Date of letter:1996-09-10
Address of author:Tianjin City
Date of event:1940-1942
Location of event:Hebei Province
Name of author:Zhang Deyin
Name(s) of victim(s):Feng X, Liu XX, Girl surnamed Lan, Zheng Yuxue and others
Type of atrocity:Murders, Sex Slaves, Others(MU, SS, OT）
Other details:In 1940 the Japanese Army invaded my hometown, and forced Feng Ling, Anut Liu, and a girl surnamed Lan to work as comfort women. Zheng Yuxue brothers were killed by the Japanese Army when returning home to learn news. In 1942 the Japanese Army organized up to 11 times of siege in Panjiayu, and the whole village was all burned. They killed villagers, dismantled houses, and looted grain.
Mr. Tong Zeng:
It has been more than twenty days since we said goodbye to each other in Beijing on February 19. I suppose you are well! Recently, Sun Fayin mailed a letter to me from Ji County saying that he had completed the preparation in Ji County and was waiting for you to attend the meeting. Could you please fix a date and send me a letter two to three days in advance so that I can notify him? It would be good to invite reporters from TV stations as well. I have enclosed the material sent by Zhang Xinzhong in this letter and will wait for your reply in Tianjin.
Regards
Wish your family all the best
Zhang Yingdang
March 8
Japanese Cavalry occupied our territory Residents were plunged into abyss of misery
In the afternoon of January 28, 1940, a 110-person Japanese Invasion Army Calvary Troop, led by Captain Gojima, came into Dafudi Town (now village). They fortified Zheng Family’s Compound inside the town and set up a base there. Then they assembled nearby village chiefs to set up a puppet Town Maintenance Organization to provide them with slavery-like services. Yan Haiting of the Dadaodi Village became the Organization’s President. He personally presided over daily work. He led a group of subordinates schemed against all villages within the jurisdiction, to expropriate labor, firewood, grain and feed, husbandry, etc. for the Japanese Army so as to meet the needs of the Japanese Army base.
Meanwhile, under the coercion of the Japanese invaders, the base also had a comfort station, which detained young women captured by the Japanese Army from all places and women arranged by the Maintenance Organization. For these young women, entering the compound was like entering hell on earth. They were imprisoned in a heavily guarded small yard. Day and night, they became tools to sate animalistic lusts of Japanese soldiers and became victims of continuous gang rapes. Back then, inside the Dadaodi Japanese Army base, there were six comfort women, including Ru Ertiao, Feng Ling, Second Aunt Liu, Girl surnamed Lan, Ms. Liu, nee Qian, and Aunt Wu. Among them the oldest was 40, the youngest was only 16. The youngest Feng Ling was a child bride of Liu Peilin in our village. Soon after wedding she was captured by the Japanese soldiers to work as a comfort woman. It was indeed indescribable beyond words when recalling the miserable life of a conquered country and ruined lives, but then, at that time, who dared to directly stand up and reason with the Japanese soldiers? It was under such circumstances that the young Lu Peilin left home to join the army to fight the Japanese.
On July 28, 1940, Japanese officer Gojima personally led his subordinate cavalry to Panshan Mountain in a mopping-up campaign; his troop was ambushed and totally decimated. The remaining Japanese soldiers who were guarding the base stayed for two more months before their withdrawal. At this time, Feng Ling, who was ravaged by the Japanese Army, returned to join her family. Unfortunately, the young Feng Ling developed a reproductive system disorder, an incurable disease, and died one year later carrying her grudges to her grave.
Witnesses of history at Dadaodi, Guanchang Town, Ji County, Tianjin City
Liu Peilin (hand print) Wang Yong (hand print)
Cui Tang (hand print) Meng Fa(hand print)
Liu Conggui (hand print) Zhang Hewen (hand print)
Zhang Deyin (hand print) Wang Cun (hand print)
Written and arranged by Zhang Deyin Sheng Guangyuan (hand print)
September 10, 1996
Several days later, villagers one after another returned to the village to inquire about news and to inspect the disastrous situation. Unfortunately, two brothers of youth, Zheng Yusen and Zheng Yuxue, were captured by the Japanese Army, who came for mopping-up, and were killed on the route to detainment.
