“This officer joined the service of the BAAG in July 1942 as a civil Medical Practitioner and was commissioned into the RAMC in July 1943.
From July 1942 to May 1943 he was MC at our Advanced HQs and from August 43 to august 44, MO at our Samfou Forward Post. In both these areas the civil Chinese medical service was of a most primitive kind, and that for the Chinese Army did not exist. In Waichow Captain Lee was given the use of two old missionary hospitals and there he looked after Chinese Government officials and their families, Chinese military personnel and Refugees. He also set up and ran a large Refugee Champ for Chinese driven out of Hongkong. For his outstanding work for air raid casualties he gained the special thanks of the Chinese officials.
In 1943 he was specially sent to Samfou to administer large British funds for the famine relief in the Toishan area. He set up six congee kitchens, three medical aid posts and a hospital.
It is no exaggeration to say that many hundreds of Chinese lives, both civil and military, have been saved by the untiring energy and medical skill of Captain Lee; the reputation he has earned amongst the population of those forward areas as well as amongst the Guerillas and troops borders on the legendary; his work is in no small way responsible for breaking down the intense anti-British feeling which was for some time making our work in the forward areas so difficult.” (signed) L T Ride, Colonel.
Statement by Dr. Lee:
“I escaped from Hongkong at the end of March 1942, and went into free China via Kongmoon and Wuchow.
After a stay of 5 days in Kukong I was instructed by Col. Ride to take a party of dressers and nurses to Waichow where I was to set up a medical post, and to collect medical stores at Lungchung en route. They were Messrs Woo, Yeung and Cheng, Mrs. Woo and Cheng.
After an uneventful journey of about 10 days we reached Waichow on August 14th. Shortly after reporting to OC AHQ, we didnt waste much time in contacting the two Superintendents of Wai On and St. Joseph’s Hospitals who granted us permission to use their hospital for dealing with in-patients as well as out-patients. During my eight months’ residence there I must say that they co-operated well with me, and extended me every courtesy as well as living up to their word.
Right from the start the Medical Post was an immediate success, and played no inconsiderable part in fostering excellent relations between BAAG and the Chinese Garrison HQ. In the initial stage the medical work was confined, more or less, to the treatment of British Army personnel, BAAG Chinese Staff and their families, Chinese Army personnel, and civilian refugees from Hongkong. When air-raids became more frequent and extensive the mercy errand of the Unit was extended even to the local people because there was no medical service existing. The BAAG first aid stretcher unit in those days was beyond praise. They were so efficiently run that the casualties were brought into hospital 15 minutes after the raid was over. In one raid, at least, when there were over 400 casualties it received a write-up in the local papers; and was honoured by a personal visit from the district’s Chairman.
The work was carried out in two hospitals and a refugee camp. The morning Clinic was in Wai On Hospital, and the afternoon one in St. Joseph’s. The camp was under the supervision of a senior dresser. When the Unit became known as many as 200 patients were seen daily; and later, when drugs became short the number was limited to the amount of medical stores available. In spite of the lack of equipment and medicine the work was appreciated by the Civil and the Military alike.
In the early part of 1943 when the Japanese began to deport the destitutes of Hongkong into free China the problem of dealing with them became an acute one because of the number and the shortage of hospital accommodation. In view of their condition which was caused by malnutrition and starvation it was a hopeless fight in dealing with them in an ambulatory manner because what they required more than anything 4lse was food and more food. Since no organisation took any interest in these poor helpless wrecks it fell on the medical Unit in initiating relief measures. After a preliminary investigation of the camp the problem was found to be not only a serious but also a big one. As funds available for this sort of work was limited the only practicable measure was to send soya-bean milk from the hospital kitchen to the camp. Not long after that the work was known to the Officials of the town; and it had the good effect of stimulating local interest in charity which led to the formation of a local committee in dealing with homeless refugees. As soon as the local organisation took charge of the work the Unit made a graceful retreat and concentrated on its proper duty.
