Hong Kong News

Nonpartisan, Noncommercial, unconstrained.
Thursday, Mar 30, 2023

Battle of Hong Kong survivor Yeung Ming-hon dies at age 99

Battle of Hong Kong survivor Yeung Ming-hon dies at age 99

Field Ambulance Corps volunteer was captured by Japanese invaders and made to do manual labour.

Yeung Ming-hon, a prominent doctor and one of the last surviving volunteers who took part in the Battle of Hong Kong in 1941, died on December 24 aged 99.

He was the last battle survivor still living in the city. His death occurred on the eve of the 81st anniversary of the fall of Hong Kong to invading Japanese forces during World War II.

He died peacefully with family members beside him at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, where he worked for decades as a prominent anaesthesiologist.

Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong from December 8 to 25, 1941, overwhelmed British and allied forces, and went on to occupy the city for three years and eight months.

Yeung, who developed dementia and needed a wheelchair in his later years, loved sharing his wartime stories with his family all his life.

He was 18 and a first-year medical student at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) when his life took a turn as the Japanese invasion was imminent.

He was called up by the then medical dean, Lieutenant Colonel Lindsay Ride, and told to volunteer in the Field Ambulance Corps.

His son, Anthony Yeung, 59, recalled in an earlier interview with the Post: “My father mentioned that the head of the medical faculty told all students they had to join the volunteers or they would not proceed to their second year.”

He said his father described how he was captured by the Japanese, became a prisoner of war, and was sent to do manual labour, developing scars on his back.


The Post in 1954 published a picture to announce the marriage of Yeung Ming-hon to his wife, Barbara Yeung.

After his release, he fled to mainland China with his parents and siblings, returning only after the Japanese surrendered in 1945.

He went on to complete his medical studies at HKU and qualified as an anaesthetist in Liverpool before returning to Hong Kong.

He worked into his 70s at the city’s top private hospital, Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, and other private medical centres.

“I remember that my father was always on call and had to go to the hospital at all hours of the day and night,” his son said. “Despite his working hours, he was always good-natured and I don’t recall him ever losing his temper.”

A picture of the couple sitting together at the Chinese Recreation Club in Tai Hang in December 2021.


He added that his father always had a strong sense of duty to family, a value learned during the war years.

Apart from his profession, his father enjoyed boating, golfing and clay pigeon shooting.

Ronald Taylor, president of The Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) Association, said Yeung showed from early on in his life that helping others was more important than thinking of himself.

“With Yeung Ming-hon’s passing away, another chapter of Hong Kong’s history concludes. He was the last surviving member of the 1941 military forces still living in Hong Kong,” he said.

According to Taylor, one other surviving veteran, Robert Lapsley, is still living in Australia.

Yeung is survived by his wife, Barbara Yeung Yu Yee Fan, three sons, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

The family has expressed its gratitude to those who made donations in his memory to HKU’s medical faculty, the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, and The Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) Association.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Hong Kong News
Close
0:00
0:00
China and Brazil have signed a new deal that will allow them to trade in their own currencies, bypassing the US dollar as an intermediary
Elon Musk and Others Call for Pause on A.I., Citing ‘Profound Risks to Society’
“We've had evidence prior to the pandemic that masks were largely ineffective at preventing community transmission of influenza “
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz:
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz rejects being labeled a "billionaire"
Jamie Dimon is being deposed over JPMorgan Chase role in Epstein lawsuits
Brand new security footage has just been released to the public showing the Active shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale drove to Covenant Church School in her Honda Fit this morning, parked, and shot her way into the building
Social Media censoring users for saying the true
Smart Iranian fashion designer teaching dummy TV anchors lesson about reality
AMERICA, 2023
U.S. charges FTX's Bankman-Fried with paying $40 million bribe
Fallen 'Crypto King' Who Owes Millions to Investors Was Kidnapped and Tortured
Regulators blame social media for SVB's rapid collapse: 'Complete game changer'
AOC explains why she opposes banning TikTok
Singapore’s Prime Minister says China and US need to stabilize relations because world can't afford a confict between the two superpowers
In a dramatic U-turn against His Government: Judicial Reform Legislation Must Be Halted, Says Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant
Gordon Moore, a co-founder of Intel Corporation, died at 94
Powell: Silicon Valley Bank was an 'outlier'
Bordeaux town hall set on fire in France pro democracy protest
Police violence in Paris
Paris: Some of the police are stepping down and showing solidarity with the protesters.
Donald Trump arrested – Twitter goes wild with doctored pictures
NYPD is setting up barricades outside Manhattan Criminal Court ahead of Trump arrest.
Credit Suisse's Scandalous History Resulted in an Obvious Collapse - It's time for regulators who fail to do their job to be held accountable and serve as an example by being behind bars.
Goldman Sachs cuts outlook for European bank debt over Credit Suisse crisis
Paris Rioting vs Macron anti democratic law
'Sexual Fantasy' Assignment At US School Outrages Parents
The US government has charged Chinese businessman Guo Wengui with leading a $1 billion fraud scheme that cheated thousands of followers out of their money.
Credit Suisse to borrow $54 billion from Swiss central bank
The BBC problem about China
Russian Hackers Preparing New Cyber Assault Against Ukraine
"Will Fly Wherever International Law Allows": US Warns Russia After Drone Incident
If this was in Tehran, Moscow or Hong Kong
Announcing GPT-4
TRUMP: "Standing before you today, I am the only candidate who can make this promise: I will prevent World War III."
China is calling out the US, UK, and Australia on their submarine pact, claiming they are going further down a dangerous road
A brief banking situation report
We are witnessing widespread bank fails and the president just gave a 5 min speech then walked off camera.
Donald Trump's asked by Tucker Carlson question on if the U.S. should support regime change in Russia?.
'No relation to the American SVB': India's SVC Bank acts to calm depositors amid brand name confusion.
Good news: The U.S. government is now guaranteeing all deposits, held by, Silicon Valley Bank, and the funds are available as of today
Silicon Valley Bank exec was Lehman Brothers CFO
In a potential last-ditch effort, HSBC is considering a rescue deal to save Silicon Valley Bank UK from insolvency
Saudi Arabia has announced a major breakthrough in diplomacy with Iran after two years of intense talks
Elon Musk Is Planning To Build A Town In Texas For His Employees
The Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse effect is spreading around the world, affecting startup companies across the globe
City officials in Berlin announced on Thursday that all swimmers at public pools will soon be allowed to swim topless
Fitness scam
Market Chaos as USDC Loses Peg to USD after $3.3 Billion Reserves Held by Silicon Valley Bank Closed.
A primitive judge in Australia sparked outrage when he told a breastfeeding woman to leave his courtroom for being “a distraction"
×