Bernard TOHILL [1919-2010] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Bernard TOHILL [1919-2010]

Names
Given: 
Bernard
Family: 
Tohill
Sex: 
Male
Status: 
Deceased
Birth
Date: 
1919-08-12
Birthplace (town, state): 
Belfast
Birthplace (country): 
Death
Date: 
2010-12-21

DoD from his obituary:

"[...] Fr. Bernard’s death is a great loss also for our China Province, where he arrived, newly-professed, 73 years ago in 1937 and where he spent 51 of his 73 years of Salesian life, being one of its Rectors (1952-1958) and Provincials (1958-1963). [...]"

He spent the war years (1941-45) in Hong Kong.

Comments

He describes them in this SCMP article from 2003:

http://www.scmp.com/article/412402/bernard-tohill

It was I who put the SCMP reporter in touch with Father Tohill, and I remember that time I was already in California so I never got to read the article in print. One of the reasons that triggered me to want to have Father Tohill's story known was because the goofy doorman at guarding the building where I used to live near Bonham Road was actually one of the school boys whom young Brother Tohill rescued by escorting them all the way from Aberdeen Technical School treking on foot to the Salesian Mission House in Shau Kei Wan during the Japanese invasion. 

US Passengers Arrriving at Boston Admitted 23 January 1960

Reverend Bernard Tohill British born Belfast 12-8-1919 (12 August 1919) Passport issued in Hong Kong

Ireland Birth Registers

Bernard Tohill birth registered Quarter 3 Belfast