Bill Chong
William Gun Chong (鄭根) (1911 – 2006) was a Canadian who served in the British Military Intelligence unit MI9 during World War II. He is the only Chinese Canadian to be awarded the British Empire Medal, the highest honor that Britain awards to non-British citizens.[1][2]
Life
Chong was born in Vancouver on July 15, 1911. He had little formal education and was employed as a cook and houseboy.[3]
Chong was visiting Hong Kong when Japan invaded in 1941. He escaped to free China where he joined the British Army Aid Group, a paramilitary unit of MI9. Chong then was a British spy, known as Agent 50, who operated behind Japanese lines in occupied China.[4][3]
References
- ^ Vancouver Asian Heritage Monthly Society. "Chinese History in Canada". The Virtual Museum of Asian Canadian Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 2017-11-19.
- ^ "Noteworthy historical figures - Asian Heritage Month". Asian Heritage Month 2017. Government of Canada. Retrieved 2017-11-19.
- ^ a b Clement, Catherine (December 8, 2016). "The Incredible WW2 Story Of Intrepid Espionage Agent Bill Chong: Agent 50". War History Online. Retrieved 2017-11-19.
- ^ Mickleburgh, Rod (August 11, 2005). "How a valiant spy tricked his captors". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 4 September 2017.