Editor’s note: As July 1 — the 105th anniversary of the Communist Party of China’s founding and the 29th year of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland — approaches, China Daily spoke with several Dongjiang Column fighters and their descendants. In their quiet recollections, the courage of that era still feels close — and still relevant.

Over the years, one voice has been quietly but persistently telling the story of Hong Kong’s wartime resistance — not as a scholar, but as a son.

For Cai Jianzhong, who spoke with China Daily ahead of July 1 — the 105th anniversary of the Communist Party of China’s founding and the 29th year of Hong Kong returning to the motherland — the story of the Dongjiang (East River) Column is not a distant chapter in textbooks.

Cai’s father, Tsoi Kwok-leung, was the first captain of the column’s Hong Kong and Kowloon Independent Brigade, a guerrilla unit that fought under the leadership of the Communist Party of China during the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).

On Feb 3, 1942, the Hong Kong and Kowloon Independent Brigade, which included many volunteers and young intellectuals, was established in the chapel at Wong Mo Ying village in Sai Kung (now Rosary Mission Church). Tsoi became captain of the brigade.

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The unit, which grew to nearly 1,000 fighters, later became part of the Dongjiang Column.

“Many families had siblings joining together, parents and children fighting side by side, and even entire families participating in the war,” Cai recalled. “My father, uncle, and aunts — all factory workers — joined together.

“The history of the brigade is essentially the history of Hong Kong residents fighting fearlessly and patriotically to defend Hong Kong under the leadership of the Communist Party of China,” he said.

Under Tsoi’s command, the brigade carried out several daring operations. Among its most significant achievements was the rescue of more than 800 Chinese cultural figures, democrats, and educated young people stranded in occupied Hong Kong — protecting what Cai later described as “the cultural lifeline of the Chinese nation”.

The brigade also rescued over 100 British and American pilots and provided crucial intelligence to the Allies.

Rescue of ‘Flying Tiger’

One of the most remarkable episodes was the rescue of “Flying Tiger” Lieutenant Donald W Kerr, a United States fighter pilot whose P-40 fighter was hit and caught fire during a mission to bomb Kai Tak airport, which was then a Japanese airbase, on Feb 11, 1944.

Kerr parachuted to safety and evaded capture, but soon needed help. Cai’s father personally participated in commanding the 16-day rescue operation. Guerrilla fighters and local villagers worked against time — delivering food, blankets, clothing, treating Kerr’s wounds, and moving him between hiding spots while dodging Japanese search parties.

Under guerrilla escort, Kerr was smuggled by boat from Sai Kung to the village of Tuyang in Shenzhen, and from there to safety.

Cai said he did not learn the full details of this rescue until much later. In 2015, a documentary about Kerr’s rescue was released, deepening his understanding of his father’s role.

ALSO READ: HK rescue: The saga of CPC-led guerrilla force in WWII

When Kerr’s son, David Kerr, visited China to thank his father’s wartime saviors, Cai and the younger Kerr planted two michelia trees in a Shenzhen park, naming them “gratitude trees”.

“Being able to renew this friendship after so many years — it’s truly precious,” Cai said.

Cai said that the CPC-led Hong Kong and Kowloon Independent Brigade was a significant force in the main battlefield of World War II, which dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese aggressors’ “southern advance plan” in the Pacific war and thwarted the Japanese military’s strategic ambitions.

“By remembering my father, the spirit of serving the people and fearing no sacrifice has affected me deeply. I hope that today’s young people will carry forward the spirit of Dongjiang Column, and contribute to the development of Guangdong,” he said.

Contact the writers at gangwen@chinadailyhk.com