPad.



From: Carinne Cunningham
Sent: Monday, August 21, 2023 3:10 AM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re: FW: 78th Anniversary of the Liberation of Weihsien Concentration Camp

Dearest Leopold, fellow survivors of the Weihsien Internment Camp and family members,

My name is Solange Jacqueline de Saint Hubert (married name MacLean). I am Belgian and my entire family: my father, my mother and my brother, Christian, were interned in the Weihsien Camp. Christian, only a teenager at the time, was known for making diagrams and sketches of the Weihsien Camp. Although I am 101 1/2 years old, the years I spent in Weihsien, I still remember clearly. I was in my early 20's at the time. As my family were friends with the Pander's, I remember the young Leopard, and his older sister Janette. At the time, my father was the Director of Le Credit Foncier de L'Extrême Oriente in Tientsin where Mr. Pander also worked.

I was born in China in 1922 in a small village in Honan Province. My father was an engineer arriving in China in 1920 to develop the railroad system. I had a well-to-do upbringing attending English, French, and German schools, living between Beijing, Shanghai, and Tientsin. We were very grateful to the Chinese who helped us before the War, during our Internment, and after Liberation.

As survivors, we all share similar memories of those years in the Camp, including the weather extremes between the harsh winters to the hot summer sand storms. We all had our rotating duties, including making coal balls, pumping water, peeling vegetables, etc. One special memory that I still clearly remember was when I stole a chair from the Japanese quarters for my father. His health began to fail in the Camp. He had been an officer in the Belgian Cavalry Army during WWI and had been gassed in the trenches by the Germans.

Another memory was when I foolishly visited my dear Italian friend, Yolanda Morente, with her baby son, Valerio, in the Italian section. The Italians, who arrived months after most of us, were placed in a special section of the Camp and we were not allowed to have any communication with them. While I was visiting her in her room, there was an unexpected Camp roll call. Once the guards realized someone was missing, they conducted a search of the rooms in the Italian quarter. I hid under her bed, with firewood placed in front to conceal me and Yolanda managed to have her baby scream and scream until the Japanese soldiers left. As I recall those experiences now, I must have been naive, feeling the invincibility of youth.

As I remember those years, I know the many lessons they taught me. I learned tenacity, strength and resilience. How to survive difficulty and how to be frugal. I learned, first hand, by the many kindness and acts of generosity of those experiencing the same hardships and suffering, the world is full of wonderful people and though evil exists, goodness and righteousness can prevail. Those years changed us all and made us who we ultimately became years later.

I send you greetings from our shared past on this 78th Anniversary of our Liberation.

Thank you, Leopold, for keeping our story alive and your tremendous efforts to keep our connections going through the generations.

My best wishes to all,
Jacqueline, her daughter, Carinne Cunningham and granddaughter, Alexandra Cunningham





From: Terri Stewart
Sent: Sunday, August 20, 2023 6:13 PM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re: 78th Anniversary of the Liberation of Weihsien Concentration Camp

Thank you Leopold and to all the survivors to leave this history behind for those of us that were not there and can understand what happened back then. This should never be forgotten! This website is a godsend for just this reason. I knew of my g.Aunt's history in the camp, but only to a point. Others have contributed greatly in their stories, books, and research that have filled in the gaps and holes I would never have found out about on my own. Bless all of you and safe travels to those who go back to Weifang to revisit the former camp.

Terri Stewart
(g.niece of Ruth H. Kunkle)





From: 乐道院·潍县集中营博物馆
Sent: Friday, August 18, 2023 10:20 AM
To: Leopold_Pander
Subject: 78th Anniversary of the Liberation of Weihsien Concentration Camp

Dear Leopold，

How are you recently?

Yesterday was August 17, the 78th anniversary of the liberation of Weihsien Concentration Camp. On this day, The Courtyard of the Happy Way and Weihsien Concentration Camp Museum has specially made an anniversary video to review the past hundred years with all peace-loving people and survivors of Weihsien Concentration camp, cherish history and cherish peace. Many survivors appeared in the video, showing their feelings about this period of history. In the process of making the video, we found that more and more survivors left us because of age or other reasons, which made us feel very sorry and sad. With fewer and fewer witnesses of that period of history alive, hope we can cherish the present moment, keep close contact with everyone and the descendants of the survivors, and continue this lovely international friendship.