About the time when the FAU made known their intention of withdrawing their medical team from the Area our Unit had plans to expand its medical work in establishing two outposts: one in Shekma and the other in Tamshui. This was made easy by Dr. Handley Laycock who left the FAU to join the British Army. He was appointed in charge of these posts. At the beginning of May 1943, my sick leave in Kweilin coincided with the Commandant’s order for my recall to HQ for another job. At this juncture I wish to record, before dismissing the subject of my work in Waichow, my deep appreciation and gratitude to the dressers who served with me in those difficult days.
Shortly after my arrival Col. Ride unfolded his plan and explained that having obtained NC$800,000 from the British ambassador I was to administer this fund for the relief of Toishan and other districts where famine was taking terrible toll of the population. It was a form of grateful expression from the British people to the people of this area for the invaluable assistance they had given to the people of Hongkong who had passed through in their escape into free China. Mr. Heathcote-Smith, the British Consul in Kweilin, was to accompany me down, and to act in an advisory capacity. Since there was a famine in the area it was necessary to bring rice down. After considerable difficulties in dealing with Chinese officials for permits and other documents the requisite amount of rice was duly purchased, exchanged and escorted from Waichow to Samfou where we arrived in the latter part of July.
Samfou was the AHQ of BAAG in the West River area. In consultation with the local relief officials it was decided that a quick tour of the area under review should be undertaken; and thereafter, a plan was drawn up in selecting the various towns and villages to open congee kitchens and medical posts. Six congee kitchens, two medical outposts and one hospital were established. With the assistance of local committees helpers were enlisted to run these posts.
As soon as the congee kitchens were running smoothly the medical side of the project was tackled energetically. The Samfou and Tinting medical outposts were opened shortly after the establishment of the hospital in Toishan. The hospital was lent to the Unit by the Maryknoll Catholic Mission. At this stage I would like to pay tribute to the Fathers of the area who had rendered extremely valuable service to the cause; and without their assistance, the project would not have been so successful as it was. Because the need for medical relief was no less urgent than food it took no time for the number of patients to attain the figure of 400-500 daily. It was no unusual sight to see patients milling around the entrance of the hospital waiting to be sen as early as dawn. In contrast to Waichow the work in Toishan was almost completely civilian – made up of poor, and more often that not, homeless destitutes. It’s really wonderful to note the way in which the Staff of the hospital, mostly untrained, put their heart into the work in dealing with hundreds of cases every morning; and after a short break for lunch, would return again to assist in the operating theatre during the whole of the afternoon, day-in-and-day out, without a murmur of complaint, each vying with the other, to help out the poor and sick in pain, distress and misery. There was hardly an afternoon that did not have 2-6 surgical operations going one. Besides, there was one day in a week devoted entirely to dental extractions. In spite of the fact that most of the personnel were untrained there was no recorded death in the operating theatre, and the post-operative death was less the 1% from the total of over 500 cases. And about 1/3 of them were major procedures ranging from Prostatectomy to complete Mastectomy. During the period of less than a year the hospital had given treatment to almost 30,000 patients, which, of course, does not include the treatment dispensed by the two medical outposts.
Now a word about the congee kitchens. Because of the overwhelming number of destitutes it was not possible to feed every hungry soul. The number of tickets issued was therefore limited to 6,000. This figure was maintained until the funds were exhausted when the work wa handed over to the reconstituted Sino-British-American Relief Committee. Due to Co. Ride’s energetic support it was possible for the medical work to continue unimpaired until September 1944, when the Unit was forced to evacuate to Yanping by reason of the Japanese invasion of the area. From then on the character of the work changed entirely. It was then attached to General Li Kong’s HQ to look after his battle casualties. This phase was entirely military. Round about this time I was recalled back to HQ, and the Unit was taken over by Capt. S.H. Moore”.
