George Hogg (adventurer)
Encyclopedia
George Aylwin Hogg was an English adventurer. He was a graduate of Oxford University in economics. He is known as a hero in China for saving 60 orphan
ed boys during the Second Sino-Japanese War
, including leading them 700 miles (1,126.5 km) through dangerous mountain passes, escaping the approaching Japanese secret police in the Shaanxi area.
in England
. He attended St. George's School
, where he was head boy. Afterwards, he went to Wadham College
in Oxford
, obtaining a degree of Bachelor of Arts.
He then became a journalist for the Manchester Guardian.
In 1937 he sailed on the Queen Mary
to New York
, hitchhiked
across the United States
, and joined his aunt Muriel Lester
(a well-known English
pacifist and friend of Gandhi). They continued their trip to Japan
.
for the Associated Press
. In January 1938, during the undeclared war between China and Japan
, he left Japan to visit Shanghai
, China for two days. He helped Kathleen Hall, a nurse from New Zealand
, smuggle food and medicine to the communists. During this, he witnessed first hand the brutality of the Imperial Japanese Army
towards the Chinese and chose to stay in China. In Shaanxi
Province, Hogg befriended communist General Nie Rongzhen
and participated with the Eighth Route Army
in guerrilla raids against the Japanese. While on the front lines, he wrote the book "I See a New China".
operated by New Zealand-born communist Rewi Alley
in Shaanxi
. He helped Alley operate a lice-infested facility (without books, beds or food) for 60 orphaned boys. He converted a nearby cottage into a dormitory. With credit established in town, he was able to supply millet
and vegetables to the children.
The boys called him Ho Ke. To get respect and control over the boys, Hogg participated in many activities with them, including singing, swimming, sports and hiking. The children tended a vegetable garden for food and Hogg made a basketball court for recreation.
He adopted four boys (brothers: Nie Guangchun, Nie Guranghan, Nie Guangtao and Nie Guangpei).
Funds came from the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives
(CIC), also organized by Alley. CIC regional headquarters in Baoji
was 60 miles (96.6 km) over the Qinling Mountain
pass. Hogg occasionally travelled by bicycle to CIC.
Late 1944, the Nationalist army
searched classrooms for boys to recruit
. The army arrested Hogg for resisting recruitment.
in Gansu
Province 700 miles (1,126.5 km) away. The first half (33) left in November 1944 and in January 1945, the remaining 27 boys followed. They travelled heavily snow-covered mountain roads by foot.
After a month of travel by foot, 450 miles (724.2 km), they arrived in Lanzhou
. Hogg hired six diesel trucks to complete the trip.
Early March 1945, Hogg and his boys arrived in Shandan. Alley rented some old temples, turned them into classrooms and workshops, and appointed Hogg as headmaster. From the beginning the school was helped by New Zealand friends, who later formed the New Zealand China Friendship Society.
and two boys went to Lanzhou by motorcycle, a 500 mile round trip to get medicine. To comfort Hogg until he died, the boys sang nursery rhymes he had taught them.
He died on July 22 after three days. He was laid to rest outside town. His headstone is engraved with lines from his favourite poem:
He never saw the end of the Sino-Japanese War with the surrender of Japan
just one month after his death.
(2008), also called Children of the Silk Road or Escape from Huang Shi, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Hogg and Chow Yun-fat
as the intelligence agent Chen Hansheng.
His life is chronicled in Ocean Devil: The Life and Legend of George Hogg by James MacManus. His own account is George Aylwin Hogg, I See a New China, which includes his participation in the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives
project in rural industrialization.
Hogg is also a popular topic of study for students at his old school, St.Georges in Harpenden.
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
ed boys during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, including leading them 700 miles (1,126.5 km) through dangerous mountain passes, escaping the approaching Japanese secret police in the Shaanxi area.
