He must have returned to Hong Kong soon after the war, as this Google Search shows him listed in the Legco minutes for 1946-1950. in 1946 he's the Acting Chairman of the Urban Council, then from 1947 he's shown as the Chairman of the Urban Council.
I have been unable to find any evidence that he was interned at any time. Given that he was with BAAG Officers in December 1942, I assume he must have escaped fairly soon after the Japanese Occupation.
Did he receive his OBE for his escape from Hong Kong?
The following was in the 3rd January 1951 HKGCO meeting minutes:-
GOVERNOR’S ADDRESS.
H.E. THE GOVERNOR: —Gentlemen, before we adjourn I would just like to mention one matter and that is that within the course of the next few days one of our members—and a most distinguished member—will be leaving the Colony on retirement. I refer to Dr. Fehily. We are also losing within the course of the next few days another distinguished public servant and I refer to Mr. Rowell.
These two men, although in different professions, one a doctor and the other an educationalist, have many things in common. They are both outstanding in efficiency. They have given nearly 30 years' service of excellent work to the Colony and the people of Hong Kong. They have also this characteristic in common which has made their work so successful. It is the characteristic of being human. They are not merely efficient, they are not mere bureaucrats, but in their dealings with others, whether Government officers, whether members of this Council, whether members of the public, high or low, rich or poor, they have treated one and all alike as their fellow human beings.
I am sure you would want me, Gentlemen, to thank both Dr. Fehily and Mr. Rowell on your behalf for the work that they have done for us all here and to wish them and their wives many happy years in their retirement. (Applause).
Dr Fehily and wife were not interned as they were able to claim Irish nationality. He and his wife were both Doctors . He escaped HK via Macau arriving in Chungking in Nov 1942 having refused to work for the Japanese - I assume with his wife.
Colonel L.T. Ride had an interview report with Dr. JP Fehily, dated 18 December 1942 in CO129/590/22, pg 158-166.
The first few paragraphs have the story about his departure from Hong Kong to the Free China.
============
Dr. J. P. Fehily, formerly Senior Health Officer, Hongkong, and his wife (also a doctor) left Hongkong the 25th October and arrived here (i.e. Kweilin in Guangxi) via MACAO and KWANG CHOW WAN on the 24th November.
After the surrender he was free as an Irish third national and waa told by Dr.Clarke that he was to work with the Japanese in Kowloon. He refused. Clarke sent him to Colonel Uguchi * but neither Gimson nor any other of our officials had any knowledge of the arrangement at all. Fehily absolutely refused to work for the Japanese.
After this he was warned by a Japanese shipping friend whom he had known before the war that he was in their bad books and so he began to plan to get away, first with the American exchangees as M.O., and then via Russia. Both these methods failed and he had to leave via Macao. [Hon C.S. had given permission for Fehily to leave Colony before Fugita's warning. J.P.F.]
He made a trip to Macao some months ago and carried some of our massages back to Hong Kong. He was alao instructed by Dr. Clarke to ask Reeves to send Stott back to Hong Kong.
Both Fehily and his wife were anxious to join the I.M.S.
* telling him everything had been arranged. It had been between Clarke and Uguchi.
MBChB; FACS; DPH (Belf.). Military doctor. RNMS, Temporary Surgeon December 31, 1915; Hastar Hospital, January 1916. RAMC, Temporary Lieutenant December 4, 1916; Temporary Captain December 4, 1917; The Great War 1917-18; Major 1918. Hong Kong 1924-42, Government doctor. England 1943-45, Malayan Planning Unit 1943 Hong Kong Planning Unit 1944. Hong Kong 1945-51, Government doctor. Retired to Ballineen, Cork, Ireland 1951, address: The Arcade, Ballineen. Honor: King's Silver Jubilee Medal 1935; OBE 1947 ; Justice of the Peace, Ballineen.
He came to HONG KONG September 4th., 1924 as a Government doctor from 1924-42, 1945-51. Medical Officer August 1, 1924. Acting Health Officer of the Port and Inspector of Emigrants (vice Bagenal Harvey Mellon, absence on leave) March 16, 1926 - [n.d.], and January 20, 1931 . Port Health Officer and Inspector of Emigrants December 19, 1931-EOP. Senior Health Officer, Medical Department January 1, 1940. JP (official) 1927-EOP. Defense Reserve, Key Posts Group January 25, 1940.
The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, he was interned with his wife Lydia Fehily, in The Kowloon Hotel 1941-42, released because of his Irish nationality (since Ireland had declared itself neutral). Escaped to Chungking (Chongqing) 重慶 November 1942, and arrived in England 1943. He returned to Hong Kong in 1945. He was Acting Director of Medical Services 1945-46. RAMC, Lieutenant-Colonel; Medical Degree Emergency Committee, in HKU 1946. Urban Council Acting Chairman, August 1, 1946; Chairman December 3, 1947. Member (official), Legislative Council May 16 - July 25, 1946; August 1, 1946 - January 16, 1947; December 3, 1947 - January 3, 1951. Joseph was The President, St. Patrick's Society of Hong Kong 1947. http://www.stpatrickshk.comRetired to Ireland 1951.
He was the son of Patrick Fehily and Margaret Dineen. His Siblings: 1. Thomas Joseph Fehily, born 1885- died April 13, 1918, buried at Ploegsheert Memorial, Belgium; Temporary Captain, 2nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, killed in action in Merville, France. 2. Margaret Fehily, He married a Lydia Nicolaivna [possibly Nikolaevna] Pechterewa [possibly Pechtereva] February 9th, 1934, St. Joseph's Church, Hong Kong.
