Preston Wong was a teacher at St Paul's College who was helping the BAAG, betrayed with others to the Japanese and executed on 29 October 1943. For the first time, this year a memorial service will be held at the College for Preston on 29 October, and on 26 October a service will be held at his stone in Stanley cemetery. The alumni are organising the service at the College and the Boy Scouts the service in the cemetery as Preston was a Scout leader. If anyone would like further information, they can contact me, Geoff Emerson.
I am delighted to read from Geoff Emerson’s post that memorial services will be held for the first time this month in memory of Preston Wong who was executed as a BAAG agent on 29th October, 1943. Preston Wong’s wife was a Chinese Australian, and their daughter Betty married Robert Primrose (Prim) who was an Administrative Officer with the HK Government after the war. Betty passed away not so long ago, in England. She would have been very pleased indeed to know that her father was being remembered in this way.
Hopefully, more information will be made available by friends, family and historians.
BTW, if anyone's connected with the 10th Hong Kong Scouts, I hope you won't mind the reproduction of your photos - I tried to just put in a link, but Facebook seems to impose a downloading of the actual content. I'll remove it all if there's any objection, but these are excellent photos and I think anyone interested in Mr Wong will want to see them.
The following excerpted from the Lindsay Ride's BAAG Papers containing a message sent by Preston Wong probably late in 1942:
"The following letter was received from someone signing as "PREST" through 64 (No.64 was Sgt Lo Hung-sui). In due course, I hope to identify the person... (some text not quoted here)...
Dear DC (apparently referring to Douglas Clague, Oi/c BAAG AHQ Wai Chow)
JDS (apparently referring to Prof. Duncan Sloss, VC-HKU) is returning to Stanley this afternoon, after staying out at the F.Hospital for over four months. He has again revealed that various medicine is urgently needed in SSPo camp, because ... (for brevity sake, the disceases not quoted here)... Diphtheria is the worst and the victims can only be saved if the anti-toxin can be secured & injected, but the Japanese authorities have done nothing for our men. It has now been arranged with a very reliable & trustworthy person to get medicine into the camp and Bowen Road Hospital if such medicine can be procured, and therefore it is earnestly hoped that you will be able to have some of the stuff sent down. Since we cannot save our men by getting them across the border, we should do our best to save them from these epidemics. The stuffs needed are ... (detailed list of medications left out here) ... Please send along whatever you can and I will see that it is forwarded to our man safely.
Mrs. Preston Wong was Phyllis G. Wong who worked at St. Paul's College, Bonham Road. On 3rd May 1962, Paul Tsui wrote to the Colonial Secretary testifying to the service of Preston Wong to the BAAG. It was written in support of an application made by Mrs. Wong. Unfortunately, I was not privy to the write-up on Preston Wong attached; only the covering letter.
It is interesting to note that Ex-members of the BAAG was having a reunion dinner for the 20th times in May 1962.
Elizabeth Ride kindly sent this extract from the BAAG Roll of Honour:
Formerly House Master and teacher at St. Paul’s College, a member of the Hongkong Police Reserve, Chinese company (served in the Police Reserve during the First War). He was with the Force until they were disbanded.
Was arrested on the 27th April 1943 at 10 pm from 68 Robinson Road. Executed on 29th October 1943 at 3 pm (Colonel Newnham, Captain Ansari, Mr C.F. Hyde) the total number executed that day was 16 Britishers and 23 Chinese.
Informed of his death June 19th 1944 by Mr F.M. el Arculli, who was a prisoner and released from Stanley Prison.
He came in contact with this mission [BAAG?] through his cousin Wong Kwong Sheung. He received an order from Lt Col Ride of Waichow. (The number he was allotted I cannot recall at the moment). His duty was to send reports from Hongkong to Waichow, and deliver notes to Mr C.F. Hyde of the Hongkong Bank through Joseph Tsang. Assisted Messrs, Morrison, Fenwick of the Hongkong Bank to escape from Hongkong.
Comments
Preston Wong
Geoff Emerson writes:
Preston Wong was a teacher at St Paul's College who was helping the BAAG, betrayed with others to the Japanese and executed on 29 October 1943. For the first time, this year a memorial service will be held at the College for Preston on 29 October, and on 26 October a service will be held at his stone in Stanley cemetery. The alumni are organising the service at the College and the Boy Scouts the service in the cemetery as Preston was a Scout leader. If anyone would like further information, they can contact me, Geoff Emerson.
Telephone (852) 6012 0700.
www.gcemerson.com
Henry Ching:
I am delighted to read from Geoff Emerson’s post that memorial services will be held for the first time this month in memory of Preston Wong who was executed as a BAAG agent on 29th October, 1943. Preston Wong’s wife was a Chinese Australian, and their daughter Betty married Robert Primrose (Prim) who was an Administrative Officer with the HK Government after the war. Betty passed away not so long ago, in England. She would have been very pleased indeed to know that her father was being remembered in this way.
