The Anti-Japanese War on Mainland China lasted for more than 8 years. However, it was not until around Christmas of 1941 did Hong Kong experience such moments of great peril. The life of the people and the fate of the country were both on the verge of death or destruction. Chinese people, regardless soldiers or civilians, were slaughtered by their enemy. What a horrible scene! A group of high-minded men who were determined to protect the country and its people formed the Hong Kong - Kowloon Independent Company (hereafter referred to as the "Dongjiang Guerrilla Force") under the People's Anti-Japanese Principle Guerrilla Force of Guangdong on 3 February 1942 in Wong Mo Ying Church, Sai Kung. Their mission was to carry out work behind the lines. While we cannot depict in detail the brave deeds performed by the Dongjiang Guerrilla Force in Sai Kung in those days, it is possible to introduce a few relevant historical spots below.

         As detecting activities of the enemy and conveying military intelligence were important tasks on the work list of the Dongjiang Guerrilla Force, the Force set up an underground intelligence system in a cafe (currently known as Tai Wah Tailor Shop at Sai Kung Main Street by the side of Tin Hau Temple) in Sai Kung Market and used it as a cover for carrying out anti-Japanese operation.

          Other tasks of the Dongjiang Guerrilla Force were to rescue soldiers of the alliance that were captured as prisoners-of-war and to assist international associates in an escape. According to some incomplete statistics, the number of people rescued by the Dongjiang Guerrilla Force amounted to 80. One widely known operation was about the saving of a Lieutenant of the "American Flying Tigers" (also known as the All Volunteer Group) under the command of Major General Claire CHENNAULT. The Lieutenant's aircraft was hit while he was leading an attack to bomb Kai Tak Airport. However, he managed to parachute from his plane and landed on Kwun Yam Shan, ran into a traffic officer of the Dongjiang Guerrilla Force and was saved eventually. Later, he fled from Hong Kong under the protection of the Force. Upon his return to the US, he recorded the course of his escape in the form of cartoons and sent a letter of thanks to the Force's newspaper. Furthermore, residents in Sai Kung had also rescued a crew of 4 British soldiers including a Group Captain. Upon victory of the War, a British General visited Sai Kung himself and presented a flag of commendation bearing the words "loyalty, bravery, honesty and love" to the residents. The flag was donated by the Sai Kung Rural Committee to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum a year ago.

           There is one place you will certainly come across when you visit Sai Kung Town - the kindergarten run by Sai Kung Tsung Tsin Church. During the period of Japanese occupation, the present site of the kindergarten was used as the headquarters of the Japanese military police. When the war was over, Japanese soldiers were forced into surrender by Mr. TANG Chun-nam (transliteration) and others, representatives of the Dongjiang Guerrilla Force, on this very site.

           The Dongjiang Guerrilla Force and the residents of Sai Kung had made meritorious and commendable contributions during the Anti-Japanese war. Between 1983 and 1984, a group of old-fighters of the Dongjiang Guerrilla Force and Sai Kung residents initiated the preparation for constructing a monument in memory of the freedom-fighters. Under the support of the Commander of the Dongjiang Guerrilla Force, the minister of traffic of the country and Mr. ZENG Sheng (transliteration), advisor of the State Council, and with generous donations from all sectors, the monument in memory of the late martyrs was completed on 23 January 1989 in Tsam Chuk Wan, Sai Kung, thereby creating a historical spot which reminded the residents of their ancestors' brave deeds.

            There is an appending little story about the Roll of Honour listing the glorious dead. The said Roll was not given due attention after the war owing to political reasons. It was not until after the reunification of Hong Kong with China in 1997 that the Roll of Honour was relocated to the shrine of the City Hall Memorial Garden by the Honourable TUNG Chee-hwa, the Chief Executive, and Mr. LAW Au-fung (transliteration), Platoon Officer of the Dongjiang Guerrilla Force, in remembrance of the everlasting spirit of the brave and the dead.
 

CHEUNG Siu-woo, "Dongjiang Guerrilla Force and Sai Kung in the Anti-Japanese War"; MA Muk-chi etc, "The History and Heritage of Sai Kung", (Hong Kong, Sai Kung District Council, September 2003), Part IV, Section 1, pp.150-164. CHUI Yuet-ching, "A Factual Account of the Anti-Japanese Activities of the Dongjiang Guerrilla Force in Hong Kong" (Hong Kong, Joint Publishing (Hong Kong) Company Limited, 1993)