18 Oct 1942, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp
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The bankers T. J. J. Fenwick and J. A. D. Morrison begin their escape.
At 7.30 p.m. they leave the Sun Wah Hotel 'with a Hong Kong basket containing socks, shaving gear, a spare shirt and a quarter of a bottle of whisky and a bottle of Napoleon brandy'. At 7.45 they board a tram for Saukiwan, now accompanied by two Chinese agents of the BAAG. Opposite the Star Ferry a Japanese petty officer gets on.
Fenwick:
This bloke seemed to be staring at me all the time, you see, and I thought, oh, God, damned at the very beginning. But nothing happened he got off at some place around the naval yards and we went on.
At a signal from Agent Lo they alight from the tram, go down a narrow side-street and board a sampan. They lie down full length as they're conveyed past two Japanese destroyers. On the other side they're met by another BAAG agent. They cross the hills to Junk Bay and some marching and two more journeys by boat take them into the hands of communist guerrillas:
I cannot speak too highly of these guerillas. The care they took and their kindness will always be remembered by me with the deepest gratitude.
They arrive at BAAG advanced H.Q. at Waichow on October 22, and eventually reach Delhi, where they are thoroughly debriefed - one of the main purposes of the escape has been to pass on important information about financial developments since the surrender. One hundred and two days after they set out, they arrive in Britain.
Source:
Frank King, History of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Volume 3, 618-621
Comments
Escape of Bankers Fenwick & Morrison
Stumble across this and recall from my reading of the Ride's AWM papers wherein Fenwick & Morrison gave the following information in a statement (Ref: Ride's Paper AWM 4-1-0014):
The contact with the BAAG Agent No. 64 Sgt. Lo Hung-shui (HKVDC 4 Coy) was arranged by Mr. H.S. Watson (believed to be Hong Kong Bank).
Lo (64) & Agent 48 Tsang tak-hing of Group B led the bankers Fenwick & Morrison in the evening of 18th Oct 1942 outside Sun Wah Hotel in Central. From there they travelled via tram to Shaukeiwan where Group B used a shop as a base. There they boarded a sampan belonging to Group B to cross to Kowloon (Devil's Peak) where they were met by another Group B Agent No.19 Joseph Tsang Yiu-sang who was a brother of No.48. No.19 took them to Silverstrand Bay escorted by the Kong Kau Guerrillas, where they boarded a junk to Kau Sai Chau. Here, No.19 left them to the Guerrillas who took them to Shek Hang & eventually to Cheung Sheung which was a Guerrilla HQ. There they met a Mr. Fung (believed to be Fong Kwok-wan, 2i/c of Guerrillas, Mr. Tam (Tam Tien an English-speaking Guerrillas of the Internatinal Liaison Group of the Guerrilas led Raymond Wong Chok-mui (No.99)); as well as Tsoi Kwok-leung Commander of the Guerrilas where they were well-treated.
The Bankers & No.64 were later taken to Long Harbour near To Kwa Ping (next to BAAG Post Y at Chek Keng). From there they travelled by junk of the Guerrillas to Shayuchung (BAAG Post X). The Communist Guerrillas left them and they were takenover by another Guerrilla group under a Mr. Wong (probably Wong Chuk-ching of the Pro-Government Guerrillas controlling the area); who took them to Tam Sui where No.19 Joseph Tsang rejoined them to go to BAAG Advance HQ at Wai Chow, arriving in the afternoon of 22nd Oct 1942.
re: Escape of Bankers Fenwick & Morrison
Thanks Lawrence.
The "AWM" references above are from the Australian War Museum. Copies of the documents are also available in the Elizabeth Ride collection here in Hong Kong, see: http://gwulo.com/node/13968
Regards, David