ANZAC Day in New Zealand and Australia

[helen]

It is ANZAC day today 25 April. Australia New Zealand Army Corp
We have a Grand Uncle who died in World War 2, and is buried in the UK.
www.cwgc.org/search/certificate.aspx?casualty=2711705

Pilot Officer Lee was educated at Pui Ching Middle School, Canton. He attended night school and studied mathematics for two years and then attended the Central Military Airforce School at Hangchow where he completed 100 hours flying. In 1938 he returned to New Zealand and enlisted in 1940. Between his return and joining the airforce he work for Stanley Chan, a fruitgrower in Auckland.
His first base was at the Initial Training Wing at Levin where he went on 9 November 1941 and trained on Harvard aircraft.

[helen]

www.stevenyoung.co.nz/chinesevoice/misc/dinkum.htm - Names of others who also served for New Zealand

[David Wong]

Happy Anzac day!

Remember the famous Kiwi fruit for which New Zealand is identified with, originated from China. It was known as the "Chinese Gooseberry" until some clever NZ figured out a way to market it.

[helen]

Happy ANZAC Day Australia and New Zealand. Listen to the Podcast:

www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/asian_report

Jason Moon Interviews my Husband's 94 year old maternal Grand Uncle Dan Chan Lee and his nephew Ken Chan. The Chans served in the war, and an Uncle Willie die in the UK

[helen]

Did you know that there were a lot of Commonwealth Chinese killed during the wars. Search by surname to see how many of them are buried in HK, and other countries.

The aim of The War Graves Photographic Project is to photograph every war grave, individual memorial, MoD grave, and family memorial of serving military personnel from WWI to the present day and make these available within a searchable database.

Now working as a joint venture with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, this will enable families, scholars and researchers to obtain, via the CWGC or TWGPP websites, a copy of the photograph of a grave or memorial which for many is impossible to visit due to the location.

www.twgpp.org/

[douglaslam]

I was quite surprised to learn there were Chinese Labour Corps serving with the Brits. and the French during the Great War. I think there was also an attachment of Chinese labourers with the Canadian expeditionary force.

Though they were non-combatants, nevertheless they were shot at, fallen victims to gassing, artillery, mines and sickness. There is even a Chinese section in a Belgium (or France) war cemetery, with Chinese inscriptions on the headstones. These labourers were mainly non-Cantonese, or else we would be better related to their deeds and exploits. Type in Chinese Labour Corps in your search engine and you'll find many links.

Two things emerged from this aspect of history: you will find Chinese people at least expected places. Secondly, life was so hard that our folks would accept any paid work even at cost of life and limb, to escape poverty. That is sad. The Great War had nothing to do with China at all. By the same token, Australia and NZ really had no business over there in Europe either.

www.greatwardifferent.com/Great_War/Chinese_Laborers/Chinese_Laborers_01.htm

[helen]

Thanks for the link Douglas - It's sad that the Chinese were even involved, but reading on, it seems that maybe life was better away from China - at least they had food and shelter

[douglaslam]

Hi Helen,

Most of the Chinese involved, some 200,000 strong, the size of a large town, were from Shangdong and Zhejiang provinces. As expected, they acquitted themselves well. Large numbers of the labour gang, I believe, suffered the same trauma as the frontline troops. They were involved in supporting roles such as transport, supplies, construction, filling in bomb craters, and recovery of casualties. The latter would be the most traumatic task, and had lasting effects on the labourers. I haven't been able to find out much on this aspect of the war to end all wars from Chinese literature.

Douglas

[helen]

I 'm not sure where those places are, but were they all recruited from the same villages, or did the men just leave their homes and signed up somewhere else? How many eventually went back home? Or were they just left where ever they ended up?

[douglaslam]

Helen,

Try the following link; the forum would give you an idea where the Chinese labourers were recruited.
1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=62307
In a war cemetery website, the host invites questions and promises to reply. I did get a reply a couple of years ago, in regard to the Chinese burial section. I saw images of headstones with Chinese inscription.
It was quite by accident that I found this obscure aspect of the Great War. I heard on radio someone was driving past a war cemetery in France ( or Belgium) and saw a pointer pointing to the Chinese section. It did not register straightaway, then he hit the anchors for curiosity had got the better of him. And me, too.

Douglas

[geoff]

Australian Chinese ex servicemen have been honoured by a monument which lists the names of men & women from the Boer war in 1899, the two World Wars, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam and the peace keeping operations for the United Nations.
This monument is located at the intersection of Dixon and Liverpool Streets, Sydney (Sydney's Chinatown).

acesnr.org/

Lest we forget

[helen]

Thanks Douglas and Geoff - Both great websites. It's good to know that we played our part for world peace.

[helen]

There is some online access to military records of American soldiers at :

aad.archives.gov/aad/series-list.jsp?cat=WR26

World War II Army Enlistment Records, created, 6/1/2002 - 9/30/2002, documenting the period ca. 1938 - 1946 - Record Group 64
Search 9,039,840
HTML Records Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938 - 1946
(Enlistment Records)
Search 8,706,394
HTML Records Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938 - 1946
(Reserve Corps Records)
Search 333,446

Records of World War II Prisoners of War, created, 1942 - 1947, documenting the period 12/7/1941 - 11/19/1946 - Record Group 389
Search 143,374
HTML Records World War II Prisoners of War Data File, 12/7/1941 - 11/19/1946 Search 143,374

World War II Prisoners of the Japanese Data Files, created, 4/2005 - 10/2007, documenting the period ca. 1941 - ca. 1945 - Collection ADBC
Search 29,879
HTML Records World War II Prisoners of the Japanese File, 2007 Update, ca. 1941 - ca. 1945 Search 29,879

Records About Japanese Americans Relocated During World War II, created, 1988 - 1989, documenting the period 1942 - 1946 - Record Group 210
Search 109,384
HTML Records [Japanese-American Internee Data File], 1942 - 1946 Search 109,384

Records of Duty Locations for Naval Intelligence Personnel, created, 1942 - 1945, documenting the period 1942 - 1945 - Record Group 38
Search 33,208
HTML Records Naval Group China Muster Roll and Report of Change Punch Cards, 1942 - 1945 Search 33,208