Nelson / Nai-kwong MA (aka BAAG No. 71.i / BAAG codename "Nitram" / 馬乃光) [1914-????] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Nelson / Nai-kwong MA (aka BAAG No. 71.i / BAAG codename "Nitram" / 馬乃光) [1914-????]

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Submitted by emride on Sat, 2015-01-24 21:59
Names
Given: 
Nelson / Nai-kwong
Family: 
Ma
Alias / nickname: 
BAAG No. 71.i / BAAG codename "Nitram" / 馬乃光
Sex: 
Male
Status: 
Deceased
Birth
Date: 
c.1914-01-01 (Month, Day are approximate)
Birthplace (country): 
Hong Kong
Tags: 
BAAG
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Comments

Submitted by kkGwulo on Mon, 2015-02-02 15:55.
Interview of Nelson MAR BEM can be found in the book "The BAAG Saga: A wartime history of the part played by Hong Kong citizens in the Second World War" ISBN 978-988-99186-0-6. The book was written in Chinese.

Submitted by Lawrence Tsui on Tue, 2015-02-03 08:50.

There is one major discrepency with the book "The BAAG Saga...".  It regards the role played by Nelson Ma - he claimed to be the "Head of Station" of the BAAG Team at Macao.  BAAG documents indicate that he was a key member of the team of PL (Y.C. Liang).  This point was drawn to the attention of the youthful publishing team by myself and others before publication.  Nelson had just passed away at the grand old age of 97(?), and the publishers decided not to alter his legend.  However, I appreciate their efforts to highlight the BAAG amongst Chinese-speaking youths, including making pesentations at schools.

 

Submitted by emride on Tue, 2015-02-24 16:26.

From the entry for Nelson Ma in the BAAG Personnel Register, Ride Collection:

Chinese-British subject, born Hongkong 1914, Clerk RN Dockyard, BAAG Sept 42 to Dec 45.

“Before the capitulation in 1941, this man was employed in the Technical Section, Torpedo Depot of the Naval Dockyard.  He refused to work for the enemy and in August 1942, brought out a party of Chinese to Free China.  He reported to the BAAG in Kweilin and afterwards agreed to return to Hongkong and organise a mass escape of workers from all the Japanese Naval Yards.  He performed this dangerous task most efficiently and in November 1942, returned to Kweilin with his plans for the escape of some hundreds of mateys and their families.  Some fifty or more were got out safely when the operation had to be stopped.  Ma returned to Macao in December 1942, and remained in that area throughout the rest of the War as one of the keymen in our underground organisation, and was directly associated with all our many operations there.  On several occasions he personally made the dangerous trip through enemy-occupied territory from Macao to our post in Yanping, carrying important messages which could not be entrusted to ordinary runners.  In 1944, when Force 136 obtained permission to resuscitate the mateys scheme, Ma’s plans, which had been lying dormant and undiscovered by the Japanese since 1942, were immediately again put into operation and were only halted by the enemy occupation of the whole of S. China."  (signed) L T Ride, Colonel.  1946.