Early life
Hogg grew up in the small town of HarpendenHarpenden
Harpenden is a town in Hertfordshire, England.The town's total population is just under 30,000.-Geography and administration:There are two civil parishes: Harpenden and Harpenden Rural....
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He attended St. George's School
St. George's School, Harpenden
St George's VA School, Harpenden is a traditional day and boarding school in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, serving students of both genders from ages 11 to 18 with emphasis on a Christian ethos...
, where he was head boy. Afterwards, he went to Wadham College
Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, located at the southern end of Parks Road in central Oxford. It was founded by Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, wealthy Somerset landowners, during the reign of King James I...
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, obtaining a degree of Bachelor of Arts.
He then became a journalist for the Manchester Guardian.
In 1937 he sailed on the Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line...
to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, hitchhiked
Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking is a means of transportation that is gained by asking people, usually strangers, for a ride in their automobile or other road vehicle to travel a distance that may either be short or long...
across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and joined his aunt Muriel Lester
Muriel Lester
Muriel Lester was born in Leytonstone in east London and grew up at Loughton, where she was a member of the Union Church. She was a social reformer, pacifist and nonconformist. As a Baptist, she was baptized in 1898, at 15...
(a well-known English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
pacifist and friend of Gandhi). They continued their trip to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Life in China
Hogg was an independent reporterStringer (journalism)
In journalism, a stringer is a type of freelance journalist or photographer who contributes reports or photos to a news organization on an ongoing basis but is paid individually for each piece of published or broadcast work....
for the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. In January 1938, during the undeclared war between China and Japan
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, he left Japan to visit Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China for two days. He helped Kathleen Hall, a nurse from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, smuggle food and medicine to the communists. During this, he witnessed first hand the brutality of the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
towards the Chinese and chose to stay in China. In Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
Province, Hogg befriended communist General Nie Rongzhen
Nie Rongzhen
Nie Rongzhen was a prominent Chinese Communist military leader, and one of ten Marshals in the People's Liberation Army of China. He was the last surviving PLA officer with the rank of Marshal.-Biography:...
and participated with the Eighth Route Army
Eighth Route Army
The Eighth Route Army was the larger of the two major Chinese communist forces that formed a unit of the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China which fought the Japanese from 1937 to 1945. In contrast to most of the National Revolutionary Army, it was controlled by the Communist...
in guerrilla raids against the Japanese. While on the front lines, he wrote the book "I See a New China".
Shandan Bailie School
Hogg started to assist the Gung Ho movementGung Ho - ICCIC
The International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives was founded in 1939 in Hong Kong to form cooperatives in China...
operated by New Zealand-born communist Rewi Alley
Rewi Alley
Rewi Alley, 路易•艾黎, Lùyì Àilí, QSO, , was a New Zealand-born writer, educator, social reformer, potter, and member of the Communist Party of China....
in Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
. He helped Alley operate a lice-infested facility (without books, beds or food) for 60 orphaned boys. He converted a nearby cottage into a dormitory. With credit established in town, he was able to supply millet
Millet
The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...
and vegetables to the children.
The boys called him Ho Ke. To get respect and control over the boys, Hogg participated in many activities with them, including singing, swimming, sports and hiking. The children tended a vegetable garden for food and Hogg made a basketball court for recreation.
He adopted four boys (brothers: Nie Guangchun, Nie Guranghan, Nie Guangtao and Nie Guangpei).
Funds came from the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives
Chinese Industrial Cooperatives
Chinese Industrial Cooperative Association "gōngyè hézuòshè , that is, the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives, known as INDUSCO, was formally established in August,1938 in Hankow, then the wartime capital of China...
(CIC), also organized by Alley. CIC regional headquarters in Baoji
Baoji
Baoji is a prefecture-level city in Shaanxi province, China.-Geography:The prefecture-level city of Baoji has a population of 3,716,731 according to the 2010 Chinese census, inhabiting an area of . The city itself has a population of approximately 800,000. Surrounded on three sides by hills,...
was 60 miles (96.6 km) over the Qinling Mountain
Qinling Mountains
The Qin Mountains are a major east-west mountain range in southern Shaanxi province, China. The mountains provide a natural boundary between the North and South of the country, and support a huge variety of plant and wildlife, some of which is found nowhere else on Earth.To the north is the...
pass. Hogg occasionally travelled by bicycle to CIC.