To those peace-loving people who study or interested in this period of history can work with us to let more and more people know the history of the concentration camp, remember it, reflect on it, and cherish the peace and wellbeing of the present.

Now that the COVID-19 is over, we sincerely invite overseas friends,the survivors of Weihsien concentration camp and their family members to China and visit Weifang again to experience the historical heritage and peaceful atmosphere here.

Best wishes
The Courtyard of the Happy Way and Weihsien Concentration Camp Museum

乐道院·潍县集中营博物馆
ldybgs@163.com
从 网易邮箱大师 发来的云附件
潍县集中营解放78周年.mp4
(1334.9MB,2023年10月7日 15:20 到期)
下载





From: christine sancton
Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2023 11:21 PM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Our anniversary

Dear fellow Weihsieners:

I am constantly amazed, when I do the math, that it has been 78 years since we were liberated from Camp.

We were not able to leave camp till late October 1945.

I am grateful to all those who made Camp life so bearable, and even enjoyable at times, even for the adult internees. The strict discipline of the internees by the internees themselves made for a more organised and controlled life within those walls.

We were lucky to have been in such a well run camp.

Thank you, Leopold, for all your work with our site. It is still enjoyed by many.

So nice to hear from Anne de Jongh who was a good friend of my sister, Gay, who died so suddenly last November.

All best wishes,
Christine Talbot Sancton





From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2023 8:55 AM
To: 'weihsien@proximus.be'
Subject: FW: 15 August

17 August 2023 ― Happy Liberation Day to all of us …

Forwarded by
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org
Best regards,
Leopold





From: A. Knuppe
Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2023 6:32 PM
To: weihsien@proximus.be
Subject: 15 August

Dear Leopold,

Yesterdag we were all remembering the end of the war with Japan. Here in The Hague there was the annual commemoration in a large park with an enormous crowd, also due to the fine weather!! It was an impressive ceremony- I watched it on TV, with beautiful music, a choir and a brass band, with good speeches from ex-internees and the next generation and also with our prime minister, the military forces and other officials and of course, beautiful wreaths with flowers!

This is an annual event that in the early years only mentioned the Dutch East Indies, who had suffered great losses and had numerous internment camps with civilians, who were treated very badly and cruelly. Of course, many here had relatives and friends out there and it was governed by the Dutch. I always felt lost, all the other Dutch prisoners of war in the far East were not remembered. However, later on the ceremony was dedicated to all those who had lost their lives or suffered in this war, also Burma, China, Indo China, and other countries, also in Japan (my uncle died of exhaustion in Fukuoka, working in the mines)

This was an emotional evening for me — I called my sister Louise in San Francisco to share our memories. She and I are the last of the siblings left, 91 and 93 years old and this gave us consolation.

May I share my feelings with all those who still remember our camp and what we endured in those two and a half years but are grateful for the many years thereafter.

With my kindest greetings,
Anne de Jongh.

[click on the picture] : goto the "BOOKS" chapter



From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2023 3:50 PM
To: 'Brian Kerry'
Cc: 'elaineyau2000@gmail.com' ; 'raks732@gmail.com'
Subject: RE: help needed

Dear Brian,

… thanks very much for your message.

Hope all’s OK for you and your family 😊. Still remember the nice moments we all had in Weifang/Weihsien in August 2015 and of your assistance for our website.

-
In fact, …
It is a book about Weihsien that I would like to add to our website. The title is: “MED MOR” written by Anwei Jensen and it is available at:
Ark Bokhandel ikkesvar@min.ark.no in Oslo.

I did buy the book via their web shop and even got a confirmation (see attachment). Unfortunately, they do not send books beyond the Norwegian frontier and refused to make an exception for me and therefore refunded my purchase.

