London Photo Gallery - Art Exhibitions & Special Events

The Unsung Chinese Heroes At D-Day (July 2025)

During the late Qing Dynasty leading up to the First Opium War in 1839, China had a very outdated military. After a number of crushing defeats, the first naval schools were established that brought in European know-how and technology. The first batch of Chinese students were sent to Britain in 1877, who wanted a competent Chinese navy to deal with piracy near their territories and take the burden off the Royal Navy.

During the Japanese invasion in World War II, Chiang Kai-shek wanted the world's 2 major naval powers, Britain and the US, to train its officers. Declassified telegrams indicate both countries were receptive to the idea, and the scheme was announced in 1942. 50 were sent to the US while 24 were sent to Britain, with the latter group arriving at the Royal Naval College in October 1943.

These 24 Chinese naval officers would participate in the D-Day landings to liberate France.

This story was almost lost until 2015, when a notebook was discovered inside an old building in Hong Kong that was slated for demolition. This was Lam Ping-yu's diary, the only known primary source on Chinese participation in D-Day. After the war, he settled in Hong Kong, living there until the early 1970s when he moved to Italy, then to Brazil, and finally the US. This diary was left behind to his younger brother's care, who passed away unmarried and childless in 2008 and his flat was abandoned.

This exhibition is being held throughout 2025 across 3 universities - the Metropolitan and Science and Technology universities in Hong Kong, and King's College in London.

Lam Ping-yu kept his stamp collection in old envelopes such as these ones.

The officers were assigned to different ships in pairs. Lam boarded the Ramillies on May 29, 1944. His diary also noted the arrival of a Soviet naval commander, which matched the ship's log.

These documents show the Chinese officers' training program in Portsmouth in early 1945.

This letter from the Chinese naval headquarters in 1939 thanked their British counterparts for hosting their trainees.

This is a group photo of the 24 Chinese officers taken at the Royal Naval College in Greenwich. The group was led by Captain Chow, who had already been a naval trainee in Britain from 1929-33.

During their voyage to Britain, the officers made a stop in Cairo and visited the pyramids in Giza. Lam Ping-yu is second from left in the front row.