Description
Object description
British civilian teacher with St John's University in Shanghai, China, 1930-1943; internee in Ash Internment Camp, Shanghai, China, 3/1943-8/1945; teacher with St John's University and Fu Tan University in Shanghai, China and People's Republic of China, 1945-1954
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of period as teacher with St John's University and Fu Tan University in Shanghai, China, 1930-1943 and 1945-1954: background to taking up role, 1930; memories of daughter of Tu Yu-sen, 1947; poverty in Shanghai during 1930s; visits to Si Chui Orphanage near Shanghai; attitude of Chinese to Europeans; power of Chinese women in home; her work with St John's University; clandestine support for Communists in university; bad inflation in Shanghai, late 1940s; cutting off speculators' fingers prior to 1949 Revolution; Japanese threat towards China.
REEL 2 Continues: attitude of Chinese towards Japanese; contact with Leo Tolstoy's granddaughter; pre-war vice in city; memories of Communist take-over, 1949; holidays in Chinese interior; Japanese behaviour on outbreak of Pacific War, 12/1941; sinking of HMS Peterel, 8/12/1941; wearing of identification armbands by British civilians during first year of Japanese Occupation; registering at British consulate. Recollections of period as internee in Ash Internment Camp, Shanghai, China, 3/1943-8/1945: accommodation in wooden huts; diet; comfort parcels; medical facilities.
REEL 3 Continues: organisation of camp; Japanese attitude towards children; relations between internees; use of secret radio; Japanese attitude towards war; degree of contact with people outside camp; making coal balls for cooking; entertainments; relations with Japanese captors; combating mosquitoes; care of internee children; attitude towards incarceration; liberation by American troops.
REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of period as teacher with St John's University and Fu Tan University in Shanghai, China and People's Republic of China, 1945-1954: corruption of post-war Kuomintang regime; fear of Kuomintang secret police; opinion of British Government's tactics during Amethyst Incident, 1949; expectation of Communist victory; ending of corruption under Communist Party of China's regime; accusation meetings under Communist Party of China's regime; anti-religious exhibitions; visit of Dr Hewlett Johnson; turning of church into Communist museum; fate of St John's University; further details of accusation meetings; fear of being thought middle class under Communist regime.
REEL 5 Continues: propagating of Communist Party of China's ideology; degree of free speech in People's Republic of China; Chinese reaction to Korean War; Chinese fear of prospect of American atom bombing; lack of restrictions on her teaching; visa delays to leave People's Republic of China, 1953-1954; decision to leave People's Republic of China; question of Chinese attitude of superiority towards Europeans.