John Charles POWER [c.1886-1944]

Extracts from a statement by Mohamed Yousif Khan,  27.9.1945:

Towards the end of 1942 Ahmed Khan introduced me to a man named John Power formerly of Dodwell & Co, who was living a few doors away from Ahmed Khan’s house at No. 31 Kimberley Rd. ....

Thereafter Ahmed Khan, myself and my brother Mohamed Ahsan, took opportunity wherever and whenever possible to disseminate pro-British propaganda amongst our Indian friends and Indian Service men who called at our house from time to time.  When POW were allowed by the Japanese to go and see pro-Japanese films or to worship at Mosques, we passed words to them.

On the instructions of Mr. Power we also gathered intelligence for him as regards ship movements in the harbour, damages sustained by Japanese warships in Hongkong, and also names of Hospital ships calling at Hongkong.  We also gave information to Mr. Power of enemy Military dispositions at various points in Hongkong. ...

Mr. Power had a short-wave radio and current news received by him would be passed by us to the POW and others.

On Dec.1 1943 No.31 Kimberley Road was damaged by Allied bombing and so was Mr. Power’s house. As a result of this, he moved to Carnarvon Road.

In Feb 44, Ahmed Khan, myself and my brother moved to 451 Lockhart Rd.  We still maintained our contact with Mr. Power by visiting him every 2 or 3 days. ...

In April 44, we made up our minds to go to the interior via Macao.  We consulted Mr. Power who conveyed a message to the British Consul in Macao through one Braga.  The British Consul was informed that Mr. Power had 3 Post Office friends who would like to go to the interior.

Between May and June 44 word came back that our departure was approved by the British Consul.  

Round about this time we noticed that our house was watched by Chinese Detectives.  At the beginning of June 44 a person named Imam Din who was then in prison, sent word out to us to inform “Takat” (nickname of Mr. Power) to stop his activities.  On receipt of this message Ahmed Khan and I warned Mr. Power accordingly.

On the 9 or 10 June 44, R.P. Gillotte and a man named Dass (an interpreter of the Kowloon Magistracy) were arrested.  Finally, at about the end of June 44, Mr. Power was also arrested.

On about the 5 July at 4 pm one Ghulam Mohamed, a Police Constable and a nephew of Sub.Maj Mohamed Ali, came to our house and warned us that we were in danger and that we should  try and escape.  At that time my brother was out while Ahmed Khan and I were in the house.  At 7 pm of the same day, my brother returned.  At 10 pm a Japanese Gendarme in plain clothes accompanied by a Chinese Detective and an Indian named Wadumall (a Sindhi) came to our house.  Wadumall called out from the staircase “Mr. Khan, open the door”.  On hearing this Ahmed Khan opened the door and first Wadumall, next the Chinese Detective and lastly the Japanese Gendarme came into the house.  We were ordered by the Gendarme to open up all our trunks and boxes. After these had been gone over with, we were ordered to go down to the street.  On our way down Wadumall said he was working in the Japanese Political Department and that we had a lot of enemies.  We were taken to the Supreme Court in a car and on the following day we were taken out to Stanley.

3 or 4 days later, I was taken out of my cell to a workshop when I was interrogated by Interpreter Inoue.  He accused me of being a spy and questioned me about my connection with Mr. Power.  I was asked what had taken place between ourselves and Mr. Power.  I denied everything and was thereupon beaten up by Inoue in the presence of a Gendarme named Moriyama.  Moriyama was the person who had come to arrest us.  I was hung up with my hands tied behind me.  A Chinese constable who guarded me whilst the Japanese went out for their tiffin gave me the worst beating of all.  Later Moriyama and Inoue returned and the latter burned my chest with a lighted paper.  Inoue hit me on the head with a big stick whilst the Chinese also beat me.    ...

After I had been interrogated by the Japanese, I was made to stand for 3 days and 3 nights during which time I had no sleep whatsoever.

On 6^th September 44 Ahmed Khan, my brother and myself were released on parole.  Mrs. Power who had also been arrested by the Japanese was also released on the same day.  ...

Henry Ching writes:

There is a John Power buried in the Hong Kong Cemetery, who died in November, 1944 aged 59. I wonder if this is the same John Power who was the husband of Mary Violet Power?  If so, did his death in 1944 have anything to do with his arrest by the Japanese that year?
 
I am unable to find the names of John Power and Mary Violet Power in any of the Stanley lists, and I wonder if they were in fact interned, as he was Irish?

John Charles Power is buried in plot 16F--/02/03-, and his gravestone has the inscription:

In loving memory / of / John Charles Power / died 26th November 1944 / aged 59 years / Deep in our hearts a memory is kept / of one we love and will never forget.

From: http://gwulo.com/node/8740

The 1941 Jurors List shows John Charles Power is working as a Merchant at Dodwell & Co., Ld., and living at 27 Kimberley Road, Kowloon.

Henry Ching writes:

I was not aware that there was this separate person post on John Power.  This gives the answers to the questions I posed – i.e. Mary Violet and John Power were initially interned but were soon released because he was Irish, and it is the same John Power who is buried in the Hong Kong Cemetery and who apparently died because of the treatment he received as a prisoner of the kempetei in 1944.

