Page 123 - GFA – A Different Drumbeat
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GFA – A Different Drumbeat 123
PIRATES AND CHEFOO SCHOOL CHILDREN
On 1st February 1935, a Shanghai newspaper included the following paragraph:
Shanghai was rent with misgivings yesterday when it was announced that the
Butterfield & Swire SS Tungchow with over 70 children (mostly British but a few
Americans) and their escorts, returning to the CIM schools at Chefoo after their
holidays, was more than a day overdue. Due at Wei-hai-wei on Thursday morning,
the ship had not sent out any message regarding its movements, though equipped
with wireless.
Seized by pirates 10 hours from Shanghai outbound for Chefoo, a Russian anti-piracy
guard was killed during the initial attack. During the journey to the pirates’ base at Bias Bay,
the funnel colour was changed and her name painted out. She was passed by a number of
other vessels, including a British naval vessel which was searching for her, none of which
recognised her. The crew and passengers, which included 73 schoolchildren and three
female teachers, returning to Chefoo after the Christmas holidays, were held hostage for
four days before an aircraft from H.M.S. "Hermes" spotted them. The passengers were not
harmed, and the "Tungchow" was eventually escorted to Hong Kong by H.M.S. "Dainty"..
The Tunchow was a Butterfield & Swire ship, and at this time GFA had been working in
their Shanghai office for almost exactly 12 months. In his book which tells the story of the
hijacking, Norman Cliff indicates that the negotiations and the later enquiry were handled by
PIRATES AND CHEFOO SCHOOL CHILDREN
On 1st February 1935, a Shanghai newspaper included the following paragraph:
Shanghai was rent with misgivings yesterday when it was announced that the
Butterfield & Swire SS Tungchow with over 70 children (mostly British but a few
Americans) and their escorts, returning to the CIM schools at Chefoo after their
holidays, was more than a day overdue. Due at Wei-hai-wei on Thursday morning,
the ship had not sent out any message regarding its movements, though equipped
with wireless.
Seized by pirates 10 hours from Shanghai outbound for Chefoo, a Russian anti-piracy
guard was killed during the initial attack. During the journey to the pirates’ base at Bias Bay,
the funnel colour was changed and her name painted out. She was passed by a number of
other vessels, including a British naval vessel which was searching for her, none of which
recognised her. The crew and passengers, which included 73 schoolchildren and three
female teachers, returning to Chefoo after the Christmas holidays, were held hostage for
four days before an aircraft from H.M.S. "Hermes" spotted them. The passengers were not
harmed, and the "Tungchow" was eventually escorted to Hong Kong by H.M.S. "Dainty"..
The Tunchow was a Butterfield & Swire ship, and at this time GFA had been working in
their Shanghai office for almost exactly 12 months. In his book which tells the story of the
hijacking, Norman Cliff indicates that the negotiations and the later enquiry were handled by
