Page 138 - GFA – A Different Drumbeat
P. 138
GFA – A Different Drumbeat 138
BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE AGAIN
When the war ended with Japan's surrender in September, he returned to Shanghai, where
he resumed his old post with Butterfield & Swire. Tom Lindsay’s letter to David Bentley-
Taylor comments on this time:
When the Japanese surrendered, it so happened that one of the Firm’s houses in
Shanghai was empty, and I was told to get into it
fast before any squatters got in. So when GFA flew
in from Chungking a week or so later, he joined me
in the house. Later we were joined by GEORGE
SODERBOM, the Swede mentioned by Mr. Swire,
who had lived with GFA in Chungking, and some
others.
1939 1949 GFA was immediately called on t resume his
Chinese Affairs role. The Chinese new 6th Army,
which had been training in India, and considered
themselves a cut above all the other Chinese
troops, moved in to the Firm’s office in Shanghai
because it had been occupied by the Japanese
army and refused to let us in. GFA contacted TV
Soong, then Premier, and in the meantime, acting
on his principle “If you have an enemy, ask him to a
meal”, we had lunch with the officers occupying the
offices. When they got back, there were orders to
get out waiting for them. They moved so fast we
had to ask them to leave a squad to guard the
property overnight until we could organize our own
guards.
From the end of January to mid September I was
on leave. During this period GFA with the
assistance of Mr JK Jolly, who had been with him
when setting up the records in 1934/35, and who
now came out of retirement, had the unenviable
task of trying to clear up the staff situation. (In the
hurried closing of the office after Pearl Habour,
many of the staff had not been able to be paid in
full. However records were kept, and sorting out
the back pay was part of GFA’s task at this
time).While I was in Peking and GFA and Jolly were rebuilding the DOCA, three or
four Chinese came into the office one day. They explained that the Firm’s wharves
were not being policed properly, and that they felt that they could do it better.
BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE AGAIN
When the war ended with Japan's surrender in September, he returned to Shanghai, where
he resumed his old post with Butterfield & Swire. Tom Lindsay’s letter to David Bentley-
Taylor comments on this time:
When the Japanese surrendered, it so happened that one of the Firm’s houses in
Shanghai was empty, and I was told to get into it
fast before any squatters got in. So when GFA flew
in from Chungking a week or so later, he joined me
in the house. Later we were joined by GEORGE
SODERBOM, the Swede mentioned by Mr. Swire,
who had lived with GFA in Chungking, and some
others.
1939 1949 GFA was immediately called on t resume his
Chinese Affairs role. The Chinese new 6th Army,
which had been training in India, and considered
themselves a cut above all the other Chinese
troops, moved in to the Firm’s office in Shanghai
because it had been occupied by the Japanese
army and refused to let us in. GFA contacted TV
Soong, then Premier, and in the meantime, acting
on his principle “If you have an enemy, ask him to a
meal”, we had lunch with the officers occupying the
offices. When they got back, there were orders to
get out waiting for them. They moved so fast we
had to ask them to leave a squad to guard the
property overnight until we could organize our own
guards.
From the end of January to mid September I was
on leave. During this period GFA with the
assistance of Mr JK Jolly, who had been with him
when setting up the records in 1934/35, and who
now came out of retirement, had the unenviable
task of trying to clear up the staff situation. (In the
hurried closing of the office after Pearl Habour,
many of the staff had not been able to be paid in
full. However records were kept, and sorting out
the back pay was part of GFA’s task at this
time).While I was in Peking and GFA and Jolly were rebuilding the DOCA, three or
four Chinese came into the office one day. They explained that the Firm’s wharves
were not being policed properly, and that they felt that they could do it better.