Preston Wong was born on June
Preston Wong was born on June 21, 1890.
I've put together a short account of his life from the few sources I have:
https://jonmarkgreville2.wordpress.com/2013/11/06/wong-shiu-pun-preston/
Hopefully, more information will be made available by friends, family and historians.
BTW, if anyone's connected with the 10th Hong Kong Scouts, I hope you won't mind the reproduction of your photos - I tried to just put in a link, but Facebook seems to impose a downloading of the actual content. I'll remove it all if there's any objection, but these are excellent photos and I think anyone interested in Mr Wong will want to see them.
Preston Wong - further
The following excerpted from the Lindsay Ride's BAAG Papers containing a message sent by Preston Wong probably late in 1942:
"The following letter was received from someone signing as "PREST" through 64 (No.64 was Sgt Lo Hung-sui). In due course, I hope to identify the person... (some text not quoted here)...
Dear DC (apparently referring to Douglas Clague, Oi/c BAAG AHQ Wai Chow)
JDS (apparently referring to Prof. Duncan Sloss, VC-HKU) is returning to Stanley this afternoon, after staying out at the F.Hospital for over four months. He has again revealed that various medicine is urgently needed in SSPo camp, because ... (for brevity sake, the disceases not quoted here)... Diphtheria is the worst and the victims can only be saved if the anti-toxin can be secured & injected, but the Japanese authorities have done nothing for our men. It has now been arranged with a very reliable & trustworthy person to get medicine into the camp and Bowen Road Hospital if such medicine can be procured, and therefore it is earnestly hoped that you will be able to have some of the stuff sent down. Since we cannot save our men by getting them across the border, we should do our best to save them from these epidemics. The stuffs needed are ... (detailed list of medications left out here) ... Please send along whatever you can and I will see that it is forwarded to our man safely.
PREST"
Mrs. Preston Wong
Mrs. Preston Wong was Phyllis G. Wong who worked at St. Paul's College, Bonham Road. On 3rd May 1962, Paul Tsui wrote to the Colonial Secretary testifying to the service of Preston Wong to the BAAG. It was written in support of an application made by Mrs. Wong. Unfortunately, I was not privy to the write-up on Preston Wong attached; only the covering letter.
It is interesting to note that Ex-members of the BAAG was having a reunion dinner for the 20th times in May 1962.
Preston Wong
Elizabeth Ride kindly sent this extract from the BAAG Roll of Honour:
Formerly House Master and teacher at St. Paul’s College, a member of the Hongkong Police Reserve, Chinese company (served in the Police Reserve during the First War). He was with the Force until they were disbanded.
Was arrested on the 27th April 1943 at 10 pm from 68 Robinson Road. Executed on 29th October 1943 at 3 pm (Colonel Newnham, Captain Ansari, Mr C.F. Hyde) the total number executed that day was 16 Britishers and 23 Chinese.
Informed of his death June 19th 1944 by Mr F.M. el Arculli, who was a prisoner and released from Stanley Prison.
He came in contact with this mission [BAAG?] through his cousin Wong Kwong Sheung. He received an order from Lt Col Ride of Waichow. (The number he was allotted I cannot recall at the moment). His duty was to send reports from Hongkong to Waichow, and deliver notes to Mr C.F. Hyde of the Hongkong Bank through Joseph Tsang. Assisted Messrs, Morrison, Fenwick of the Hongkong Bank to escape from Hongkong.
BAAG Wong Kwong-sheung
From my reading: I believe Wong Kwong Sheung was Agent No.46 of BAAG FIGS Group B - aka William (or Bill) Wong, He worked with No.48 Tsang Tak-hing; No.19 Joseph Tsang Yiu-sang; No.25 Chan Yeung; No.77 Chan Kwok-kwong; as well as others Runners like No.7 Wu Wing; No.17 Chan Sau-tak; No.22 Chan Chiu-fan. No.64 Sgt. Lo Hung Shui also liaised with them for courier of messages. No.46 Wong was despatched to HK on 19th June 1942 with No.19 Joseph Tsang to make contact with Shamshuipo & Argyle Camp. Wong had a relative (brother-in-law) who was an electrician of CLP and went to the camps to do repairs. Initial attempts were not successful. Contacts with Shanshuipo Camp was eventually established with the Kai Tak Airport Work Team through the father of the Tsang Brothers (Tsang Chun-fook) who was a foreman at the site.
Preston Wong's name appeared in Jan 1943 when a message arrived at AHQ signed "PREST" whose idemtity was not immediately recognised.