Unsung Chinese fighters on European battlefields, 1936-1945

Between 1936 and 1945, a great number of overseas Chinese took part in the struggle on European battlefields. Whether traveling with military units or joining voluntarily, they fought alongside international allies, local soldiers, and civilians against the fascist regimes. Their courage was recognized with medals and honours from several European governments. 

Paul Yan was among the two thousand initial members of the International Brigades who participated in the defence of Madrid in November 1936. He would be joined by dozens of others, most of whom were living in Europe and the United States.

The contributions of Chinese volunteers were not limited to Spain. They were also present in the Allied landing in northern France in June 1944. Sacha Marsac, Operations Manager (France) of the British Normandy Memorial “didn't expect that there were Chinese soldiers who joined the D-Day operation…It was a bit of a mind-blowing moment when we first learned about those 24 Chinese officers."

This all began after the outbreak of the Pacific War. At that time, the Chinese Government planned to rebuild its navy and initiated negotiations with Britain and the United States in 1942.In June 1943, the first group of 24 Chinese naval officers departed for Britain. Their journey took them through India and Egypt before they finally reached Liverpool three months later. Following their arrival, they entered training at the Royal Naval College in Greenwich, after which they were assigned to various warships for active duty. Some of them are in the photo.

According to historical materials, in addition to Huang, there were other Chinese officers who attended D-Day, conducting various missions, such as destroying Nazi German defensive fortifications and providing cover for the landing forces. One, Lam Ping-yu, kept a diary of his experiences during the Normandy invasion which was discovered in an abandoned building in Hong Kong in 2015.

"The Chinese were not only fighting in the Far East against Japanese aggression but were also here in Europe, standing against fascism," remarked Marsac. He shared a story from Greenwich: when the Chinese officers offered their British fellows a taste of home, the British soldiers were amazed by the unfamiliar cuisine. He said, “These guys, their minds were blown. It was a completely different flavor, a completely different culture. Something as simple as serving food someone has never had before opens your mind and creates that shared experience… This is the core message of solidarity: we must actively look for what we have in common, for the things that bring us together, rather than what pulls us apart".

This report tells these stories that have remained largely unknown.

SY