Date of letter:February 22, 1993
Address of author:Wusu County, Wusu City, Xinjiang Autonomous Region
Date of event:1943
Location of event:Lingling District, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province
Name of author:Peng Shuling
Name(s) of victim(s):Peng Shuling
Type of atrocity:Air Bombings (AB)
Other details:In 1943, Japanese invaders bombed Lingling City, Hunan Province for several times, including Peng Shuling’s house.
Comrade Tong,
Hello!
I felt excited after reading the article ‘The History Has Not Forgotten’ written by Li Peiyu which was published on Reader Digest Issue 10 in 1992.I am Peng Shuling, a victim of Japan’s war of aggression in China. My origin was Lingling, Hunan Province (now Yongzhou City); now I am at my seventies, living with my children in Wusu, Sinkiang.
When recalling the monstrous crimes committed by the Japanese invaders in Lingling, I can’t help crying. I clearly remember hat one afternoon of around March or April, 1943 (cannot remember the exact date because of my old age), the Japanese aircrafts bombed above Lingling again and again, and blasted the bomb shelter (built by Jiang’s Troop at a selected empty yard原蒋军纪校选迁空院修建的 ) in Huzi Ridge beside the Gaoshan Temple, causing over 200 injuries and casualties. The situation was too horrible to describe: some bodies were thrown on trees; the legs of the deceased were hung on branches. I burst into tears when seeing this. The witnesses all gnashed their teeth and hated the Japanese for their violence. Later, several places of Lingling were also bombed, destroying a lot of residences and people.
In July, 1944, I was a teacher in Lingling Suozhou Secondary School and the school was preparing for entrance exams. One day afternoon, I suddenly received a notification from Tang Honglie, a commissioner of Lingling bureau, saying:” The Japanese invaders have approached Yangjiaxiang (about 30 lis from Lingling) (1 li = 500 meters). Stop the exams and find shelters as soon as possible.” I hurriedly went home and accompanied my mother who was in her sixties to follow the officers to find shelter in the nearby area. At the very night, we hid in Shuangpai Mountain area, south of the city (40 kilometers from the city) with the bureau families. That night, we saw from the distance that the flames were soaring in Lingling, and heard the Japanese planes bombing the next day.
In August, 1945, after Japan surrendered, I came back to Lingling with my mother. The entire county was in ruins; three quarters of the houses were destroyed, only over 20 residences near the vegetable garden south of the county remained. My house was bombed out, so was my older brother-in-law’s house across the street from my house. My house was inherited from ancestors, located at No. 18, Nansiheng Street. My ancestors ran paper business. The house consisted of one building and one shelter with two stories, totally 17 rooms. We only brought a quilt and several changes of clothes when we left and all the furniture, utensils and expensive books left behind were destroyed by the Japanese invaders, with an estimated value of no less than 20,000 RMB. As victims, the Chinese people have the right to claim reparations for the losses caused by the Japanese army.
Comrade Tong, you call for justice for millions of harmed Chinese people, which is appreciated and supported by all the victims. As one of them, I would like to sign my name on the claim book and hope you could launch a signature event in Lingling as well. I will never give up until our cause is fulfilled. If you come to Lingling, you could look for my older sister Peng Jinyu and her second husband Li Yongchang (both over 70) for help. They live in No. 59, Jiefang Road, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province.
Please consider attaching this letter to your claim book. If necessary, you could write letters to Sinkiang Wusu Leather Factory. Recipient: Peng Mengjun.
Postcode: 833000.
Sincerely,
Victim: Peng Shuling accuses with tears
February 22nd, 1993