Elizabeth Ride has provided a testimony from Lai Chak Po dated 18 September 45. It says that he saw John Power being beaten severely, and ends:

Mr Power died in Prison in November 1944 and my brother-in-law on 25 October 1944.  Apparently, their deaths were due to internal injuries.  The persons responsible for our arrests were Miriyama Masayuki, Lai Kit Lau Kwing Yan and several others.

I have updated John Power's date of death from c.1944-01-08 to 1944-11-26 to match the date given on his gravestone.

We can follow him through several years of lists. He isn't mentioned in the lists for 1932 or 33, but first appears in the 1934 list:

• 1934: "Director, HK Well Boring Co., Ld." living at 27, Kimberley Road, Kowloon.
• 1935: "Merchant, HK Well Boring Co., Ld." still living at 27, Kimberley Road.
• 1936/7: Changed company and address, now "Merchant, HK Motor Accessory Co." living at 27, Cumberland Road, Kowloon Tong.
• 1938/9: Still "Merchant, HK Motor Accessory Co.", but moves back to live at 27, Kimberley Road, Kowloon..
• 1940/1: Changes job to "Merchant, Dodwell & Co., Ld." and continues living at 27, Kimberley Road, Kowloon.

Given the overlaps of work and address, they should all refer to the same person.

I guess the merchant seaman John Power is a different person, given that he was still sailing in 1935. The name is quite a common one.

In the newspaper report ("Slap Happy's Defence", page 2, The China Mail, 1947-04-17), it says:

Mrs. M.V. Power said that she and her late husband, who retired from the Chinese Maritime Customs in 1939, were interned at Stanley after the occupation of Hong Kong. They were subsequently released by the Japanese who, after ascertaining that her husband was Irish, decide ((sic.)) that they should not be interned.

Th article continues, but I note that Mrs Powers says her husband retired from the CMC in 1939. That doesn't fit with the Jurors Lists, but the CMC database has a a "J.C. Power" who retired in 1930. He fits the dates of the Jurors List, so perhaps Mrs Powers made a mistake or was mis-reported in the newspaper.

Regards, David

My grandfather, Mohamed Ahsan and his brother Mohamed Yousif (testimony above), worked as BAAG agents with Mr. Power in Hong Kong during WW2. Mohamed Ahsan died in 1979, and Mohamed Yousif in 1991, both in Pakistan. Both brothers were awarded a series of medals including a B.E.M for Mohamed Yousif.

If anyone has any more information about Mr. Power, or where I could access more information reagrding BAAG agents, please do let me know. I am keen to find out as much about my grandfather as possible.

Many thanks,

Khan

I've made a page for Mr Mohamed Ahsan Khan at https://gwulo.com/node/41987 to gather more information. It's under your account, so you can edit & update it if needed.

I have included a link to Mr. Power's grave. I was not sure if I could upload the pictures directly due to copyright.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/93696338#source

Also, a search on ancestry.com has shown a UK and Ireland Outward Passenger List from October 20th 1927. On this list, there is a John Chas Power listed as being age 41 (a match when you consider age and year of death), and accompanying him a Mrs Mary Power (also a match in terms of spouse name) age 36. With them was a 10 year old boy named Patrick Herbert. They were travelling from London to Shanghai, and Mr. Power's occupation was listed as a Customs Official. If Mrs. Power was 36 at the time, it means she was born between October 21st 1890 and October 20th 1891. If anyone can advise on whether the passenger list is likely to hold any copyright, I can upload it if all is well. 

Using both sources, it suggests John Power was born between October 21st 1885 and October 20th 1886. 

Passenger List 1927 London to China

John Chas. Power 41 customs official

Mrs Mary Power 36

Patrick Herbert Power 10

On Carl Smith Cards there are a number of references to a Julius Charles Power . He had a long and varied career in HK over the years. Could he be connected?

There is a card 134045  referring to John Charles Power when he was a meter reader for the Water Works in 1902 

The Carl Smith Card 134065 refers to the will of John Charles Power and includes the names of his wife Mary Violet, his son Patrick Herbert (born abt 1917) and his mother Elizabeth. Probate was granted by affadavits 13 May 1946. Another Carl Smith Card 134071 refers to the death of Mary Violet Power in High Wycombe Bucks on 25 August 1967.  A passenger list Hong Kong to London 1957 lists Mary Violet Power date of birth  4 January 1890. UK address 43 Brian Road Leicester. This was the address of her son Patrick Herbert Power (British Phone Books)

She was living at The Vicarage Priory Avenue High Wycombe until she died in hospital 25 August 1967. Her son Patrick Herbert Power died 29 January 2010 in Leicester.

1939 Census UK 103 Clifton Road Rugby Warwickshire Patrick H Power born18 February 1917 Student Apprentice Electrical Engineer

UK WWII Civilian Deaths John Charles Power not listed

UK Allied POWS not listed

Fantastic work. Perhaps we could update Mary Power's page with this new information?

I've updated the details for this page from

John POWER [????-1944]

to

John Charles POWER [c.1886-1944]