HOW PRISONERS WERE SAVED

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21198, 23 June 1934, Page 13

HOW PRISONERS WERE SAVED

CHINESE KIDNAPPING JUNKS AND AEROPLANES EXCHANGE SHOTS (BRITISH official wireless.) (Received June 22, 5.5 p.m.) RUGBY, June 21. The story of the rescue of the five Englishmen and one of the 20 Chinese who were kidnapped by pirates from the Chinese steamer Shuntien on Sunday is told in a report from Admiral Sir Fred:rick Dreyer, Commander-in-Chief of the China Station. .On Wednesday morning naval aircraft from H.M.S. Eagle, with the concurrence of the Chinese authorities, carried out a search near the position from which the captives had been taken inland. During this search fire was opened on one of the aircraft from a group of junks in a creek about ha a mile from the sea. On further investigation from the air a sampan bearing a white fla~ was observed five miles east of the group of junks. This sampan proved to contain Mr Graeme Nicholl and the Chinese official, Mr Sun Tun-ling, who had been sent with letters to open negotiations with the British and Chinese authorities at Tsinan-fu. These two captives were rescued by a seaplane which landed near the sampan and took them to H.M.S. Eagle. Meanwhile, heavy fire had been opened from the ground abreast of the group of junks on other aircraft sent to investigate, although no offensive action had been taken by them.

One of the aircraft was hit and it was necessary to return the fire. The pirate junk then started to put to sea and anchored in shoal water, which made it impossible fr • the destroyers to approach her. Aircraft were therefore sent to drop a warning bomb near this junk with messages in Chinese threatening i use force unless the prisoners were surrendered. These measures were successful and the remaining four Englishmen were released in a sampan and taken aboard 11.M.5. Whitshed. The rescued officers reported ,'ir.t Mr Yamamoto, the captured Japanese, was sent in a junk to Tiensin by the pirates to arrange terms for the release of the hostages. No report 'has yet been received of his rescue. JAPANESE PRESENT DEMANDS BRITISH SHIP STILL CO-OI'ERATING SHANGHAI, June 21. Chinese warships are co-operating with troops in encircling the pirates. In contrast to the British attitude, Japanese officials at Nanking presented demands to the Chinese Government to use speedy and energetic measures to effect the release of the captive Japanese, Mr Yamamoto. H.M.S. Eagle, under instructions from Admiral Sir Frederick Dreyer, is remaining near the mouth of the Yellow river to assist in final efforts to capture the pirates and rescue the Chinese captives.