From the entry for Mary Suffiad in the BAAG Register, Ride Collection:
Nationality British, born Hongkong 1921, University graduate, BAAG Jan 44 to Dec 45.
“Immediately prior to the War, Miss Suffiad had just completed her Arts course at the Hongkong University and during hostilities she served as a Nurse at a First Aid Post. On the 19th Dec 41, this post was captured by the enemy; Miss Suffiad and the other nurses were taken prisoner and all the military personnel with the exception of two were massacred. Later, Miss Suffiad was released and she hid in a Chinese house till the surrender and then made her way home. She later escaped to China and offered her services and was employed by the British Embassy until there was a vacancy for her in the BAAG; she joined our staff as confidential secretary in the Security Section; during the evacuation from Kweilin her party was surprised by the enemy in a village and during the ensuing hurried evacuation she showed most exemplary courage and calmness. She was a member of one of the early BAAG parties to re-enter Hongkong. Throughout, her work has been of an exceptionally high order and her loyal service has been outstanding”. (signed) L T Ride, Colonel. 1946.
Eddie Wong's (王永祥) second wife Mary Suffiad (石崇傑, 1920-1973) had emerged as an influential social welfare leader and politician by the early 1970s. Eddie married Mary at the Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Singapore in May 1952 after his first wife Linda's death.
Mary received her MBE from the Queen in 1946 for her service with the BAAG during the War. In the 1960s, she co-founded and built Heep Hong Society (協康會) into one of the leading non-government social welfare organizations in Hong Kong.
Comments
Mary Suffiad, BAAG.
From the entry for Mary Suffiad in the BAAG Register, Ride Collection:
Nationality British, born Hongkong 1921, University graduate, BAAG Jan 44 to Dec 45.
“Immediately prior to the War, Miss Suffiad had just completed her Arts course at the Hongkong University and during hostilities she served as a Nurse at a First Aid Post. On the 19th Dec 41, this post was captured by the enemy; Miss Suffiad and the other nurses were taken prisoner and all the military personnel with the exception of two were massacred. Later, Miss Suffiad was released and she hid in a Chinese house till the surrender and then made her way home. She later escaped to China and offered her services and was employed by the British Embassy until there was a vacancy for her in the BAAG; she joined our staff as confidential secretary in the Security Section; during the evacuation from Kweilin her party was surprised by the enemy in a village and during the ensuing hurried evacuation she showed most exemplary courage and calmness. She was a member of one of the early BAAG parties to re-enter Hongkong. Throughout, her work has been of an exceptionally high order and her loyal service has been outstanding”. (signed) L T Ride, Colonel. 1946.
Mary Suffiad (石崇傑, 1920-1973)
Sources : 商城雜記 Business Tales of Hong Kong (https://industrialhistoryhk.org/fast-eddie-the-rise-and-fall-of-eddie-w…)