Spine and back cover

The spine and the back cover.

I was born in Borneo, nine years after the end of the World War Two. An era where there was no electricity, no radio and no televison. Grandfathers, Grandmothers, Mom and Dad spent evenings telling us of The Mukden Incident, or Manchurian Incident, 9-18 , 九一八事变 and the heinous Japanese occupation 日本占领. The favourite hero was Captain Fong.
The impact of Captain Fong was so great that Luke, my Grandfather was still telling about his hero for twenty years. Fifty years later, his grandsons were rehashing Ah Kung’s hero. His great grandchildren in faraway Australia and New Zealand are very proud of this Captain Cina.
The older grandchildren thought Captain Fong was a figment of Ah Kung’s imagination. When I wrote "From China to Borneo to Beyond," 海外华人的中国魂, a journal of my people I did not include it in the Chapter of “World War Two.”
It was only in 2014 when Ann connected with Larry Wong, curator of the Chinese Canadian Military. During our discussion, it dawned on me and my brother Joseph that Captain Fong could be an alias of Captain Cheng. I confirmed it with Larry Wong. I felt by omitting the Chapter on Captain Fong, we omitted an important part of our History.
The Canadian soldiers worked in secret in the Canada military Operation Oblivion, people did not know they existed.
To do justice to Captain Fong/Roger Cheng and his men, I wrote this fiction/nonfiction book.

For the backdrop of the cover of my book, I have used Kranji memorial, in Singapore. My friends from overseas like to visit the cemetery and I take them there.

Kranji War Memorial

The Kranji War Memorial in Singapore honours the men and women from the Commonwealth who died in the line of duty during World War II.

Deep within a quiet neighbourhood, about 22 kilometres from the city centre, lies the Kranji War Memorial, a hillside cemetery that is quite beautiful in its serenity once you get there.

Honouring the dead

The memorial honours the men and women from Britain, Australia, Canada, Sri Lanka, India, Malaya, the Netherlands and New Zealand who died in the line of duty during World War II.
Here, you’ll see more than 4,400 white gravestones lined up in rows on the cemetery’s gentle slope. The Chinese Memorial in plot 44 marks a mass grave for 69 Chinese servicemen who were killed by the Japanese when Singapore fell in February 1942.

Hilltop memorials

As you walk the short flight of steps to the hilltop terrace, you’ll see four memorials.
The largest is the Singapore Memorial, with its huge star-topped central pylon that rises to a height of 24 metres.
This memorial bears the names of more than 24,346 Allied soldiers and airmen killed in Southeast Asia who have no known grave. You can find the register, kept by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, at the entrance.
Every year, on the Sunday closest to Remembrance Day on 11 November, a memorial service is held to pay tribute to those who gave their lives.

http://www.yoursingapore.com/see-do-singapore/history/memorials/kranji-war-memorial.html
 http://www.yoursingapore.com/see-do-singapore/history/memorials/kranji-war-memorial.html

why are there still wars?

Fallen Camellia flowers,
Makes me think of the lives wasted,
Lives of innocent people,
Lives of refugees,
Lives of soldiers.
Paid soldiers,
Forced Conscripted soldiers,
Why? Why? Why?
Why are there still wars?

Romusha: building the old airport.

During the Japanese occupation, The boys and men, even older men had to walk from Kwong Tung bar about 5 miles to town, and then another 5 to build the road to build Sibu airport.
The villagers tell of how much blood and sweat that was shred. The Japanese told the people they built the airport. In fact the airport was never completed.
Photo courtesy Martin Lo.

Jetie Ambin The airport, as such, may not have been fully completed but the Japanese fighter planes (Mitsubishi A6 "Zero" ?) were using it during the last days of the war. There was one damaged fighter on the other side of the runway that didn't get off.

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  Jetie Ambin Towards the end of WW2 the Japs had already stationed a few fighters there. The runway was then surfaced with small pebbles. It was bombed and there were bomb-holes, It was repaired by the British but I don,t know when it was put into operation. Further improved to include the airport wooden building. That was replaced by the building shown in this picture.

 

Captain Cheng and some of his Chinese soldiers

Chinese soldiers came to Sarawak into the jungles of Kapit to train the locals to fight the Japanese

Captain Roger Chieng aka Captain Fong

Roger Kee Cheng Born 16 May 1915
Allegiance	Canada
Service/branch	Royal Canadian Corps of Signals
Rank	Captain I finally have contact with Madeline the daughter of Roger Cheng. So happy I could tell her a part of her dad's life that was not told to her because much of Roger's war effort was a secret. When Grand dad and Dad mentioned of their hero, Captain Fong. He was a very Tall and Big man. He was taller than the white soldiers under him. When I was writing my book, I tried to analyze this Tall tale. I thought of Yaw Min who is 7 ft 7, and closer to home, my husband who is 5ft 11, and my daughters who are 5 ft 10 and 5 ft 9, my son 5ft 91/2.  So the  story of Tall Roger is not so tall after all. I showed my husband Roger's photo while we discussed China's new big man Taishan. He is a boxer and is 7 ft. You can see for yourself that Roger is pretty tall in the group photo. Wish he was standing up.

WW2,In Borneo

What is the book about? It talks about the Japanese occupation 1942-1945.

Location Kwong Tung Bar from Sibu to Kanowit.

Why have I chosen this: It is where I am from, and The Brooke Govt had a rice mill at the Tai Kuon school aka Upper Lanang road camp, The Japanese set up a camp there to use the mill, and Captain Roger Chieng aka Fong came down from Kapit to the Tai Kuon Camp.

Finally, My Ah Kung and Ah Pa lived 10 minutes from the camp and were eye witnesses to the surrender of the Japanese at Tai Kuon Camp.