On 28 January 1952 my Dad, David Bottomley, then aged 19, and two ex-KGV school friends, Mike Salter and Tony Martin, set sail from Middle Harbour near Repulse Bay in a 14-foot raft they had built. Long story short, they sailed off-course into Communist waters, eventually beaching on Lin Tin Island, whereupon they were shot at, captured, interrogated as spies, and imprisoned somewhere in Canton for 71 days. As far as their families were aware, they were missing, presumed dead. It is believed that Percy Chen, a Communist/HK go-between, helped track them down and negotiate their release. This photo of my Dad and his relieved family was taken on 8 April, the day they were marched back across the border to HK, where they were initially met by police and Father Ambrogio Poletti. From left to right: David's brother-in-law Denis Bray, his sister Marjorie Bray (née Bottomley), his father Jack, David Bottomley, his mother Mildred, and his brother John.