The great escape

Cooperation and heroism

The note given to Donald Kerr by Chinese guerillas, which shows a hand-drawn map with a line of English words written at the bottom: "Come here, sir, I bring you go home now!" Photo Provided to China Daily

Dave Kerr was also given contact numbers for the East River Column Family Association, of which both Jiang Shan and Deng Liping are members.

He and his family visited Deng Bin, Deng Liping's father. "In the summer of 2009, my then 87-year-old father pointed out the rock cave on the mountaintop to Dave," Deng Liping said.

"Before Dave came, I knew nothing about the rescue, which, frankly, is a shame. That's why I decided to go ahead with the documentary - to pay tribute to our forefathers, to their cooperation and heroism," Deng Liping said. "What impressed me most during the entire shooting process was how meticulous Dave was with all the details. Every time we were in the mountains of Sai Kung, he pinpointed everything by use of a compass, and refused to believe anything - for example, the specific location of a hiding cave - unless there was concrete evidence.

"Everything about him, including his decisiveness and his strong sense of direction, makes me think of the US lieutenant I never had the opportunity to meet," he said.

In early 2009, Dave Kerr and his elder brother Andy visited a retirement home in Mongkok, Hong Kong. There, the brothers placed a Flying Tigers' insignia in the hands of Li Shi, "the small boy" of their father's memoir.

"Li had had a stroke and couldn't speak. But when he saw my brother Andy, who closely resembles my father, he started to cry," Dave Kerr said. Li died later the same year.

The journey also took Dave Kerr to the cemetery in Guangdong where Li Zhaohua is buried.

"He has visited twice, the last time was in February," Jiang said. "I gave him a photo of my mother, which he now carries in his pocket. It's a talisman for his family - that's what he said."

Referring to black-and-white photos taken during his father's stay at Tuyang, Dave Kerr said: "Before my father's military stint, he was a commercial photographer, having mastered the tricks of aerial photography. While his flying skills brought him to China in time of war, his experience with a camera made sure the story was recorded in images."

Discovery

In December 2009, Dave Kerr visited the "charcoal kiln" for the fourth time, accompanied by his daughter Jeannette, who was on her first trip.

"Up until that moment, I had been 99 percent certain that we had located the correct cave. That's when Jeannette spotted the nails," he said.

Deng Liping witnessed the moment. "They went into the cave and didn't come out until about 30 minutes later," he said.

It was a profound moment for Dave Kerr. "I was in the same place that had given my father such security," he said.

"Looking back, there's a remarkable parallel between my father's escape and my search to find the people who rescued him: Neither dad or I knew how to reach our destinations, but in both cases, the people of China came forward to help."

Contact the writer at zhaoxu@chinadaily.com.cn