Dr Joseph Patrick Fehily Immigration Card Brazil 2nd May 1955.jpg, by Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Immigration
Comments
J.P.Fehily
He was Health Officer of Port and Inspector of Emigrants in the 1930s and I believe until the Japanese occupation.
He must have escaped to China as there are numerous mentions of him in BAAG reports from 18th December 1942 onwards.
re: J P Fehily
He must have returned to Hong Kong soon after the war, as this Google Search shows him listed in the Legco minutes for 1946-1950. in 1946 he's the Acting Chairman of the Urban Council, then from 1947 he's shown as the Chairman of the Urban Council.
Regards, David
J P Fehily
I have been unable to find any evidence that he was interned at any time. Given that he was with BAAG Officers in December 1942, I assume he must have escaped fairly soon after the Japanese Occupation.
Did he receive his OBE for his escape from Hong Kong?
The following was in the 3rd January 1951 HKGCO meeting minutes:-
GOVERNOR’S ADDRESS.
H.E. THE GOVERNOR: —Gentlemen, before we adjourn I would just like to mention one matter and that is that within the course of the next few days one of our members—and a most distinguished member—will be leaving the Colony on retirement. I refer to Dr. Fehily. We are also losing within the course of the next few days another distinguished public servant and I refer to Mr. Rowell.
These two men, although in different professions, one a doctor and the other an educationalist, have many things in common. They are both outstanding in efficiency. They have given nearly 30 years' service of excellent work to the Colony and the people of Hong Kong. They have also this characteristic in common which has made their work so successful. It is the characteristic of being human. They are not merely efficient, they are not mere bureaucrats, but in their dealings with others, whether Government officers, whether members of this Council, whether members of the public, high or low, rich or poor, they have treated one and all alike as their fellow human beings.
I am sure you would want me, Gentlemen, to thank both Dr. Fehily and Mr. Rowell on your behalf for the work that they have done for us all here and to wish them and their wives many happy years in their retirement. (Applause).
Dr Fehily and wife were not
Dr Fehily and wife were not interned as they were able to claim Irish nationality. He and his wife were both Doctors . He escaped HK via Macau arriving in Chungking in Nov 1942 having refused to work for the Japanese - I assume with his wife.
Philip Cracknell
Colonel L.T. Ride had an
Colonel L.T. Ride had an interview report with Dr. JP Fehily, dated 18 December 1942 in CO129/590/22, pg 158-166.
The first few paragraphs have the story about his departure from Hong Kong to the Free China.
============
Dr. J. P. Fehily, formerly Senior Health Officer, Hongkong, and his wife (also a doctor) left Hongkong the 25th October and arrived here (i.e. Kweilin in Guangxi) via MACAO and KWANG CHOW WAN on the 24th November.
After the surrender he was free as an Irish third national and waa told by Dr.Clarke that he was to work with the Japanese in Kowloon. He refused. Clarke sent him to Colonel Uguchi * but neither Gimson nor any other of our officials had any knowledge of the arrangement at all. Fehily absolutely refused to work for the Japanese.
After this he was warned by a Japanese shipping friend whom he had known before the war that he was in their bad books and so he began to plan to get away, first with the American exchangees as M.O., and then via Russia. Both these methods failed and he had to leave via Macao. [Hon C.S. had given permission for Fehily to leave Colony before Fugita's warning. J.P.F.]
He made a trip to Macao some months ago and carried some of our massages back to Hong Kong. He was alao instructed by Dr. Clarke to ask Reeves to send Stott back to Hong Kong.
Both Fehily and his wife were anxious to join the I.M.S.
* telling him everything had been arranged. It had been between Clarke and Uguchi.
Some background on Dr Joseph
Some background on Dr Joseph Patrick Fehily here and here
Some basics from http://derekjcollins.blogspot.com/2014/08/2-irish-military-doctors-in-h…
Birth: Ballineen, Cork, Ireland 2nd March 1892
Studied at the National Universiy of Ireland
MBChB; FACS; DPH (Belf.). Military doctor. RNMS, Temporary Surgeon December 31, 1915; Hastar Hospital, January 1916. RAMC, Temporary Lieutenant December 4, 1916; Temporary Captain December 4, 1917; The Great War 1917-18; Major 1918. Hong Kong 1924-42, Government doctor. England 1943-45, Malayan Planning Unit 1943 Hong Kong Planning Unit 1944. Hong Kong 1945-51, Government doctor. Retired to Ballineen, Cork, Ireland 1951, address: The Arcade, Ballineen. Honor: King's Silver Jubilee Medal 1935; OBE 1947 ; Justice of the Peace, Ballineen.
He was the son of Patrick Fehily and Margaret Dineen. His Siblings: 1. Thomas Joseph Fehily, born 1885- died April 13, 1918, buried at Ploegsheert Memorial, Belgium; Temporary Captain, 2nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, killed in action in Merville, France. 2. Margaret Fehily, He married a Lydia Nicolaivna [possibly Nikolaevna] Pechterewa [possibly Pechtereva] February 9th, 1934, St. Joseph's Church, Hong Kong.
Death: Cascais, Portugal 18th August 1980
Probate Date: 30th November 1981
Probate registry: Oxford
A photo of Dr Joseph Patrick
A photo of Dr Joseph Patrick Fehily and his wife Lydia here