Heart And Soul: Honouring Taiping's wartime heroes
'The Japanese bombers are coming!" shouted Colonel Hu. In a few minutes, big bombs were exploding left and right. Colonel Hu and his comrades tried to steer their lorries to evade the bombs but to no avail.
Many of the trucks were blown to pieces, resulting in the deaths of many of his drivers. Fortunately, Colonel Hu and some comrades managed to escape unscathed.
The Marco Polo Bridge Incident and Rape of Nanking in 1937 had aroused the anger of the Chinese in Malaya and Singapore.
Many local Chinese volunteered as drivers and mechanics to transport vital supplies from Burma to China, with ports blockaded by the Japanese navy.
Colonel Hu Kaijun was one of more than 3,200 such unsung heroes – nearly half of whom died from air raids, disease, accidents or execution.
Born in Perak in 1907, Hu lost his parents young and survived on odd jobs. A quick learner, he became a licensed lorry driver within a year. Inspired by the 1925 'May Thirtieth Incident' in Shanghai, he tried to enlist in China's army but missed the Huangpu Military Academy registration deadline.
During a visit by anti-Japanese hero General Cai Tingqi to Fujian, Hu was appointed adjutant for his honesty and language skills, but he later returned to Malaya due to internal army tensions.
His peaceful life in Malaya was short lived as he was outraged by the Rape of Nanking.
He soon signed up as a volunteer to work as a driver and mechanic to help China in its war effort against the Japanese invaders. Due to his special experience, he was promoted to be a Colonel in charge of the 156th squadron in the transportation tasks on the Burma Road.
During one of his convoys, his lorry fell into a deep valley due to the slippery road and heavy rainfall near Huitong Bridge in Baoshan, reducing his lorry into a twisted wreckage and killing his assistant. Although he managed to jump out in time, his leg was badly injured in the process.
During his long hospitalisation, heaven rewarded him for his sense of courage and justice. A beautiful nurse from Guangxi who took care of him soon fell in love with him. After the war, they got married in Kunming and subsequently returned to Malaya. Hu lived a peaceful life in Taiping until his death at 89 in 1996.
Colonel Dara Singh (left) and General Stilwell (second from right with glasses). — WONG YOKE KHENG & ONG BOK KIN
Dara Singh
Japanese shells were falling everywhere. Caught in the open and facing death, Dara Singh managed to lead US General Stilwell and his group to safety. His bold, quick thinking not only saved the general – it also helped shape the outcome of the war in Burma.
Born in Taiping in 1914, Dara was adopted by a Chinese family and given the name Wong Ah Leng, meaning 'dragon' – a name he lived up to.
Answering the call for volunteer drivers on the Burma Road, Dara trained in China alongside other brave Malaysians. His leadership, professionalism and command of multiple languages, and Chinese dialects, quickly earned him a promotion to Colonel.
On Dec 15, 1941, following Japanese invasion of Malaya, the Japanese bombed Rangoon where thousands of trucks and war supplies risked capture. Defying orders to destroy them, Dara rallied his drivers and successfully moved everything to China just in time.
The mission demanded great leadership and round-the-clock effort with little sleep. Impressed, China's Transport Minister General Yee rewarded Dara a princely sum of 1,500 rupees.
Lashio, a busy border town, was always abuzz. On March 1, 1942, Dara was sent to pick up a VIP at the airport – only to find it was Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and Madam Chiang. After mistakenly calling him 'Big Rice Pot", Dara apologised. The Generalissimo took no offence and even invited him to lunch.
While driving near Lashio, Dara's jeep was bombed by Japanese planes. Miraculously, he and his passengers escaped unhurt. Another close call came when his 1,000 trucks crossed the Salween River's narrow suspension bridge just hours before a Japanese air raid.
After Burma fell, Dara designed an athletic programme to train 50,000 Chinese troops in Ramgarh, India. It was so effective that General Stilwell visited with Finance Minister TV Soong and Defence Minister General Ho Ying Chin. Stilwell's pep talk in fluent Mandarin drew thunderous applause.
In March 1944, British Admiral Lord Mountbatten visited the frontline and was nearly blinded in a jeep accident. Dara cleaned and bandaged his eye before sending him to a field hospital. Mountbatten later visited Dara in 1967 to thank him.
During the war, Dara preferred listening to All-India Radio in Cantonese – enchanted by the newsreader's sweet voice. He eventually married her.
After the war, Dara returned to Malaya with his wife and daughter. He taught briefly in Taiping before joining the Aboriginal Department and later served as a senior game warden. He died peacefully in 2002.
Colonels Hu and Dara Singh were among 3,200 drivers and mechanics from Nanyang who volunteered during the war. Though not frontline fighters, their courage and tenacity played a key role in defeating the Japanese – and remain largely unsung.
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