I’d be obliged if your cousin could simply order the book (or buy it if she lives near an ArkBokhandel store) and send it to me at my address in Belgium ― as mentioned in the attachment ― plus postage. If it is OK for her, I can repay in NOK by PayPal ― it is quick and easy. Or by bank transfer … it also works.

Thanks in advance.
Best regards,
Leopold

From: Brian Kerry
Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2023 11:09 AM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re: help needed

Good morning Leopold,

I have a second cousin who lives in Tromso, and I am sure she would be willing to do this for you. Would you like me to contact her?

Best regards,
Brian





From: Audrey Horton
Sent: Sunday, August 13, 2023 11:49 PM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re: help needed

Thank you for the information.
When we visited Norway we didn't get to visit her.
One thing that was sad she was working so hard to try and get Japan to pay us prisoners — seemed to be almost obsessive about it.
Think it was affecting her health.
Is she still alive?





From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Sunday, August 13, 2023 9:47 AM
To: 'Elaine Yau'
Subject: RE: help needed

Dear Elaine,
Dear Audrey,

Thanks to you for your help.

In fact, the book is already mentioned in the book’s chapter on our website.
http://weihsien-paintings.org/AnweiJensen/InterTran%20(tm)%20-%20URL%20translation.htm

Though it is written in Norwegian, I think that I should be able to translate it with the help of A.I.
I can, at least give it a try !!

Most of the books about Weihsien on the website are readable.

… all the best (…) and keep me informed 😊.
Thanks in advance.
Best regards,
Leopold

From: Elaine Yau
Sent: Sunday, August 13, 2023 2:23 AM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re: help needed

Dear Leopold,

I have not got reply from my friend who lives in Norway.

He travels a lot after retirement and last time I saw him in Prague from Facebook. I am now looking for other people who may help while I am waiting for reply from him.

Best regards,
Elaine





From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Saturday, August 12, 2023 8:45 AM
To: 'Audrey Horton'
Subject: RE: help needed

Dear Audrey,

Thanks for your message and suggestion.

When we went to Weifang in 2015 for the 70-year festivities, I remember having an interesting conversation with Hakon Torjesen who was my neighbour at the banquet table. Do you have an e-mail address or postal address for me to use?

Eileen Yau, a Chinese journalist also present at the 2015 celebrations ― already suggested a contact she has in Norway but, if ever it doesn’t work, I could try and ask a member of the Torjesen Family. Thanks in advance for your help.

… all the best,
Leopold

From: Audrey Horton
Sent: Friday, August 11, 2023 8:38 PM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re: help needed

did you check with any of the Torjesen family who have the Evergreen group in China in honor of their father.





From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2023 10:10 AM
To: 'Elaine Yau'
Subject: RE: help needed

Dear Elaine,

… thanks for your message.

It is a book about Weihsien that I would like to add to our website. The title is: “MED MOR” written by Anwei Jensen and is available at:
Ark Bokhandel ikkesvar@min.ark.no in Oslo.

I did buy the book via their web shop and even got a confirmation (see attachment). Unfortunately, they do not send books beyond the Norwegian frontier and refused to make an exception for me and therefore refunded my purchase.

I’d be obliged if your friend could simply order the book (or buy it if he lives near a ArkBoekhandel store) and send it to me at my address in Belgium — plus postage. If it is OK for your friend, I can repay in NOK by PayPal ― it is quick and easy.

Thanks in advance.
Best regards,
Leopold

From: Elaine Yau
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2023 8:13 AM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re: help needed

Hi Leopold,

Have you got help?
If not, I can ask someone in Norway.

Blessings,
Elaine

從我的iPhone傳送




From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Wednesday, August 9, 2023 5:09 PM
To: 'weihsien@proximus.be' ; 'Jacques Ley'
Subject: help needed

Hi 😊 Weihsien Folks,

… I am trying to order a book only available in Norway and the only bookstore that has it, delivers only in Norway and they refuse the extra work to send the book to Belgium by ordinary post.

So, the question is: Does anybody know somebody living in Norway that would be kind enough as to accept receiving the book in my name and resending it to me by ordinary post. I can ― of course ― repay his or her expenses by PayPal.

