In a remarkable twist of fate, a long-forgotten diary has shed new light on the role of Chinese officers in one of World War II’s most pivotal moments: the D-Day invasion of Nazi-occupied France. The diary, belonging to Lam Ping-yu—a 32-year-old Chinese naval officer who crossed continents to fight alongside the Allies—was salvaged from a Hong Kong tenement, just before the building was demolished. Now, Lam’s meticulously detailed account is captivating historians and the public alike, offering a rare glimpse into both the personal and collective experiences of Chinese officers during the multinational Normandy landings.
According to the Associated Press, the story begins on June 2, 1944, aboard the Royal Navy battleship HMS Ramillies. The ship’s captain summoned his officers and informed them of an imminent, highly secretive mission. “Speculations abound,” Lam wrote in his diary that day. “Some say a second front, some say we are to escort the Soviets, or doing something else around Iceland. No one is allowed ashore.” The secret was D-Day—the massive Allied invasion planned for June 6, 1944, which would ultimately hasten Adolf Hitler’s defeat and change the course of history.
Lam, one of over 20 Chinese naval officers sent to the United Kingdom for training by Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist government, found himself at the heart of Operation Neptune, the 7,000-vessel naval component of the invasion. As the Allied fleet steamed across the English Channel on the evening of June 5, anticipation and anxiety filled the air. Lam captured the moment with vivid imagery: “Saw the army’s landing craft, as numerous as ants, scattered and wriggling all over the sea, moving southward. Everyone at action stations. We should be able to reach our designated location around 4-5 a.m. tomorrow and initiate bombardment of the French coast.”
When dawn broke on June 6, 1944, Lam witnessed history unfold from his post aboard HMS Ramillies. The ship unleashed its formidable arsenal, firing massive 880-kilogram (1,938-pound) shells at German fortifications along the Normandy coast. The stakes were high, and danger was ever-present. Lam recounted a harrowing moment: “Three torpedoes were fired at us. We managed to dodge them.” His daughter, Sau Ying Lam, who lives in Pittsburgh, later reflected on the narrow escape: “If that torpedo had hit the ship, I wouldn’t be alive.”
Lam’s diary, written in 13,000 delicate Chinese characters, is more than a personal chronicle; it’s a historical treasure that reveals the hidden contributions of Chinese officers in the Allied campaign. The diary’s journey is almost as dramatic as its contents. Urban explorers Angus Hui and John Mak stumbled upon the leather-bound notebook while sifting through an abandoned ninth-floor flat in Hong Kong, a property that records later confirmed belonged to one of Lam’s brothers. Before the building’s demolition, they rescued the diary, along with other papers and curios. Although the original diary has since gone missing again—possibly spirited away to the U.S. or U.K.—Hui managed to photograph all its pages, preserving Lam’s firsthand account for posterity.
“I knew, ‘Okay, this is a fascinating story that we need to know more about,’” Hui told the Associated Press. Mak added, “Such a remarkable piece of history ... could have remained buried forever.” The pair’s sleuthing didn’t end with the diary’s discovery. Hui unearthed a 1944 ship’s log from HMS Ramillies in British archives, which, despite a misspelling, recorded Lam’s arrival: “Junior Lieut Le Ping Yu Chinese Navy joined ship.” Their research confirmed that at least 14 Chinese officers took part in Operation Neptune and other Allied naval operations during the Battle of Normandy.
Lam and his compatriots’ journey to Europe was itself a testament to global cooperation against tyranny. Sent by Chiang Kai-shek for training, the officers traveled from China via Egypt—posing for photographs in front of the pyramids in their crisp white uniforms—before joining British forces. Their story, long overshadowed by more widely known Allied narratives, is finally being told thanks to Lam’s diary and the efforts of historians like Hui and Mak. The duo has curated an exhibition about Lam, his diary, and the other Chinese officers, currently on display in the Normandy town of Ouistreham.
The diary not only documents the Normandy landings but also follows Lam’s subsequent participation in the Allied invasion of southern France, known as Operation Dragoon, in August 1944. On August 15, Lam wrote: “Action stations at 4 a.m., traces of the moon still visible, although the horizon is unusually dark. Bombardment of the French coast started at 6, Ramillies didn’t open fire until 7. The Germans put up such a feeble resistance, one can call it nonexistent.”
The recognition of these Chinese officers’ contributions has been slow in coming. In 2006, France awarded its highest honor, the Légion d’honneur, to the last surviving member of the Chinese contingent, Huang Tingxin, then 88 years old. As reported by China’s Xinhua News Agency, Huang dedicated the award to all those who traveled with him from China to Europe, saying, “It was a great honor to join the anti-Nazi war.”
For Lam’s daughter, the rediscovery of her father’s diary has been transformative. “I was flabbergasted,” she said. “It’s a gift of me learning who he was as a young person and understanding him better now, because I didn’t have that opportunity when he was still alive.” She sees her father’s story as a testament to unity and perseverance. “It talks about unity, talks about hard work, about doing good. World War II, I think it shows us that we can work together for common good.”
As survivors of the Battle of Normandy fade into history, Lam Ping-yu’s diary stands as a powerful reminder of the international cooperation and personal sacrifices that shaped the modern world. His words—rescued from oblivion and now shared with the world—ensure that the contributions of Chinese officers in World War II are finally recognized, remembered, and celebrated.