Project Background

I started the Forgotten Tales of War Project given my lifelong passion for World War II history. When I was 8 years old, I went to the Imperial War Museum in London but was not allowed into the Holocaust exhibition because of my age. As I immersed myself in the subject, I was particularly fascinated with autobiographies and memoirs of camp survivors because of their more personal feel.  Years later, I visited the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Berlin, which was far more stimulating than simply reading about facts in books. 

 

After our trip, I was surprised to learn that my parents had stories from WWII of their own. Their parents had suffered greatly in Hong Kong under Japanese occupation, with my grandpa having to flee to Vietnam and my grandma hiding in a rice depot to escape capture. The hardship and brutality they faced made me count myself lucky to live in an era of relative peace. Connecting my passion for history and my family’s experiences gave me access to the best primary sources: the stories of family and friends. 

 

I decided to further investigate Hong Kong’s history. I could not go back to Hong Kong due to the pandemic but was able to interview the author of one book I read as well as undertake archival research at the Imperial War Museum. Interpreting original documents and notes allowed me to explore my own story as a Hong Konger.