ABOUT THEM
A diary of an unknown hero
and his unusual journey,
lying quietly in a Hong Kong building slated for demolition
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Photo credit: Mr. Huang Shansong
Meeting in War and Parting in Strife
The first batch of World War II-era Chinese officers sent to train under the British navy consisted of 24 men. Many of them, Lam Ping-yu included, had high hopes for the future, written down in grandiose promises to themselves and the world.
These officers came of age in the 1920s and 30s, when China was beset by both internal and external troubles; their decision to embark on a naval career was influenced by a desire to serve and save their country.
Photo credit: Mr. Huang Shansong
The Chinese navy was almost decimated shortly after the outbreak of the full-scale Sino-Japanese War in 1937 and left little room for them to spread their wings. However, shifting global dynamics provided the 24 men with an unexpected opportunity to train in Britain and lay the foundation for the reconstruction of the navy.
A four-month voyage took the officers to Britain in 1943, where they spent the next few years in training and even took part in crucial operations such as D-Day.
Photo credit: Mr. Huang Shansong
Photo credit: Mr. Huang Shansong
War brought these men together, but also separated them. The 24 gradually returned to China after World War II; intended to rebuild the Chinese navy, they were instead swept into the Chinese Civil War.
At this crossroads, each chose their own path; Lam Ping-yu began the next chapter of his life in Hong Kong.
Photo credit: Mr. Huang Shansong