The Japanese Colonel
A dramatized retelling by John Louis Chan, written November 13, 2022, based on stories told by his father Jesse Chan (Ke Leong).
The winter of 1941 was especially difficult. A 12 year old Ke Leong, his mother, two younger brothers and older sister had been on the move just ahead of the advancing Japanese Army through southern China towards his mother’s hometown of Hong Kong. Under British control, Hong Kong seemed a safe haven from war, after all Japan was not at war with the British. But no sooner had they settled into an apartment in Kowloon City came the news of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The danger and uncertainty of war loomed again after just a short respite.
In his new neighborhood Ke Leong quickly sorted out who the local tough kids were and made fast friends. The gang of boys spent most of their days playing soldier, tag, football, and on occasion stealing candy. Where twelve year old boys will find trouble, they will.
These playful days ended quickly with the news that the Japanese Army had broken through the British defensive lines. The news brought not by radio but by the sight of British, Indian, Australian and Canadian troops fleeing through the streets of Kowloon towards the harbor. Behind the soldiers were the few foreigners remaining in Kowloon as they boarded the last few ferries across Hong Kong Harbor. Those who had no where else to go, remained, hoping for the best and waiting for the worst.
After the retreat the City was quiet. Most people hid in their apartments as the Japanese army made their presence known. But even they passed by, they were not there for Kowloon, the prize was Hong Kong.
Christmas was a few weeks away and the normal sounds of Kowloon, the noisy streets full of hawkers and housewives, the bells of the church at the corner were replaced by a mix of loud pronouncements from the Japanese Army in broken Cantonese, and the quiet playing of Christmas carols on the radios and phonographs drifting out of apartment windows.
But not even war can contain the rambunctiousness of 12 year old boys. No sooner had things settled down, the boys wandered away from home and back out to their playground, the streets and alleys of Kowloon. That day the boys had formed a wrestling circle, each challenging the other to a match. The cheering and yelling had become so loud that the boys could not hear the steady clomp, clomp, clomp of a single horseman moving towards them until he stopped right behind them. Most of the boys ran in terror at the sight of a Japanese soldier. Some stayed because they were so terrified they could not move. A handful stayed, in awe of the beautiful brown Arabian with a white mane. For a 12 year old Ke Leong who wanted only to be a soldier, this was quite the sight.
While on his horse the soldier held out a Cantonese phrase book and in broken cantonese said,” what games are you playing?“. The boys timidly motioned that they were wrestling. Once he understood, the soldier leapt off his horse exclaiming, “wrestling, my favorite sport !!”
The soldier motioned to the boys to stand in a circle and said, “which ever one of you can knock me down, you will get a prize” He motioned to one of the boys, “you try”, making a pushing gesture as he stood in a sumo position. The first boy sheepishly ran towards him and barely moved him an inch. “Try harder” he motioned to the next boy. One by one the boys ran and pushed as hard as they could to knock the soldier over until they got to the last boy in the circle. Copying the soldiers sumo stance Ke Leong ran hard towards the soldier and in the last second flung out his arms and with a big push knocked the soldier over. The soldier got up and walked to Ke Long crouched down to give him a pat on the head laughing, “you win, you win” The soldier tugged on his collar bearing the insignia of a Colonel, saying “I’m a Colonel, you can call me Colonel”. On that day Ke Leong won both the prize and a new friend.
Kowloon City was quiet but in the distance the artillery barrage towards Hong Kong went on relentlessly for days as the invasion was being prepared. The Colonel’s 3rd brigade was encamped across the street from the family’s apartment building, next to the church who’s bells no longer rang. Being so close, the Colonel made sure that every time a pig or chicken was butchered for the Brigade, a portion would be sent across the street. The family and their neighbors never had to worry about food.
News travels quickly, even during war, the air in Kowloon was filled with stories of Japanese troops killing civilians. For days, even the boys, along with their families stayed at home, not daring to go out. Noticing that the boys had not been around, and knowing the stories of civilian killings were likely true, the Colonel went across the street to look for his friend. The Colonel bought with him a piece of paper with some writing on it, telling Ke Leong, ‘when you are outside and you see a soldier, show him this paper and he will let you pass’. Skeptical but glad to see his friend the Colonel again, they walked and talked, then the boy went on his way.
