Rebecca Chan Chung (; professionally known as Rebecca Chan, ; June 27, 1920 – December 7, 2011) was an American military nurse who served with the

Flying Tigers The First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Republic of China Air Force, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was formed to help oppose the Japanese invasion of China. Operating in 1941–1942, it was composed of pilots from the United States Ar ...

and the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. As a nurse with the

China National Aviation Corporation The China National Aviation Corporation () was a Chinese airline which was nationalized after the Chinese Communist Party took control in 1949, and merged into the People's Aviation Company of China () in 1952. It was a major airline under the ...

(CNAC), she flew over

The Hump The Hump was the name given by Allied pilots in the Second World War to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains over which they flew military transport aircraft from India to China to resupply the Chinese war effort of Chiang Kai-shek and t ...

approximately fifty times. After the war, she became a nursing educator and a leader of the nursing profession in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

Early life

Birth and parents

Rebecca Chan Chung was born in the David Gregg Hospital for Women & Children (also known as Yiji Hospital 柔濟醫院 located on Duo Bao Road 多寶路 in

Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...

, during the Warlord Era. She was the second child of her parents. Her mother,

Lee Sun Chau Lee Sun Chau (周理信, i.e., 周六姑, 1890-1979) was one of the first female Chinese doctors of Western Medicine in China. Education and Medical Work Lee Sun Chau was an alumna of Belilios Public School (庇理羅士女子中學). In the la ...

周理信 (1890–1979), was one of the earliest Chinese female doctors of Western

Medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...

and was a resident physician in the David Gregg Hospital for Women and Children at the time of the birth of Rebecca Chan Chung. Her father, Po-Yin Chan (陳步賢) (1883–1965), was a revolutionary under Dr.

Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-sen (; also known by several other names; 12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925)Singtao daily. Saturday edition. 23 October 2010. section A18. Sun Yat-sen Xinhai revolution 100th anniversary edition . was a Chinese politician who serve ...

in the Chinese Revolution of 1911 and was a Senator of

in the 1920s.

Schooling

Rebecca Chan Chung graduated from St. Paul's Girls’ School (primary school, currently St. Paul's Co-educational College) in

in 1933. In 1938, she graduated from

Diocesan Girls' School Diocesan Girls' School (DGS) (), and Diocesan Girls’ Junior school, one of the oldest girls' schools in Hong Kong and a well known secondary and primary school in Kowloon, HK, was founded in 1860 by the Anglican (Episcopalian) Church (Hong K ...

(secondary school) in

, when Miss H.D. Sawyer was the Headmistress.

Career

Rebecca Chan received her Nursing training administered by the Government of Hong Kong in

Queen Mary Hospital (Hong Kong) The Queen Mary Hospital, located in Pok Fu Lam on Hong Kong Island of Hong Kong, is the public district general hospital and teaching hospital of the Faculty of Dentistry and Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong. It has ...

, in 1938–1941. During the

Battle of Hong Kong The Battle of Hong Kong (8–25 December 1941), also known as the Defence of Hong Kong and the Fall of Hong Kong, was one of the first battles of the Pacific War in World War II. On the same morning as the attack on Pearl Harbor, forces of the ...

in December 1941, she graduated in an emergency fashion, with her Certificate of Training issued by the Medical Department of the Government of Hong Kong on December 10. The certificate was signed by Principal Matron Alice Mary Davies and Director of Medical Services Sir Percy

Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Sir Percy Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke (, 17 December 1893 – 13 March 1976), KBE, CMG, MC, MD, FRCP, DPH, DTM&H, CStJ Barrister at Law, was the Director of Medical Services, Hong Kong, from 1937 to 1943 and Governor of the Seychelles from 1947 to ...

. During

in 1942–1943, Chan was a Nurse with the

and then the

, both at or near Kunming Airport (currently

Kunming Wujiaba International Airport Kunming Wujiaba International Airport was the main airport serving Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, China. It is located south-east of metropolitan Kunming. Originally built in 1923, the airport had been renovated numerous times in ...

Kunming Kunming (; ), also known as Yunnan-Fu, is the capital and largest city of Yunnan province, China. It is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of the province as well as the seat of the provincial government. The headquar ...

. She worked for doctor

Fred Manget Fred Prosper Manget (21 January 1880 – 21 January 1979) was an American doctor, public servant, and medical missionary. He served for forty years in China from 1909 until the end of World War II. In 1909 Manget left the U.S. for China to purs ...

, who was under

Claire Lee Chennault Claire Lee Chennault (September 6, 1893 – July 27, 1958) was an American military aviator best known for his leadership of the "Flying Tigers" and the Chinese Air Force in World War II. Chennault was a fierce advocate of "pursuit" or fighter ...

. In 1943–1944, as a flight stewardess (Nurse) with the

(CNAC), she flew over

across the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

between Calcutta,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, and

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...

, approximately fifty times. These flights were dangerous because the propeller airplanes available at that time were unsuitable for flying at the needed heights. In 1942, Japan had cut off the

Burma Road The Burma Road () was a road linking Burma (now known as Myanmar) with southwest China. Its terminals were Kunming, Yunnan, and Lashio, Burma. It was built while Burma was a British colony to convey supplies to China during the Second Sino-J ...

