Thomas KEW [????- ]

Lawrence Tsui writes:

There was a Thomas Kew on the list of former wartime BAAG members.  The list was drafted circa 1951.  He served as a Clerk of the RE Store; was SQMS HK Volunteers, India during the War; and Clerk of RAF Store post-war.  The name is unusual, hence I thought there might be some connections to [Frederick Howard Kew].

Henry Ching adds:

I once asked my good friend the late Eric Peter Ho the very same question, whether Thomas and Frederick were related. He told me that Thomas Kew was a half-brother of the Albert Edward Kew who married Eric’s aunt, Nancy Joyce Ho. Eric was unfortunately unable to give me any more details. Albert Edward Kew, who was RQMS in the HKVDC, was a nephew of Frederick Howard Kew.

Thomas Kew succeeded in leaving Hong Kong during the Japanese occupation and joined the BAAG’s China Unit.  The China Unit comprised men from Hong Kong most of whom served in the British army (mainly Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers and the Hong Kong Chinese Regiment) in the defence of the Colony, but some had no previous military experience. There were about 11 men from the HKVDC.   The 127 men of the China Unit including Thomas Kew were sent to India where they were formed into the Hong Kong Volunteer Company in the Chindits.