Mary Prichard Moline, missionary in China
Mary was English, the sister of Robin Moline, Archbishop of Perth. I have no knowledge of her between her arrival in Hong Kong in 1940 and 1946 when she left China via the port of Chinqangtao in northern China. I am trying to find out if she was interned or managed to stay free from the Japanese. See more details below.
In 1928 she left England, at the age of 30, for Singapore on her way to be a missionary in China.
Extracts below from my WordPress Blog to be found at https://wendymoline.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=889&action=edit
On 5 January 1940, this indomitable woman set off again, even though England was at war and travel by ship was very risky. Her destination was Hong Kong, China. At that time the Japanese had not invaded China, or Hong Kong but they did so later.
| Name | Mary Prichard Moline |
| Gender | Female |
| Departure Age | 41 |
| Birth Date | abt 1899 |
| Departure Date | 5 Jan. 1940 |
| Departure Port | England |
| Ship Name | Viceroy Of India |
| Shipping Line | P and O Steam Navigation Company |
| Destination Port | Hong Kong, China |
| Master | E A J W Carter |
There is a total blank in this record of Mary's amazing life between 1940 and 1946. It is possible she was interned by the Japanese although my research could find no record. It is also possible she escaped into the wilds of China and practised her nursing there without being captured.
The next we hear of Mary is when she turns up again in England in March, 1946.
| Name | Mary Pritchard Moline |
| Arrival Age | 47 |
| Birth Date | abt 1899 |
| Port of Departure | Chinqangtao, China |
| Arrival Date | 12 Mar. 1946 |
| Port of Arrival | Southampton, England |
| Ports of Voyage | Chinwangtao; Shanghai and Hong Kong |
| Ship Name | Highland Chieftain |
| Shipping Line | Royal Mail Lines Ltd |
Chinwangtao was a port in Henan in Northern China. If Mary was interned during WWII, or even if she spent it undetected by the Japanese, it is likely the Highland Chieftain was the first ship she could get back to England after the war.