Bernahrd Sindberg, now in charge of the plant, with Karl Guenther, a German, painted a Danish flag and German Swastika flag on the factory to keep the Japanese from bombing or attacking it. Japan was not at war with either of those countries.
When Chinese civilians realized that the building was safe, they began flocking there. Bernhard and Karl set up a makeshift hospital on the grounds and started providing shelter. They would risk their lives leaving the compound to go to the Red Cross to get food, supplies and medicine.
Meanwhile, conditions in the factory started failing. The Chinese suffered from hunger, disease and the cold.
The Japanese were aware of what was going on, and after three months, forced Sindberg to leave and sent him to Shanghai where he took a ship to Europe and arrived in Italy where his father picked him up and they drove home. On the way, they stopped at Geneva where he was honored and thanked by the Chinese delegation.
Later, Sindberg moved to the United States and lived there the rest of his life.
--GreGen
The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.
Showing posts with label Sindberg Bernhard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sindberg Bernhard. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
A Dane Saved Chinese Lives During the Rape of Nanking-- Part 5: China
Bernhard Sindberg arrived in China in 1934, once again as a stowaway on a Danish merchant ship, but this time he was caught, but escaped. He then held several different jobs, including one where he demonstrated Dutch rifles to the Chinese.
One job that he held for awhile probably had a huge impact on his later days in Nanking. He was the chauffeur for English journalist Penbroke Stephens after the Japanese occupied Shanghai. The Daily Telegraph reporter covering the Sino-Japanese War was noted for his front line style of reporting until he was killed doing just that.
The Danish company F.L. Smidth was building a concrete factory in Nanking and hired Sindberg as a guard. It was dangerous, but well-paid work. He arrived in Nanking on December 2, 1937. Eleven days later the Japanese occupied the city and the atrocities began. Sindberg documented them with his camera and wrote extensively about what he was seeing.
--GreGen
One job that he held for awhile probably had a huge impact on his later days in Nanking. He was the chauffeur for English journalist Penbroke Stephens after the Japanese occupied Shanghai. The Daily Telegraph reporter covering the Sino-Japanese War was noted for his front line style of reporting until he was killed doing just that.
The Danish company F.L. Smidth was building a concrete factory in Nanking and hired Sindberg as a guard. It was dangerous, but well-paid work. He arrived in Nanking on December 2, 1937. Eleven days later the Japanese occupied the city and the atrocities began. Sindberg documented them with his camera and wrote extensively about what he was seeing.
--GreGen
Monday, October 5, 2015
A Dane Saved Chinese Lives During the Rape of Nanking-- Part 4: Bernhard Arp Sindberg
From Wikipedia.
Born 19 February 1911, Died 1983. Known in China as "Mr. Xin," "Xinbo," "The Greatest Dane," "The Shining Buddha" or "Our Savior."
Sindberg always had the urge to travel and see things and eventually left home, after running away often, at age 17. He lived most of his life in the United States, but traveled extensively around the world.
He was one of the view foreigners to witness the Japanese Rape of Nanking. His pictures, letters and journals show the atrocities that took place. In addition, his business efforts are responsible for saving as many as 6,000 Chinese civilians, which has given him the title "Friend of China."
At age 17, he went to the United States, but returned home. His next time away, he joined the French Foreign Legion, but didn't like the desert and deserted after ten months by being a stowaway on a ship.
--GreGen
Born 19 February 1911, Died 1983. Known in China as "Mr. Xin," "Xinbo," "The Greatest Dane," "The Shining Buddha" or "Our Savior."
Sindberg always had the urge to travel and see things and eventually left home, after running away often, at age 17. He lived most of his life in the United States, but traveled extensively around the world.
He was one of the view foreigners to witness the Japanese Rape of Nanking. His pictures, letters and journals show the atrocities that took place. In addition, his business efforts are responsible for saving as many as 6,000 Chinese civilians, which has given him the title "Friend of China."
At age 17, he went to the United States, but returned home. His next time away, he joined the French Foreign Legion, but didn't like the desert and deserted after ten months by being a stowaway on a ship.
--GreGen
A Dane Saved Chinese Lives During the Rape of Nanking-- Part 3
The Chinese government never recognized Nernhard Sindberg during his lifetime, but did send a delegation to Denmark in 2000 to search for him. He had years earlier, but they did find his relatives. In 2005, members were invited to China and given the VIP treatment as Bernhard was honored by the government.
Ole Sindberg inherited his half-brother's documents and donated some of them to the University of Texas in Austin. But he still has dozens of documents at his Trout Valley home. he even has a 1954 motorcycle from the same company his brother once worked for, which he occasionally drives around town.