, so the Hump route became the only access to China. In 1943–1948, she was a flight stewardess, nurse and then head nurse with the

based in Dum Dum Airport (currently

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is an international airport located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, serving the Kolkata Metropolitan Area and is the aviation hub for eastern and northeastern India. It is located approximatel ...

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

(or Calcutta),

, and after 1946 in

Shanghai Longhua Airport Shanghai Longhua Airport (上海龙华机场) , then called Shanghai Lunghwa Airport, was a converted general aviation airport and PLAAF airfield located south of downtown Shanghai, China, on the bank of the Huangpu River. It opened in the earl ...

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

. Her autobiography, ''Piloted to Serve'', provides details of her experience. In 1963, while serving as a Sister Tutor (Nursing instructor) with the Government of

, Chung studied in the College of Nursing in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, where she received a Sister Tutor Diploma. In

, she headed the large nursing school of the

Tung Wah Group of Hospitals The Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (), with a history dating back to 1870, is the oldest and largest charitable organisation in Hong Kong. It provides extensive education and community services through 194 service centres spread across Hong Kong. ...

as its Sister Tutor-in-Charge from 1964 to 1975. In 1974, she became a Fellow of the College of Nursing,

. Chung was appointed a member of the Hong Kong Nursing Board by Hong Kong Governor Sir Robert Black. She was made a member of the Hong Kong Midwifery Board by Hong Kong Governor Sir

David Trench Sir David Clive Crosbie Trench (; 2 June 1915 – 4 December 1988) was a British Army officer and colonial governor. Early life Trench was educated at Tonbridge School, Tonbridge, Kent and graduated from Jesus College, Cambridge with the degre ...

. In addition, she was elected and served as the President of the Hong Kong Association of Nurses and Midwives.Rebecca Chan Chung, Deborah Chung and Cecilia Ng Wong, ''Piloted to Serve'', 2012.

Marriage and family

Husband

Rebecca Chan married Leslie Wah-Leung Chung 鍾華亮 (1917–2009) in Old Mission Church,

, on July 7, 1945. This day coincided with the July 7 Chinese National Day, chosen by the Government of China to remember the

Marco Polo Bridge Incident The Marco Polo Bridge Incident, also known as the Lugou Bridge Incident () or the July 7 Incident (), was a July 1937 battle between China's National Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Japanese Army. Since the Japanese invasion of Manchuria ...

of July 7, 1937. This Incident was instrumental in uniting the Chinese people to fight against the Japanese invasion in

. Leslie Wah-Leung Chung was a member of the

Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps The Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) (RHKR(V)) ()), formed in May 1854, was a local auxiliary militia force funded and administered by the colonial Government of Hong Kong. Its powers and duties were mandated by the Royal Hong Kong R ...

. While serving as a gunner in the 4th Battery, he was wounded in action in Lei Yue Mun Fort (specifically Pak Sha Wan (Chai Wan) 白沙灣) in the

in December 1941. In August 1945, about 1.5 months after the wedding, Leslie Wah-Leung Chung left his bride and Calcutta to study Economics at

Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...

Easton, Pennsylvania Easton is a city in, and the county seat of, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city's population was 28,127 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Easton is located at the confluence of the Lehigh River, a river tha ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The newlyweds were thus separated for 3.5 years. In

in 1965–1968, Leslie Wah-Leung Chung was elected and served as the President of the Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servants’ Association. His most noteworthy contribution was the establishment of equal pay for men and women, including the right for married women to be permanent employees. Before this, the job status of a woman changed from permanent employee to temporary employee once she was married, thus losing the pension benefit. He also founded

St. Mark's School (Hong Kong) The St. Mark's School () is a band 1 school located in the Eastern District of Hong Kong. History St. Mark's School was founded at Glenealy in Central in 1949, first known as St. Paul's English PM School. The founding Principal was Mr. Leslie ...

, and served as the Head of the Department of Commerce and Business Studies in Hong Kong Technical College (currently

Hong Kong Polytechnic University The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is a public research university located in Hung Hom, Hong Kong near Hung Hom station. The University is one of the eight government-funded degree-granting tertiary institutions in Hong Kong. Founded ...

). He was responsible for starting the accounting education in Hong Kong. Rebecca Chan Chung and Leslie Wah-Leung spent their retirement years in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. They were married for 64 years. Their combined military burial took place in

Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto Mount Pleasant Cemetery is a cemetery located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries. It was opened in November 1876 and is located north of Moore Park, a neighbourhood of Toronto. The cemetery has k ...

, on Easter Saturday, April 7, 2012. Veterans of Canada, United States, and Hong Kong were present in the ceremony.

Daughter

Deborah Chung (鍾端玲) is the second child of Rebecca Chan Chung and Leslie Wah-Leung Chung. She is a co-author of Rebecca Chan Chung's autobiography, ''Piloted to Serve'', and gives lectures on the subject. Deborah Chung is an American scientist and university professor who is best known for her invention of smart concrete. She is ranked 1st worldwide in the research field of Building and Construction, according to a 2021 Stanford University citation-based study.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chan, Rebecca 1920 births 2011 deaths Hong Kong nurses Hong Kong academics Flying Tigers Chinese emigrants to British Hong Kong Hong Kong emigrants to Canada