Fought in Hong Kong in 1941, then a POW for the remainder of the war. Malnutrition in the Japanese POW camp left him blind.
Read more about Ron in this article in The Telegraph on 8 Nov 2018:
Former prisoner of war, 103, to be oldest veteran to march at the Cenotaph
Michael Yatskin
Born in Siberia Russia around 1910 . Escaped due to revolution via Harbin Shanghai then Hong Kong. Prisoner of war at Sham Shui PO prison camp for over 3 years? I have a book of sketches by Lieut A.V. Skvorzov of life in the prison camp . I believe there is one in the museum in Hong Kong.
He was an engineer in the PWD in Hong Kong when he was head of works at Sham Shui Po in 1955 when the Li Cheng Uk tomb was discovered. His subsequent actions saved the tomb.
http://www.macaneselibrary.org has a copy of his memoir:
Gordon Dewar was Captain Commanding No. 7 Company in the HK Volunteer Defence force. He had had a long connection with Shanghai, from 1922 with first the Shanghai Dock and Eng. Co and then the Kiangnan Dock and Eng. Works, and then in Hong Kong with Taikoo Dockyard from 1937.
Robert was interned as a HK defence volunteer in Shamshuipo POW camp, and later was shipped off to Amoy, Shanghai, and Peking for forced labour. He assumed he had been headed for Japan when the war ended.
In camp he worked in the kitchens as often as possible, so as to get the more nutritious scrapings and rice husks from the bottom of the pans.
He also became adept at catching flies in his fist to relieve the boredom, after studying their habits when disturbed. A good party trick in later years.
Philip has just added an article about JJ Paterson to his blog. He notes that JJ was Managing Director of Jardine Matheson in the 1930s, and served in the HKVDC. He commanded the group defending the North Point power station. Click to read the full article.
Lance Bombardier HK VDF. Interned Sham Shui Po.
1911 Census Enniscorthy County Wexford Frederick Anselm REDMOND age 26 is a resident tutor in the DAVIS household. His future wife Eileen Beasley DAVIS age 18 is the daughter of the head of the household
3 November 1914 Frederick Anselm REDMOND age 29 initiated into the University Lodge of Freemasons Hong Kong. Occupation Lecturer on Surveying
20 June 1916 Frederick Anselm REDMOND arrived Victoria British Columbia Canada on "Empress of Japan" age 30 single university lecurer born India nationality British