Comments
“This officer joined the
“This officer joined the service of the BAAG in July 1942 as a civil Medical Practitioner and was commissioned into the RAMC in July 1943.
From July 1942 to May 1943 he was MC at our Advanced HQs and from August 43 to august 44, MO at our Samfou Forward Post. In both these areas the civil Chinese medical service was of a most primitive kind, and that for the Chinese Army did not exist. In Waichow Captain Lee was given the use of two old missionary hospitals and there he looked after Chinese Government officials and their families, Chinese military personnel and Refugees. He also set up and ran a large Refugee Champ for Chinese driven out of Hongkong. For his outstanding work for air raid casualties he gained the special thanks of the Chinese officials.
In 1943 he was specially sent to Samfou to administer large British funds for the famine relief in the Toishan area. He set up six congee kitchens, three medical aid posts and a hospital.
It is no exaggeration to say that many hundreds of Chinese lives, both civil and military, have been saved by the untiring energy and medical skill of Captain Lee; the reputation he has earned amongst the population of those forward areas as well as amongst the Guerillas and troops borders on the legendary; his work is in no small way responsible for breaking down the intense anti-British feeling which was for some time making our work in the forward areas so difficult.” (signed) L T Ride, Colonel.
Statement by Dr. Lee:
“I escaped from Hongkong at the end of March 1942, and went into free China via Kongmoon and Wuchow.
After a stay of 5 days in Kukong I was instructed by Col. Ride to take a party of dressers and nurses to Waichow where I was to set up a medical post, and to collect medical stores at Lungchung en route. They were Messrs Woo, Yeung and Cheng, Mrs. Woo and Cheng.
After an uneventful journey of about 10 days we reached Waichow on August 14th. Shortly after reporting to OC AHQ, we didnt waste much time in contacting the two Superintendents of Wai On and St. Joseph’s Hospitals who granted us permission to use their hospital for dealing with in-patients as well as out-patients. During my eight months’ residence there I must say that they co-operated well with me, and extended me every courtesy as well as living up to their word.
Right from the start the Medical Post was an immediate success, and played no inconsiderable part in fostering excellent relations between BAAG and the Chinese Garrison HQ. In the initial stage the medical work was confined, more or less, to the treatment of British Army personnel, BAAG Chinese Staff and their families, Chinese Army personnel, and civilian refugees from Hongkong. When air-raids became more frequent and extensive the mercy errand of the Unit was extended even to the local people because there was no medical service existing. The BAAG first aid stretcher unit in those days was beyond praise. They were so efficiently run that the casualties were brought into hospital 15 minutes after the raid was over. In one raid, at least, when there were over 400 casualties it received a write-up in the local papers; and was honoured by a personal visit from the district’s Chairman.
The work was carried out in two hospitals and a refugee camp. The morning Clinic was in Wai On Hospital, and the afternoon one in St. Joseph’s. The camp was under the supervision of a senior dresser. When the Unit became known as many as 200 patients were seen daily; and later, when drugs became short the number was limited to the amount of medical stores available. In spite of the lack of equipment and medicine the work was appreciated by the Civil and the Military alike.
In the early part of 1943 when the Japanese began to deport the destitutes of Hongkong into free China the problem of dealing with them became an acute one because of the number and the shortage of hospital accommodation. In view of their condition which was caused by malnutrition and starvation it was a hopeless fight in dealing with them in an ambulatory manner because what they required more than anything 4lse was food and more food. Since no organisation took any interest in these poor helpless wrecks it fell on the medical Unit in initiating relief measures. After a preliminary investigation of the camp the problem was found to be not only a serious but also a big one. As funds available for this sort of work was limited the only practicable measure was to send soya-bean milk from the hospital kitchen to the camp. Not long after that the work was known to the Officials of the town; and it had the good effect of stimulating local interest in charity which led to the formation of a local committee in dealing with homeless refugees. As soon as the local organisation took charge of the work the Unit made a graceful retreat and concentrated on its proper duty.
