Preston Wong Shiu Pun
黃韶本
(1890–1943)
A Faithful Founding Scoutmaster Who Gave His Life for Hong Kong
爲港捐軀之童軍創旅愨士
Preston Wong was the College’s senior Chinese master, bursar, and the founding scoutmaster of our resident 10th Hong Kong Scout Group. During the Japanese occupation, Wong was part of Hong Kong’s underground resistance. He was executed by the Japanese on 29 October 1943.
Wong joined the College staff in 1912, having studied at Queen’s College and having taught briefly at the Diocesan Boys’ School. Wong joined the police reserve during the First World War, where he eventually rose to the rank of sub-inspector. In 1919, he set off for further studies in psychology and theology at Birmingham, Cambridge, and Chicago, returning in 1922. In addition to his teaching and scouting duties, Wong was also in charge of the College’s hostel.
Following the fall of Hong Kong in 1941, Wong joined the British Army Aid Group (BAAG). BAAG agents aided Britons in their escape and collected military intelligence, including Japanese troop and ship movements, which aided Allied air raids. Wong was arrested by Japanese authorities in April 1943 and beheaded in Stanley. A devout Christian, Wong led his fellow condemned men in prayer, forgiving his executioners until the very end.
Following Allied victory, his remains were reinterred at Stanley Military Cemetery. The 10th scout group held a memorial service at the cemetery in 2013, marking the seventieth anniversary of his death, and annual memorial services have been held from 2021 onwards.