Curiosity will always get the best of a 12 year old, so the next day, Ke Leong wakes up his brother to go out and look around, “don’t worry” he said, “I’ve got this paper from the Colonel”. The boys ventured out into the empty city. No sooner had they gone a few blocks, two soldiers spotted them and yelled running double time towards them. The boys recalled every scary story told in the past few days and just as the soldiers got to them, Ke Leong holds up the sheet of paper the Colonel had given him. Immediately the soldiers stop, stand at attention and bow deeply from their waist, gesturing for the two boys to pass. The soldiers bowing not at two boys, but at a piece of paper bearing the seal of a Colonel of the Imperial Japanese Army. The difference between life and death, no thicker than a piece of paper.
A few days later Ke Leong saw his friend again. “Hey kid, we’re going to Hong Kong tomorrow” the Colonel announced, “do you want anything?” Some years ago, when his father was still alive, the family had taken a trip, sailing on a steamer from Hong Kong to Manila. The trip was particularly memorable because the family cat came along. Ke Leong remembered the Hong Kong ticket office of the American President Lines in Central District and the beautiful display of model boats they had in their offices, particularly the one in the window. He knew what he wanted. The following day 3 regiments of the Japanese Army crossed the harbor to Hong Kong, a brutal week long battle ensued. The British made their final stand at the town of Stanley on the other side of Hong Kong Island then surrendered to the Japanese on Christmas Day 1941.
War can be both loud or very quiet, that Christmas it was very quiet. But it’s hard to keep Hong Kongers down and in a few days the air was filled again with the familiar sounds of the street. That morning Ke Leong heard another familiar sound, the clomp, clomp, clomp of a cavalry horse coming down the street. He ran downstairs towards the sound, looked up the street and there he saw the beautiful brown Arabian, the Colonel, and under his arm a model ship of an American President Lines steamer.
Their goodbye was short. Troop ships were already loading the Colonel’s regiment to deploy to the Philippines, their next battle. Perhaps to apologize for having to leave, the Colonel said, “you want to come with us, you were born in the Philippines right?” If it was up to a 12 year old boy, he would be on that boat, but of course this was not to be. With this hasty goodbye, as quickly as he came, the Colonel left, leaving a 12 year old boy with a friendship he would never forget and lifetime of stories to tell.
Context
This story was written by John Louis Chan (Louis) approximately three months after his father Jesse Chan passed away on August 9, 2022, and shard four days after the death of his mother Betty Chan. It is a dramatized retelling of one of Jesse’s most memorable stories from his childhood during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in World War II.
Comparison to Jesse’s Own Account
John’s dramatized version differs in some details from Jesse’s firsthand account recorded in the Lolo Interview Jesse Chan:
| Detail | Jesse’s Account | John’s Version |
|---|---|---|
| Age | ”Teenager” (13-17) | 12 years old |
| How they met | Jesse approached soldiers for food during starvation | Wrestling match with neighborhood boys |
| Food given | One pig leg daily from slaughtered pigs | Portions sent whenever pig/chicken butchered |
| Colonel’s offer | To take Jesse to Philippines or Japan; mother warned against it | To take Jesse to Philippines with the regiment |
| Timeline | Extended period, then colonel took over Hong Kong | Few weeks around Christmas 1941 |
| Gift | Not mentioned in interview | Model ship from American President Lines |
Literary Elements Added
John’s version adds narrative elements that bring the story to life:
- The wrestling match as the origin of the friendship
- The beautiful brown Arabian horse with white mane
- Christmas carols playing during the occupation
- The model ship from the American President Lines office
- The “clomp, clomp, clomp” of the horse as a recurring motif
Historical Accuracy
The story accurately depicts:
- The fall of Hong Kong (December 8-25, 1941)
- British, Indian, Australian and Canadian troops defending Hong Kong
- The surrender on Christmas Day 1941
- The Battle of Stanley as the final British stand
- Japanese troops subsequently deploying to the Philippines
Family Significance
This story represents the passing down of family history across generations. Written shortly after Jesse’s death, it serves as John’s tribute to his father and preservation of a remarkable survival story that Jesse told throughout his life.
The phrase “the difference between life and death, no thicker than a piece of paper” captures the precariousness of survival during wartime and the remarkable fortune of Jesse’s friendship with the Colonel.
See Also
- 1940s Jesse and Colonel Friendship - The event page documenting this story
- Jesse Chan - Jesse’s full biography
- Lolo Interview Jesse Chan - Jesse’s firsthand account