History-Archives 1940 to 1949 Photos and stories

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1940 to 1949 (the war and post war years at the Chinese Presbyterian Church, Victoria, B.C. Canada)

Fund raising tea for China refugees 1940 - by Victoria Chinese Presbyterian Church Above picture features a Refugees in China Tea - to raise funds for relief work in China during the Japanese invasion and occupation of much of China in the early years of the Second World War.  In this composite picture, we see the church building draped with a banner and the large street signs in English (to the left and Chinese to the right of the main entrance stairs).
  •   the upper right picture is of Eugenie Wong, singing to the accompaniment of Chinese musical instruments and a guitar [not shown]
  •   the upper right insert shows Edna Wong (later Edna Chow), Miss Grace Lee (deaconess), and Vicki Lam at table selling bagged cookies/treats as part of the fundraising activities.

Armed services enlistment's

Roy Chan, MM (1916-1998)

As the war progressed in Asia and Europe, a large number of Chinese Canadians enlisted and/or were drafted into the Canadian Armed forces. 

Roy S.T. Chan, son of Mr. & Mrs. Chan Dun (Mr. Chan-Dun was one of the first Elders of the Church) enlisted and was eventually recruited by the British Special Operations Executive (S.O.E.) to be part of the 1st of 2 groups of Chinese Canadian soldiers to be put into Japanese occupied China to help support and organize local Chinese fighters.  This British S.O.E. project, code-name "Operation Oblivion" made use of Canadian and Australian Army special training bases and administrative personnel. 

This operation was cancelled at the request of the Americans -- however, Roy Chan then volunteered to join another S.O.E. project and was this time dropped by Catalina flying boat, behind the Japanese lines in Borneo [with Louie King, Norman Low, and James Shiu].  This new mission was to organize local natives into a guerilla army and then to attack a Prisoner of War (POW) Internment Camp.  The Japanese had assembled a large number of expatriate British-white colonials at this camp.  For these efforts and willingness to serve overseas for Canada and Britain (at a time when the Chinese were not allowed to Vote in Canada) Sergeants Roy Chan, Louie King, Norman Low and James Shiu were each awarded the Military Medal (M.M.)) for extraordinary bravery by the Canadian Government (this was the highest Canadian military decoration of the day, the Victoria Cross was awarded by the British Government - and usually posthumously).

Other members of the Chan Dun family who enlisted during the second world war included Ira Chan (army,) Herby Chan (air force) and Paul Chan (army).

Other Victoria born Chinese who served included: 
· Douglas Jung, LLB, OC, OBC (part of the original S.O.E. project support staff and later a well known lawyer in Vancouver (also the first Chinese Member of Parliament, representing Vancouver Center, and part of Canada's United Nations representative contingent in New York);
  John Ko-Bong (part of the 1st group of SOE trainees), who helped in the initial reintegration of Philippine Prisoner of War Camp internees.  John and his sister Mary (see below) were members of the Victoria Chinese United Church and later the Vancouver Chinese United Church.
  Mary Ko-Bong (one of the first Chinese Women's Army Corp members),   there was also John Yuen {uncle of Elder Gordon Yuen, in Vancouver's Chinese Presbyterian Church) are a few of the Victoria local born Chinese who served Canada. 

There are indeed many others not mentioned in this brief note, and we welcome readers input to our records.

Readers may not know that Chinese-Canadians this generation growing up during the 1920s-30s in Victoria, sometiems went to semi-segregated schools and were not allowed to sit in many public establishments e.g. theatres (except in "designated places" in back corners of the seating areas). - and remember the right to vote did not come until several years after the war ended - about 1947-1948.

Children and grandchildren of Chinese Canadian war veterans may recall stories that these veterans wore their Armed Services with pride into theatres and other public places during the war knowing that owners would not dare tell them to sit in the segregated areas.


NB This section is not intended to glorify war and fighting in wars, it is meant as an historical note and a mini-backgrounder to events that had major impact on members of the Chinese Church in Victoria.  The "backgrounder" is also meant to give some context to the social-political events of the time and how the Church participated and dealt with some of these events of history.

Finally, the text of this "ARCHIVES SECTION of ChineseChurches.org is as of July 08, 2002 the responsiblity of Neal Chan, and does not necessarily reflect any formal or non-formal position of the Chinese Presbyterian Church in Victoria, nor the Presbytery of Victoria.  If there are any apparant errors or omissions, I welcome your comments by email at publisher@chinesechurches.org

Reference & Special Credits & Aknowledgements

This sections information is based in large part on non-formal "oral-history" conversations and interviews by Neal Chan with:

  • - Roy S.T. Chan, MM, Victoria
  • - John Ko-Bong, Victoria & Vancouver
  • - Mary Ko-Bong, Victoria, Ottawa, Vancouver & Toronto
  • - Douglas Jung, Llb, OC, OBCVancouver
  • - Jennie Wong (sister of Norman Lowe, MM)
  • - Mrs. Edna Chow (nee Wong), Victoria - keeper of Miss Grace Lee's photo archives
  • - Dr. H. Kan Chen, Vancouver
  • - Herby Chan, Victoria, Winnipeg
  • - Paul Chan, Victoria

Sample material for suggested inclusion welcome.  email N. Chan c/o publisher@provenance.ca

Pictures of the previous Elders, Ministers, Interim Moderators, Deaconess's, Minister's Manse (where the parking lot now is situated), Chinese and English Language classes, early Young People's Society activities would be welcome.

For more information send us email at cpcvictoria@chinesechurches.org
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