Panjiayu Massacre is well known to everybody; yet the Dadaodi Massacre on May 21, 1942 on the lunar calendar is just as bad as Panjiayu Massacre. In that year alone, Japanese invaders harassed and burned this village for as much as 11 times. According to statistics compiled at that time, over 3150 houses of 450 households in the whole village were almost totally destroyed. What remained in scattered spots was later dismantled by the Japanese military bases in the surrounding areas to build gun turrets. Even the original Three Emperor Temple, Master Temple, Medicine King Temple, Wenchang Palace, Buddha Temple, Wudao Temple in the village and Tang Emperor Temple outside the village, totaling seven god temples, were not spared; all of them were burned or dismantled by the Japanese invaders. In order to survive and tide over hard times, more than 2000 homeless residents were forced to relocate to 72 villages in 4 neighboring counties to depend on aids from relatives and friends. It is indeed indescribable beyond words when recalling the miserable life at that time!
The barbaric behaviors of the Japanese invaders stirred up a strong desire among people nationwide to protect the homeland and seek revenge for the dead victims. On the same day, 20-30 youths signed up to enlist into the army, to pick up arms, and to fight the enemy in the frontline.
As the Anti-Japanese War scored one after another victories and under the call of the Communist Party of China to “fight Anti-Japanese War and rebuild homeland” and the call of frontier people’s government to stick to production, in the spring of 1943, heroic villagers of Dadaodi Village, with rejuvenated spirit and reinvigorated courage, returned to their native place to rebuild houses and compounds on the ruins of their own homes. They made their respective due contributions to the early victory of the Anti-Japanese War and the liberation of the entire people.
However, the Japanese invaders were not reconciled with its imminent defeat and, instead, they even more ferociously implemented their ‘Burn All, Kill All, and Loot All’ policy. For multiple times, they organized Japanese Army and Puppet Army to take joint actions to harass the villages with frantic mopping-up, strengthened security control, and slaughtering of innocent villagers. In succession, they killed our innocent villagers, including Sheng Qingyun, Shi Fu, Xiao Erla, and Zheng Yuzhen, and broke their homes.
In summary, how can I, a then 13 year old member of the Children’s League, who personally witnessed the disaster, observed the vivid village history tainted with blood and tear, and experienced the miserable tribulations of a conquered country and ruined families, not have them engraved deeply in my heart?
Retired teacher of Tianjin City Ji County Guanchang Town Dadaodi Village
Zhang Deyin(hand print)
Claim
Defendant: Japanese government
Reason for claim: On May 21 (July 4 on the Gregorian calendar), 1942, on the lunar calendar when the Japanese invaders were at its most wanton period, the Japanese Army barbarically killed 6 innocent villagers. They also killed 6 innocent villagers (excluding 13 persons who joined the army and died in action) before and after a mopping-up campaign. They killed a total of 12 persons, wounded and caused disability to 25 persons, burned 3150 civilian houses, and destroyed 7 temples. Others things, such as grains and properties, were all burned or looted. The resulting direct economic losses are estimated to be around USD 1.5 billion. According to international practices and principles of civilian damage reparations, the Japanese authority must give it a serious thought. It must solemnly treat objective historical facts and quickly offer apologies to all Chinese people and reparations to the vast number of civilian victims so as to demonstrate its sincerity for Sino-Japanese friendship. In this way, it can remove hostilities caused by the war, enhance mutual understanding, and promote global peace, scientific and technological progress, cultural & economic exchange and development, and usher in a happy and beautiful tomorrow.
In witness whereof
To be delivered to
Japanese Government
Representatives of victims Zhang Deyin (hand print) Tian Beichuan(hand print)
Yan Ze(hand print) Liu Conghan(hand print) Zheng Yurong(hand print)
Liang Gui (hand print) Wang Yong (hand print) Wang Zhi (hand print)
Wang Xian (hand print) Zheng Yumin (name seal) Wang Changcun (hand print)
January 1, 1996
