Remains of 347 Expeditionary Force soldiers return home

On October 29^th, You Guangcai, a 96-year-old veteran of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, wept at the Memorial Museum of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. More than 70 years ago, many of his comrades died in Myitkyina, Myanmar. It is a comfort that, 70 years later, the remains of 347 out of over 60,000 soldiers who died in Myanmar returned to China through the Houqiao Crossing in Tengchong County of Yunnan Province recently. They will be buried on Haipo Mountain in Shidian County, Yunnan.

Returning the remains of the Chinese expeditionary force soldiers who died in Myanmar is jointly organized by several institutions. They include the Shenzhen Longyue Philanthropic Foundation and the Chinese Martyrs Glorification Promotion Association. Launched on April 10th, 2015, the activity aims to find and collect the remains of dead soldiers of the Chinese Expeditionary Force and to send the remains back and bury them in China. A DNA test will be performed on the remains of each body found, while a database will be set up for further searching for their families. Earlier on, some caring people and institutions visited Myanmar on two occasions, once in 2011 and again in 2014. They brought back the remains of hundreds of dead Expeditionary Force soldiers.

During the Second World War, the Chinese Expeditionary Force fought in Myanmar and contributed remarkably to the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. This time, the remains were excavated from a cemetery that buried soldiers from the First New Army of the Chinese Expeditionary Force who died during the Myitkyina Battle. The Myitkyina Battle took place from May 17th to August 3rd in 1944. It was the biggest battle the Chinese army fought overseas during the Second World War, and also the biggest victory. At that time, the Chinese army in India sent 3 divisions to fight against the Japanese army. In the battle, 1044 soldiers from the 30^th Division (under the First New Army) of the Chinese Army died, 2256 were injured and 51 went missing.

When the battle was over, the three divisions that fought in Myitkyina built 3 cemeteries. It was explained by the participating experts of the evacuation that, because several bodies were buried in a same pit, the number 347 was given by skeleton identification experts based on a preliminary evaluation on the minimum bodies that could be held in one tomb.

Remains of 347 Expeditionary Force soldiers return home

On October 29th, You Guangcai, a 96-year-old veteran of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, wept at the Memorial Museum of the Chinese Peoples War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. More than 70 years ago, many of his comrades died in Myitkyina, Myanmar. It is a comfort that, 70 years later, the remains of 347 out of over 60,000 soldiers who died in Myanmar returned to China through the Houqiao Crossing in Tengchong County of Yunnan Province recently. They will be buried on Haipo Mountain in Shidian County, Yunnan. Returning the remains of the Chinese expeditionary force soldiers who died in Myanmar is jointly organized by several institutions. They include the Shenzhen Longyue Philanthropic Foundation and the Chinese Martyrs Glorification Promotion Association. Launched on April 10th, 2015, the activity aims to find and collect the remains of dead soldiers of the Chinese Expeditionary Force and to send the remains back and bury them in China. A DNA test will be performed on the remains of each body found, while a database will be set up for further searching for their families. Earlier on, some caring people and institutions visited Myanmar on two occasions, once in 2011 and again in 2014. They brought back the remains of hundreds of dead Expeditionary Force soldiers. During the Second World War, the Chinese Expeditionary Force fought in Myanmar and contributed remarkably to the victory of the Chinese Peoples War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. This time, the remains were excavated from a cemetery that buried soldiers from the First New Army of the Chinese Expeditionary Force who died during the Myitkyina Battle. The Myitkyina Battle took place from May 17th to August 3rd in 1944. It was the biggest battle the Chinese army fought overseas during the Second World War, and also the biggest victory. At that time, the Chinese army in India sent 3 divisions to fight against the Japanese army. In the battle, 1044 soldiers from the 30th Division (under the First New Army) of the Chinese Army died, 2256 were injured and 51 went missing. When the battle was over, the three divisions that fought in Myitkyina built 3 cemeteries. It was explained by the participating experts of the evacuation that, because several bodies were buried in a same pit, the number 347 was given by skeleton identification experts based on a preliminary evaluation on the minimum bodies that could be held in one tomb.