Thanks,
Leopold





From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Wednesday, August 2, 2023 10:33 AM
To: weihsien@proximus.be
Subject: FW: Artificial Intelligence & The Belgium Bank in Tianjin

Dear Nicholas,

Thanks very much for all this interesting data.

For those who might be interested, there is an interesting *.pdf to download about the architect of the Belgian Bank in Tientsin: Gustave Volkaert ― one of my dad’s good friends. The Crédit Foncier d’Extrême Orient and the Banque Belge Pour l'Etranger were often associated for « affairs » in China.

https://kuleuven.limo.libis.be/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=lirias1712911&context=SearchWebhook&vid=32KUL_KUL:Lirias&lang=en&search_scope=lirias_profile&adaptor=SearchWebhook&tab=LIRIAS&query=any,contains,LIRIAS1712911&offset=0 … all the best, Leopold





From: Nicholas Kitto
Sent: Tuesday, August 1, 2023 4:24 PM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re: Artificial Intelligence & The Belgium Bank in Tianjin

How interesting, Leopold. I assume that was from asking Siri rather than ChatGPT or similar, although it does look rather more detailed than the typical Siri answer which would probably refer to Wikipedia.

By the way, my book Trading Places is being reissued in Chinese early next year … rather pleasing for me but, inevitably, I am having to provide a contribution to the costs to help minimise the commercial risk for the Hong Kong publisher!

Incidentally, something strange seems to be going on with some of Tianjin’s restorations. I haven’t been able to visit for several years but if you turn to page 21 in Trading Places, you’ll see that I was rather surprised with the apparently restored Custom House when I was last there in 2014. Now I have come across another example on George Gordula’s blog (I recollect you introduced me to George a couple of years ago and we have stayed in touch since). George was in Tianjin in 2020 and in a recent blog of his he has a photo of the Belgium Bank which looks as if it has been completely rebuilt and is nothing like the original. And while not entirely clear, it looks as if the same fate has met the former Kinseng Bank next door.

I know a historian in Tianjin reasonably well and so I might ask him about this. While I cannot be sure that the Custom House hasn’t been restored to an earlier version of itself, I am much more confident re your father’s former bank as I have a photo of it from O D Rasmussen’s 1925 book on Tianjin which matches my 2014 photo (both attached below). I’ll ket you know what if I discover anything.

All the best
Nick

Nicholas Kitto ARPS
Hong Kong
tel. +852 94692584
Photographing Heritage
Book: https://www.treatyports.photos
https://www.nicholaskitto.com


Belgian Bank 2014


Belgian Bank 2020


ODR_Belgian Bank 1925





From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Wednesday, August 2, 2023 10:15 AM
To: 'annemoen@tele2.nl'
Cc: pierre.ley@pandora.be
Subject: FW: Artificial Intelligence

Dear Annie,

Thanks for your message.

Hope you are well too. We are OK for the moment ― getting old as ― (I guess) ― all of us. Coping with all our health problems (normal for our age) ― but on a day-to-day basis, we can't complain too much. Ha-Ha! When I see all the problems our teenagers have, I feel honoured to be a member of the pre-war generation !

I forwarded your message to the website (took off the personal stuff). Since April: not a single message ― just as if all is said about Weihsien. I am still there to add whatever, though!

I just ordered a book in Norwegian about Weihsien. Hope I will get it (by the post) ― scan it and translate it into comprehensive English.

In Holland as well as in Belgium, we have suitable temperatures and rain and all-in-all a normal month of July & August for our neighbourhood ― as we are used to it.

Other countries are overheated or in flames (...) so: we are lucky to be where we are.

Bien amicalement,
Leopold





From: A. Knuppe
Sent: Tuesday, August 1, 2023 12:23 PM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re: Artificial Intelligence

Hello Leopold,

Isn't it amazing, all these details of our camp from an Artificial Intelligence site and all of it is correct!

Nowadays there are so many new discoveries that it is hard to keep track.