About the time when the FAU made known their intention of withdrawing their medical team from the Area our Unit had plans to expand its medical work in establishing two outposts: one in Shekma and the other in Tamshui. This was made easy by Dr. Handley Laycock who left the FAU to join the British Army. He was appointed in charge of these posts. At the beginning of May 1943, my sick leave in Kweilin coincided with the Commandant’s order for my recall to HQ for another job. At this juncture I wish to record, before dismissing the subject of my work in Waichow, my deep appreciation and gratitude to the dressers who served with me in those difficult days.
Shortly after my arrival Col. Ride unfolded his plan and explained that having obtained NC$800,000 from the British ambassador I was to administer this fund for the relief of Toishan and other districts where famine was taking terrible toll of the population. It was a form of grateful expression from the British people to the people of this area for the invaluable assistance they had given to the people of Hongkong who had passed through in their escape into free China. Mr. Heathcote-Smith, the British Consul in Kweilin, was to accompany me down, and to act in an advisory capacity. Since there was a famine in the area it was necessary to bring rice down. After considerable difficulties in dealing with Chinese officials for permits and other documents the requisite amount of rice was duly purchased, exchanged and escorted from Waichow to Samfou where we arrived in the latter part of July.
Samfou was the AHQ of BAAG in the West River area. In consultation with the local relief officials it was decided that a quick tour of the area under review should be undertaken; and thereafter, a plan was drawn up in selecting the various towns and villages to open congee kitchens and medical posts. Six congee kitchens, two medical outposts and one hospital were established. With the assistance of local committees helpers were enlisted to run these posts.
As soon as the congee kitchens were running smoothly the medical side of the project was tackled energetically. The Samfou and Tinting medical outposts were opened shortly after the establishment of the hospital in Toishan. The hospital was lent to the Unit by the Maryknoll Catholic Mission. At this stage I would like to pay tribute to the Fathers of the area who had rendered extremely valuable service to the cause; and without their assistance, the project would not have been so successful as it was. Because the need for medical relief was no less urgent than food it took no time for the number of patients to attain the figure of 400-500 daily. It was no unusual sight to see patients milling around the entrance of the hospital waiting to be sen as early as dawn. In contrast to Waichow the work in Toishan was almost completely civilian – made up of poor, and more often that not, homeless destitutes. It’s really wonderful to note the way in which the Staff of the hospital, mostly untrained, put their heart into the work in dealing with hundreds of cases every morning; and after a short break for lunch, would return again to assist in the operating theatre during the whole of the afternoon, day-in-and-day out, without a murmur of complaint, each vying with the other, to help out the poor and sick in pain, distress and misery. There was hardly an afternoon that did not have 2-6 surgical operations going one. Besides, there was one day in a week devoted entirely to dental extractions. In spite of the fact that most of the personnel were untrained there was no recorded death in the operating theatre, and the post-operative death was less the 1% from the total of over 500 cases. And about 1/3 of them were major procedures ranging from Prostatectomy to complete Mastectomy. During the period of less than a year the hospital had given treatment to almost 30,000 patients, which, of course, does not include the treatment dispensed by the two medical outposts.
Now a word about the congee kitchens. Because of the overwhelming number of destitutes it was not possible to feed every hungry soul. The number of tickets issued was therefore limited to 6,000. This figure was maintained until the funds were exhausted when the work wa handed over to the reconstituted Sino-British-American Relief Committee. Due to Co. Ride’s energetic support it was possible for the medical work to continue unimpaired until September 1944, when the Unit was forced to evacuate to Yanping by reason of the Japanese invasion of the area. From then on the character of the work changed entirely. It was then attached to General Li Kong’s HQ to look after his battle casualties. This phase was entirely military. Round about this time I was recalled back to HQ, and the Unit was taken over by Capt. S.H. Moore”.