Late 1944, the Nationalist army
National Revolutionary Army
The National Revolutionary Army , pre-1928 sometimes shortened to 革命軍 or Revolutionary Army and between 1928-1947 as 國軍 or National Army was the Military Arm of the Kuomintang from 1925 until 1947, as well as the national army of the Republic of China during the KMT's period of party rule...
searched classrooms for boys to recruit
Army recruit
Recruit or army recruit is a term often colloquially used to refer to the lowest military rank in various armed services. It usually implies that the soldier so labeled has not yet completed basic training....
. The army arrested Hogg for resisting recruitment.
Relocation
Hogg then decided to relocate the boys to ShandanShandan County
Shandan County is a county in Gansu Province, the People's Republic of China. It is one of 58 counties of Gansu. It is part of the Zhangye prefecture, with the city of the same name being the prefecture seat. Its postal code is 734100, and in 1999 its population was 194,901 people. It is famous...
in Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
Province 700 miles (1,126.5 km) away. The first half (33) left in November 1944 and in January 1945, the remaining 27 boys followed. They travelled heavily snow-covered mountain roads by foot.
After a month of travel by foot, 450 miles (724.2 km), they arrived in Lanzhou
Lanzhou
Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is a key regional transportation hub, allowing areas further west to maintain railroad connections to the eastern half of the country....
. Hogg hired six diesel trucks to complete the trip.
Early March 1945, Hogg and his boys arrived in Shandan. Alley rented some old temples, turned them into classrooms and workshops, and appointed Hogg as headmaster. From the beginning the school was helped by New Zealand friends, who later formed the New Zealand China Friendship Society.
Death
In July 1945, Hogg stubbed his toe while playing basketball with the boys. It became infected with tetanusTetanus
Tetanus is a medical condition characterized by a prolonged contraction of skeletal muscle fibers. The primary symptoms are caused by tetanospasmin, a neurotoxin produced by the Gram-positive, rod-shaped, obligate anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani...
and two boys went to Lanzhou by motorcycle, a 500 mile round trip to get medicine. To comfort Hogg until he died, the boys sang nursery rhymes he had taught them.
He died on July 22 after three days. He was laid to rest outside town. His headstone is engraved with lines from his favourite poem:
He never saw the end of the Sino-Japanese War with the surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
just one month after his death.
Legacy
An abridged and modified account (eliminating Alley and modifying Hall) of his life and adventure is portrayed in the feature film The Children of Huang ShiThe Children of Huang Shi
The Children of Huang Shi is a Chinese 2008 film...
(2008), also called Children of the Silk Road or Escape from Huang Shi, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Hogg and Chow Yun-fat
Chow Yun-Fat
Chow Yun-fat, SBS is an actor from Hong Kong. He is best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled; and to the West for his role as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...
as the intelligence agent Chen Hansheng.
His life is chronicled in Ocean Devil: The Life and Legend of George Hogg by James MacManus. His own account is George Aylwin Hogg, I See a New China, which includes his participation in the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives
Chinese Industrial Cooperatives
Chinese Industrial Cooperative Association "gōngyè hézuòshè , that is, the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives, known as INDUSCO, was formally established in August,1938 in Hankow, then the wartime capital of China...
project in rural industrialization.
Hogg is also a popular topic of study for students at his old school, St.Georges in Harpenden.
Books
- I See a New China by George Hogg, ISBN 0708915035
- Ocean Devil: The Life and Legend of George Hogg by James MacManus, ISBN 0007270755
- Fruition: The story of George Alwin Hogg by Rewi Alley,http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2490340