The Shay Rebellion | Christopher Shay

Naval Gazing

by Christopher Shay

Only a few hours after Hong Kong surrendered to Japan on Dec. 25, 1941, Chinese admiral Chan Chak helped lead 67 British and Chinese officers on a 129-km escape to unoccupied China. It had all the makings of a Hollywood film: car chases, speeding torpedo boats and an officer saving his commander from drowning amid a barrage of gunfire. Now, in an exhibition called “Escape from Hong Kong: The Road to Waichow,” the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, hk.coastaldefence.museum, is displaying maps, medals and other mementos that bring the legendary journey to life. Reading the handwritten logbooks, it’s easy to imagine the weary men fording streams with blistered feet, sleeping on piles of straw and taking cover any time a plane flew over, always fearful that Japanese troops might be lurking around the bend. Read the rest of this entry »