But all the effort you made bringing back the past was really personal and had a nostalgic background and that is of much greater value. I am still most grateful for all your hard work establishing our Weihsien site that has brought us so many dear memories! Thank you once again.

with my fondest greetings,
Anne de Jongh (Knüppe)





From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Tuesday, August 1, 2023 10:41 AM
To: weihsien@proximus.be
Subject: Artificial Intelligence

Hi Weihsien folks,

... at a recent family meeting, my nephew asked his iPhone what it could tell us about Weihsien. In just a few seconds the answer came on his screen. He sent me a copy. Astonishing !!!

Here is the translated text for you in English by Google-Translate.
" The Weihsien Concentration Camp is a fascinating and little-known historical subject. Located in Weifang, Shandong Province in China, Weihsien was actually an internment camp run by the Japanese occupation forces during World War II. It was operational from 1943 to 1945.

Prior to being an internment camp, the site was an American Presbyterian school complex. When the Japanese turned the place into an internment camp, they rounded up Allied civilians - mainly British, American and other European nationalities - who were living in China.

The camp was surrounded by walls and barbed wire, with guard towers at regular intervals. Despite the difficult conditions, the prisoners managed to organize a form of community life with schools for children, theatrical and musical performances, and even sports competitions.

A particular story to note is that of the parachuting of seven American agents from the "Dixie Mission" [oups!! the A.I. should have written: "DUCK MISSION" n.d.l.r.] of the OSS (Office of Strategic Services, the ancestor of the CIA) in 1945 to free the prisoners of the Weihsien camp. Among these agents were Major Stanley Staiger, Sub-Lieutenant Jimmy Moore, Sergeant Raymond Hanchulak, Sergeant Tad Nagaki, and Lieutenant Jim Hannon. This team arrived just before the Japanese forces officially surrendered, thus averting possible destruction of the camp.

After the war, the camp was used as a reception center for Chinese refugees displaced by the conflict.

I can't know if your Uncle Leopold had the same experiences, but he might have similar stories to tell. Each internee had a unique experience of this painful period in history.

sent from my iPhone

... a nice day to y'all 😊
Leopold

-----Original Message-----
From: Jacques Ley
Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2023 8:23 PM
To: pander.nl@skynet.be
Subject: Weihsien chatgpt

Le camp de concentration de Weihsien est un sujet historique fascinant et peu connu. Situé à Weifang, dans la province du Shandong en Chine, Weihsien était en fait un camp d'internement géré par les forces d'occupation japonaises pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Il a été opérationnel de 1943 à 1945.

Avant d'être un camp d'internement, le site était un complexe de l'école américaine presbytérienne. Lorsque les Japonais ont transformé le lieu en camp d'internement, ils y ont regroupé des civils alliés - principalement britanniques, américains et autres nationalités européennes - qui vivaient en Chine.

Le camp était entouré de murs et de fils de fer barbelés, avec des tours de garde à intervalles réguliers. Malgré les conditions difficiles, les prisonniers ont réussi à organiser une forme de vie communautaire avec des écoles pour les enfants, des représentations théâtrales et musicales, et même des compétitions sportives.

Une histoire particulière à noter est celle du parachutage de sept agents américains du "Dixie Mission" de l'OSS (Office of Strategic Services, l'ancêtre de la CIA) en 1945 pour libérer les prisonniers du camp de Weihsien. Parmi ces agents, il y avait le Major Stanley Staiger, l'Enseigne de vaisseau Jimmy Moore, le Sergent Raymond Hanchulak, le Sergent Tad Nagaki, et le Lieutenant Jim Hannon. Cette équipe est arrivée juste avant que les forces japonaises ne se rendent officiellement, évitant ainsi une possible destruction du camp.

Après la guerre, le camp a été utilisé comme un centre d'accueil pour les réfugiés chinois déplacés par le conflit.

Je ne peux pas savoir si votre oncle Léopold a vécu les mêmes expériences, mais il se pourrait qu'il ait des histoires similaires à raconter. Chaque interné avait une expérience unique de cette période douloureuse de l'histoire.

Envoyé de mon iPhone



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