Global Times: Descendants of Nanyang transport volunteers in WWII keep wartime spirit alive through family stories

BEIJING, Aug. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- When Bong Boon Min, nephew of a Nanyang transport volunteer, left Sarawak, Malaysia in the 1970s to do contracting work, he had no idea of his family's link to the Nanyang Volunteer Drivers and Mechanics. It wasn't until years later, through a chance conversation with his uncle, that he discovered the untold story of his relative's involvement in this wartime effort.

Since then, Bong has dedicated himself to uncovering and preserving this forgotten chapter. Although 73 years old now, he remains committed to the task.

The "Nanyang Volunteer Drivers and Mechanics" refers to over 3,200 overseas Chinese drivers and technicians who returned from Southeast Asia to support Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), according to the Xinhua News Agency.

After the war broke out, the Burma Road, completed in 1938, became China's pivotal international supply route in the southwest. However, China lacked experienced drivers and mechanics for heavy-duty transport vehicles. Upon learning this, Tan Kah Kee, chairman of the Southeast China Relief Fund Union, called for volunteers to return and serve.

Between 1939 and 1942, they transported over 500,000 tons of military supplies and more than 15,000 vehicles into China, along with countless civilian goods. Over 1,000 volunteers sacrificed their lives in the process, Xinhua said. Although none of the volunteers remain alive today, their heroic stories continue to resonate across China and Southeast Asia.

On the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the Global Times interviewed descendants of the volunteers in Malaysia and Singapore. They shared memories of their elders and described efforts to preserve and pass on this history.

Patriotism unspoken

Bong's voice trembled with emotion as he recalled the past. "Every time I think about it, I can't help but feel overwhelmed," he told the Global Times.

Bong's uncle, Kho Hai Seng, never spoke of his wartime experience – even to his family. This silence is common among many descendants of the mechanics, whose elders never spoke of their sacrifices.

"In the 1970s, I came across a book about the Nanyang volunteers and was shocked to learn how closely my hometown was tied to this nearly forgotten chapter of history," Bong said. During a trip back in the 1990s, a conversation with Kho finally awakened this long-buried memory. That marked the beginning of Bong's journey to gather records and track down other descendants.

Bong carefully documented his uncle's story: Kho was born into a wealthy Chinese merchant family in Sarawak. He was well-educated, could drive, and had worked in a machine shop – living a life of comfort. Yet in August 1939, he gave it all up to join the volunteer corps and return to war-torn China.

Kho's unit transported supplies from northern Burma into China. Just six months into 1939, 10 drivers perished in crashes. Their bodies were often buried in situ, facing south toward their homeland. When a vehicle broke down and the driver failed to escape, the volunteers became sitting targets. After the road was bombed in 1942, Kho's unit disbanded. He later lost his right arm in combat and left to the battlefield.

In another case, 77-year-old Singaporean Thong Kwee Chin, daughter of a volunteer, told the Global Times that her father never spoke of the past.

After years of searching, Thong's older sister, Tang Yebi, gradually pieced together a clearer picture of her father, Tang Renwen: his own father had run a tailor shop in Malaya. When the War of Resistance broke out, he willingly gave up his comfortable life to join the fight. He stood out among more than 3,200 volunteer mechanics, delivering wartime supplies along the treacherous Burma Road.

Many other descendants have followed in their elders' footsteps – resurrecting stories of courage and sacrifice long buried in history.

"The Nanyang volunteers were a symbol of the overseas Chinese community's collective support for the motherland. These were some of the best and brightest youths of their time, whose return showed deep emotional ties and strong identification with China. They were defenders of peace and remain a vital part of our shared history," said Xia Yuqing, professor and deputy director of the overseas Chinese research institute at the Yunnan Chinese Language and Culture College, Yunnan Normal University.

Keeping the flame alive

"I've been tirelessly trying to find descendants and promote this history – publishing articles and notices in newspapers to get the word out," Bong said.

In 2010, Bong managed to contact a historical research institute in Southwest China's Yunnan Province. They were surprised to learn that three volunteers from Sarawak were still alive. With support from local Chinese institutions, Bong's efforts to raise awareness gained momentum.

Surviving volunteers were often moved to tears that someone still cared enough to record their stories. Yet Bong's journey wasn't always smooth – some descendants, unaware of their parents' past, mistook him for a scammer or treated him with suspicion.

Fortunately, his persistence paid off. More people began to trust him. "There's no payment for this work," Bong said, "but helping preserve this history is reward enough."

Bong proudly displayed the commemorative medal granted to his uncle Kho by the Chinese government at the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War held on September 3, 2015. The medal was conferred to veterans, military commanders and representatives of international friends or their surviving family members who supported China's resistance efforts, said Xinhua. This medal embodies a deep reverence for the heroes in the war, the aspiration to carry forward the great spirit of the war, as well as the Chinese people's firm resolve to cherish peace and forge ahead into the future, per Xinhua.

In 2016, Bong organized a campaign to retrace the Burma Road. Many descendants from Southeast Asia joined the journey. "It was a long, hard road, but we all finished it."

"Afterward, I told the surviving volunteers, 'I went there. I saw it, I walked it,'" Bong said.

Meanwhile, efforts to commemorate this history have led to the construction of memorials. For example, on May 14, 2025, a pavilion was completed in Malaysia-China Friendship Park, Sarawak, to permanently honor the Nanyang volunteers, according to Yunnan Daily.

"Learning and preserving the memory of the Nanyang volunteers helps overseas Chinese understand the past, reflect on the present and look to the future," Thong said. "Places like the National Museum of Singapore and the War Memorial Park still bear traces of their history."

"China's current prosperity came through unimaginable hardship. Our generation knows this deeply, and we tell the younger generation. They come to understand it too," Bong said.

"I have five children. Every one of them knows the story of the Nanyang volunteers," he added.

As Xia emphasized, the volunteers' legacy is a shared memory of Chinese people everywhere – and a powerful educational resource. "Their patriotic spirit still resonates, helping unite overseas Chinese and fostering deeper cultural identity. We must honor this history, especially among the youth."

"This spirit is a lasting source of strength. These ordinary, kind-hearted people helped change the course of history. Their collective force made a real contribution to the global fight against fascism," Xia said.