He spent three hours with the documentary crew and then more hours telling the story to his grandchildren.
One relative, Sonya, intends to use Bernhard's story as the basis of her undergraduate thesis at Lake Forest College.
--GreGen
Ole Sindberg inherited his half-brother's documents and donated some of them to the University of Texas in Austin. But he still has dozens of documents at his Trout Valley home. he even has a 1954 motorcycle from the same company his brother once worked for, which he occasionally drives around town.
He spent three hours with the documentary crew and then more hours telling the story to his grandchildren.
One relative, Sonya, intends to use Bernhard's story as the basis of her undergraduate thesis at Lake Forest College.
--GreGen
Saturday, October 3, 2015
A Dane Saved Chinese Lives During the Rape of Nanking-- Part 2
Ole Sindberg's father was also the father of Bernhard Sindberg, though Bernhard was 23 years older. However, Ole began having contact with Bernhard in 1962 when they were working in British Columbia, Canada. They met for dinner in Vancouver and afterwards retired to Ole's hotel room where Bernhard told stories that lasted well into the night.
The two stayed in touch and over time, Ole began to realize his brother's stories were true.
Bernhard Sindberg had made a number of stops after he left Denmark. As a teen, he joined and deserted from the French Foreign Legion, got thrown into the brig of a ship traveling from the U.S. to China, and selling motorcycles and machine guns.In 1937, a Danish company put him in charge of a cement factory in Nanking, where civilians were being brutally murdered and abused by Japanese soldiers.
It was then that Bernhard decided that he could do something to help them. With the regular staff gone, Bernhard invited civilians to the factory and painted a huge Danish flag on the roof. He maintained a good relationship with the Japanese in order to protect his factory and Chinese citizens.
--GreGen
The two stayed in touch and over time, Ole began to realize his brother's stories were true.
Bernhard Sindberg had made a number of stops after he left Denmark. As a teen, he joined and deserted from the French Foreign Legion, got thrown into the brig of a ship traveling from the U.S. to China, and selling motorcycles and machine guns.In 1937, a Danish company put him in charge of a cement factory in Nanking, where civilians were being brutally murdered and abused by Japanese soldiers.
It was then that Bernhard decided that he could do something to help them. With the regular staff gone, Bernhard invited civilians to the factory and painted a huge Danish flag on the roof. He maintained a good relationship with the Japanese in order to protect his factory and Chinese citizens.
--GreGen
A Dane Saved As Many as 20,000 Chinese During the Rape of Nanking-- Part 1
From the September 24, 2015, Northwest Herald (Illinois) " Man tells of brother's life-saving actions during Rape of Nanking" by Caitlin Swieca.
This story came about because a Chinese TV crew recently interviewed Ole Sindber,81, in Trout Valley, Illinois. They were there to document what his half-brother Bernhard had done to save the lives of thousands of Chinese during the Japanese Rape of Nanking in the late 1930s.
Bernhard Sindberg died in 1983 and is regarded as a hero by the Chinese government for sheltering thousands of innocent Chinese citizens in a Danish-owned cement factory through the worst of the massacre in 1937 and 1938.
The Chinese government estimates that 300,000 people died in the first six weeks of the occupation and Sindberg may have saved as many as 20,000 lives, although estimates vary greatly.
The story is being documented by the China Jiangsu Broadcasting Corp. and will in a 10-part series dedicated to heroes of the massacre.
Ming Liu is the director of the documentary and contacted Ole Sindberg, a native Dane now living in Trout Valley, to tell of his brother's deeds.
--GreGen
This story came about because a Chinese TV crew recently interviewed Ole Sindber,81, in Trout Valley, Illinois. They were there to document what his half-brother Bernhard had done to save the lives of thousands of Chinese during the Japanese Rape of Nanking in the late 1930s.
Bernhard Sindberg died in 1983 and is regarded as a hero by the Chinese government for sheltering thousands of innocent Chinese citizens in a Danish-owned cement factory through the worst of the massacre in 1937 and 1938.
The Chinese government estimates that 300,000 people died in the first six weeks of the occupation and Sindberg may have saved as many as 20,000 lives, although estimates vary greatly.
The story is being documented by the China Jiangsu Broadcasting Corp. and will in a 10-part series dedicated to heroes of the massacre.
Ming Liu is the director of the documentary and contacted Ole Sindberg, a native Dane now living in Trout Valley, to tell of his brother's deeds.
--GreGen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)