Macanese Roll of Honour (3) Maude Elizabeth Basto née White)

Maude Elizabeth Basto was born in about 1896 in Hong Kong. In 1937 she married Luiz Eduardo Fernandes Castro Basto.

She was arrested alongside her husband and other Macanese during the Kempeitai purge of the Club Lusitano and the Portuguese Residents Association during October-November 1942. She was released on medical grounds and re-arrested on January 30th, 1943. Thereafter she was held in Stanley Prison awaiting trial, the only woman amongst about 40 men.

One of these men, the Singhalese journalist Neil Esmond Hunter, later paid tribute to her as ‘the most majestically brave woman I shall ever know’. Another, Ho Wing, referred to her as “the Angel” because although suffering herself she always tried to bring consolation to others.

After the mass trial of August 29th, 1944 – where all the accused were found ‘guilty’ in accordance with Japanese practice – she was separated from the others and transferred to the woman’s section where she served her sentence until being released on or around August 23rd, 1945.

Macanese Roll of Honour (2): George Samuel Ladd

George Samuel Ladd was born in 1908 or 1909. Before and during the war he was an accountant living in Causeway Bay.

Agents of the British-led resistance organisation , the British Army Aid Group (BAAG) entered Hong Kong in June-July 1942 and a strong network of organisations had been established by the start of 1943. This was largely smashed by the Kempeitai in the spring of that year.

The BAAG rebuilt their organisation with surprising success, and Mr Ladd was one of the courageous men and women who stepped forward to take the place of the imprisoned and executed local operatives. He worked in a three person team – K Group – with an Indian and a Eurasian volunteer.

He was arrested on March 23rd, 1944 and taken to the Happy Valley Gendarmerie. After interrogation and trial he was sentenced to eight years in prison. He was released on August 23rd, 1945 and later gave evidence at a War Crimes Trial.