RootsChat.Com

Hello Julie -

I did not receive the email you mentioned in your last post.
I have just sent you another email - can you please let me know if you receive it.

Kind regards,
Suzie

Hi Julie

I have contacted Telecom (just now - my internet provider) to see why your  emails were bouncing back !  They have checked out my internet and email and say that there is no reason from this end why your emails should not come through.  They said you would need to see the 'error' message on the bounced-back email to see what the problem is.  You have the same email address as I gave 'Rootschat' and I am receiving their notifications ok.

Here - in Auckland, NZ - it is 11.15am (nearly lunch time) - I presume you are somewhere in Britain (Scotland?) and probably it is nearly mid-night!

Suzie

Hello Julie 

My father was a chief officer of the Hong Kong Fire Brigade. His father came to Hong Kong - in 1922 from London (originally they were from Devon) - with the task to set up the new Central Fire Station in Hong Kong. Our family was one of the longest resident European families in HK.

I presume your grandmother is a daughter of Duncan's sister??

Duncan and Doris did not come directly from HK to New Zealand. He was transferred in 1954 from HK to Kenya (Nairobi) where he was sent to quell the Mau Mau uprising - he was in the CID and his posting was Asst Commissioner in Kenya. They were there about two years before coming to NZ.  Though they both loved Africa, the whole experience with the Mau Mau was very terrifying for my Aunt. Had they stayed on another year Duncan was told he would receive a knighthood (Sir Duncan) - but Doris could not handle it any more and they left - joining us in New Zealand in 1957.

He was appalled at the treatment given to the Mau Mau - he is on public record as saying: "it was a lot worst than anything he experienced during his four years in the Japanese prison camp in Stanley, Hong Kong". This is one of the reasons he left Kenya.

Suzie

Hello JutzDS -

I have been doing a research on Hong Kong - where I grew up - and I accidently came across your message left in 2008 about Duncan George MacPherson - who was in the Police in Hong Kong.  He was my uncle. He married my father's sister, Doris, in the Stanley Prison Camp during the war. My father was interned there too by the Japanese. Our family was one of the longest resident families in HK - 1918 to 1956.

We all went to live in NZ - and Doris a nurse (hmmm? - one has to stretch the imagination there!)  Duncan was a very nice uncle - who loved his homeland, the heather, the hills, the bagpipes, his scotch, his hunting (deer) and trout fishing - he lived to a good age despite the pipe!  He was a great character with many a story he'd love to tell.

You probably don't look often at this site - I see it was August 2011 - but in the hope you will check back I have registered on to this site only so that you can contact me - I can fill you in on a lot of info.

Suzie