On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the State Council, and the Central Military Commission jointly awarded commemorative medals of honour to three New Zealand friends, Rewi Alley, Kathleen Hall, and James Bertram, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to supporting the Chinese people during the war. Recently, Ambassador Wang Xiaolong presented the medals to the families of Kathleen Hall and James Bertram in Auckland and Wellington, respectively. The medal for Rewi Alley will be presented in Beijing.
Ambassador Wang and Consul General Chen Shijie presented the medal to the great niece of Kathleen Hall.
(Photo by Vicky Lu)
Ambassador Wang presented the medal to James Bertram’s nephew.
Ambassador Wang observed that the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, which began the earliest and lasted the longest, was the main theatre on the oriental front of the World Anti-Fascist War. The Chinese people made immense sacrifices and historic contributions to defending peace and justice. International friends, including Rewi Alley, Kathleen Hall, and James Bertram, journeyed across oceans to war-torn China, standing shoulder to shoulder and forging profound bonds of friendship with the Chinese people in their fight. The Chinese people will forever remember their friendship and contribution.
The great niece of Kathleen Hall introduced a commemorative painting of Kathleen to Ambassador Wang.
(Photo by Vicky Lu)
Ambassador Wang showed the medal to James Bertram’s nephew.
The family members of Kathleen Hall and James Bertram reflected on Kathleen and James’ experiences in China, deeply moved by their selfless dedication and genuine affection for the country and its people. They expressed appreciation to the Chinese government and people for remembering the old friends, emphasizing that the friendship established between the peoples of New Zealand and China during times of peril must be cherished and carried forward through generations.
The great niece of Kathleen Hall showcased the medal. (Photo by Vicky Lu)
Ambassador Wang talked with James Bertram’s nephew.
Kathleen Hall, who joined the Anglican Society for the Propagation of the Gospel and went to China for medical and missionary work in 1922. She served as an instructor at Peking Union Medical College before becoming head nurse at the Anglican Hospital in Anguo, Hebei. Starting in 1938, she worked in the Jin-Cha-Ji Border Region, a key anti-Japanese military base area led by the CPC, as an assistant to Dr Norman Bethune, treating wounded Eighth Route Army soldiers. She repeatedly risked crossing Japanese blockades using her foreign and missionary identity to deliver medicines and other medical supplies in scarce need. At the same time, she selflessly aided countless ordinary Chinese people and trained a significant number of local medical personnel.She later joined China Red Cross led by Madame Soong Ching-ling. Kathleen dedicated herself to China-New Zealand friendship and was a founding member of the New Zealand China Friendship Society.
Kathleen Hall in Anguo Anglican Hospital
James Bertram, who arrived in China in 1936 as a Rhodes Scholar, worked as a freelance correspondent on Asian issues for several British publications. He was among the first Western journalists to report to the world on the truth of the Xi’an Incident. He was also invited to Yan’an for an extensive interview with Mao Zedong, and their talks were included in the Selected Works of Mao Zedong. James actively supported Madame Soong Ching-ling in her work with the China Defence League. In 1941, he joined the resistance against the Japanese invasion in the defence of Hong Kong as a volunteer gunner, and was captured by the Japanese as prisoner-of-war for nearly four years. James dedicated himself to China-New Zealand friendship and was a founding member of the New Zealand China Friendship Society.
James Bertram and Xiao Ke in the anti-Japanese base area of Northwest Shanxi