The Hong Kong and Kowloon Independent Brigade of the East River Column

The swiftness of the Japanese victory in the Battle for Hong Kong, which lasted just 18 days, left many prominent political and financial figures and intellectuals stranded in the city and their lives in jeopardy. The Hong Kong and Kowloon Independent Brigade of the East River Column, which was operating from Hong Kong at the time, took on an important role here. Based in the New Territories, this anti-Japanese guerrilla force was mostly made up of indigenous people from the area and included farmers, students and seamen. Making it their mission to rescue as many of these prominent people as possible, it drew up a number of escape routes to mainland China and provided food to the escapees. During the three-month rescue mission, more than 800 intellectuals and their families were helped to safety, including renowned writer Mao Dun, poet Liu Yazi and prominent politician He Xiangning. At the same time, the guerrilla force rescued close to 100 European, American and Indian soldiers, including British army officers and American pilots.

After declaring its establishment in February 1942 in a chapel in Wong Mo Ying, Sai Kung, in February 1942, the Hong Kong and Kowloon Independent Brigade also engaged in guerrilla activities in the urban areas of Hong Kong, sabotaging Japanese military facilities in Hong Kong and gathering large amounts of intelligence, including information on Japanese troop deployments, communication codes, photographs and plans of Japanese military facilities and the berths of ships. This important intelligence was sent to the Allies through US agents and the British Army Aid Group and allowed them to draw up detailed plans for eventual counterattacks.