Victory in the Pacific Day

By Ruy Barretto SC

Drawings from The Past, the Portuguese Community in the Volunteers and Prisoner of War sketches 80 years after Liberation

This is partly extracted from a talk given at Club Lusitano near the 70th Anniversary of the Liberation,

and now suddenly it seems, it is 10 years on, and time for more to share some of this to mark the commemorations in August 2025.

Some Figures were extracted from various references. The population of Hong Kong before the war was about 1.4 million of which Portuguese numbered 2,922 and British 7,982 according to an ARP census. The Volunteers were about 1,700 out of a total garrison of about 11,500 to 14,000 (numbers vary) facing a much larger force of about 60,000 or more Japanese with years of fighting experience in China. There were 2 Portuguese Companies, No 5 Machine Gun Company under Captain Christopher D’Almada based at Mount Davis and No 6 Anti Aircraft Company under Captain Henrique Botelho (a solicitor and loyal friend working in Leonardo D’Almada’s firm) along the north shore. Other Volunteers were attached to and spread out among other units such as Artillery, Field Ambulance, Engineers and Army Service Corps where their local knowledge was useful.

About 300 Portuguese took part in the fighting but figures are unclear as some were listed as British. 26 Portuguese died in the fighting. Total Volunteers killed and missing was 248 out of about 1,700. Reading Mark O’Neill’s 2025 book, Europeans in Hong, I was struck by his observations on the contribution of the Portuguese Community to the defence by joining the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps. He notes about 300 Portuguese were in the Volunteers and based on Club Lusitano sources, gives a higher number of 31 being killed. The 10% killed is a high proportion of their numbers and marks a high degree of final commitment. The Portuguese Community of Hong Kong as stated above was about 3,000 was probably about 3,000 to 4,000 people, men, women and children before the invasion of December 1941, so 300 men joining up and fighting is over 20% of the male Portuguese who would be of an age for active service.

To these numbers should be added those men and women who joined other disciplined services such as Air Raid Protection Wardens, Auxiliaries in Police and various capacities and the wartime Nurses in the hospitals. My Mother, who with two other young Portuguese women worked in NAAFI HQ, were told they were regarded as mobilized personnel and under orders not to leave their posts. The total numbers of the Community actively involved will be ascertained one day, but this represents a significant community commitment relative to their numbers.

Some examples of the fighting. On 18th December 1941 the Invasion of the Island began with 7,500 enemy troops landing that day. 28 Volunteers were killed that day, among them 4 Portuguese and many Eurasians. Many of the Eurasians killed were part of the Portuguese Community by descent or marriage, so the numbers of the wider community fighting or killed in action or dying in POW camp

were much more and should be recognized one day.

On the 20th December 1941, my Father who was in the Volunteer Army Service Corps Unit, was involved in the fighting along The Ridge, the hills above the Repulse Bay Road, defending what became an invasion route from Wong Nei Chung Gap. Of this Unit of 72 persons, 26 were killed and 7

wounded, giving some idea of the brutality of the fighting. My Father described to me only parts of this. He saw my Mother’s NAAFI manager being killed.

The names of the 26 or 31 Portuguese killed in the fighting need to be recognized with some form of memorial. Recognition should include those who died during captivity in POW Camps in Hong Kong and elsewhere and in the Lisbon Maru.

After the Invasion and fighting from 8th December 1941 to 25th December 1941 Hong Kong was occupied for 3 years and 8 months by the Japanese military. During that time several members of my family were Prisoners of War including my Father Alfonso Barretto, his younger bother Horacio held captive in Sham Shui Po Camp. 234 Portuguese Volunteers became POWs, ie most of the original 300 who survived the fighting. Volunteers died afterwards of their wounds and as POWs in Hong Kong, Japan or the Lisbon Maru. Others including civilians were tortured and killed for their part in the resistance and in the British Army Aid Group (BAAG).

Others, like my Father, were ill, and he said he only survived camp because he was nursed so well, albeit roughly, by his brother. This illness saved him from being sent to Japan on the Lisbon Maru but he had long term medical conditions stemming from the war which caused them to die young. The only benefit is that we all remember my Father as a handsome, artistic and delightful man enjoying what should have been his best years of life. Horacio left for Portugal where his children and grandchildren now live.

During their captivity some POWs started teaching skills, music and languages to others, and so my Father took up drawing, sketching numerous fellow POWs. He drew sketches of his Japanese guards which his subjects much appreciated. Somehow in 1943 he acquired a thick cloth bound book of Japanese official camp stationery, which he filled with drawings. Some were artistic, some amusing. He drew the house he planned to build after victory, which did become our family home Girassol about ten years later. But most were of his fellow prisoners and friends thus immortalizing their endurance and characters during this testing time. I was asked to select one drawing but decided on three.

The Index page has his portrait, signed by another artist not yet identified. The image is prescient as, years later when he was painting in oils, he really did have a painting smock like this imaginary 1943 image. Several of his portraits have quotes from Shakespeare to comment on the character or situation of his subject. The Index quotes from King Lear, “Sir. ‘Tis my occupation to be plain: I have seen better faces in my time.”

A Truculent affair, is a cartoon like drawing of a boxing match between Luigi A.de V. Ribeiro, HKVDC Field Ambulance vs Lt. J.R.Davignon, Royal Rifles of Canada, with Referee Corporal Alfonso Barretto HKVDC, and the onlookers are, in centre, Captain Albert M. Rodrigues HKVDC, left Private Leo J. da Silva HKVDC, right Private C.L.Lolly Lopes HKVDC and with top left the profile of Capt. The Rev. E.J. Green, RACC, Senior Chaplain.

Sgt C.A. Nanelli Baptista, HKVDC, was a popular artist well known for his POW work and designs. It is special to have a portrait of an artist, especially one drawn with such character.

Very few wartime photos were taken by our family despite being avid pre war camera users, but my Father’s pencil drawings survive, evidencing the ability of their human spirit to overcome their deprivation and suffering, 80 years ago.

The Portuguese Community of Hong Kong was severely affected by the war and never recovered in terms of numbers. For many wanting to rebuild their lives again, emigration was a surer option. Those interested in learning more of the varied contributions of this old but still thriving Community to the cultural, sporting, commercial, professional and public life of Hong Kong as well as its security and defence, are invited to visit the Portuguese Gallery in the Museum of History, Chatham Road. The Club Lusitano and various families contributed to this exhibition which reflects our story in old photographs, artifacts and paintings, and yes, some are from my Father who turned to oil painting after the Liberation, leaving us with art we treasure. There is other Portuguese related war time material in the Museum of Coastal Defence.

Ruy Barretto SC

17th July 2025

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