Exclusive interview with Xie Jinyuan’s second son, Xie Jimin – the story behind the “Eight Hundred Warriors”

The story behind the "Eight Hundred Heroes"

Xie Jimin

His father changed from "the number one scholar in literature" to the "number one scholar in martial arts"

Yangcheng Evening News: Your father, Xie Jinyuan, is from Jiaoling, Guangdong. You were also born in Jiaoling, Guangdong. Can you tell us about your childhood?

Xie Jimin: In 1935, my father learned that China and Japan were bound to go to war, so he mobilized my mother several times to take the children back to her hometown in Jiaoling, Guangdong. My father told my mother, "My parents are getting old, and the elderly and children need to be taken care of. You can shoulder this burden at home, and I can kill the enemy with peace of mind outside." I was not yet born at the time. In March 1936, my father escorted Liujia, who was pregnant with Liujia. My mother, my eldest brother, eldest sister, and second sister returned to Jiaoling and stayed there for two weeks before rushing back to Shanghai. In October 1936, my mother gave birth to me and named me "Stepmin" according to my father's instructions.

My mother is from Shanghai. She learned many musical instruments and became a teacher after graduating from school. As a result, when she arrived in the countryside, she had to learn to do farm work, facing the loess with her back to the sky, and taking care of eight people by herself. We are four brothers and sisters. Our uncle went to Nanyang and passed away. Our eldest aunt left with others, leaving behind a daughter. Together with our grandparents, our family of eight depends on our mother’s hard work for our livelihood. My father would also send some money back, but not much.

In 1941, the news came that her father had died in the country, and her mother was in grief. Her spiritual support of waiting to be reunited with her father was gone. My mother also thought about leaving, but there were elders and younger children in the family, so she still managed to hold the family together. Life in the countryside was very hard. My mother later recalled to me, "I really don't know how I survived these ten years in Guangdong. I just gritted my teeth and lived day by day." I felt very sad after hearing this. A very kind person who taught me a lot through words and deeds.

Yangcheng Evening News: In your eyes, what kind of person is your father?

Xie Jimin: My father has been very good at reading since he was a child, and he is very good in culture and sports. Later, he was admitted to Guangdong University (now Sun Yat-sen University). The Three People's Principles proposed by Dr. Sun Yat-sen had a great influence on my father. In 1925, first the "May 30 Massacre" occurred in Shanghai, and then the "Shaji Massacre" occurred in Guangzhou in June. My father witnessed the atrocities. He was particularly angry. Why can foreign troops do whatever they want on Chinese soil? My father decided to join the army. At that time, Sun Yat-sen University and Whampoa Military Academy were dedicated to cultivating "literary champions" and "martial arts champions" respectively. My father transferred to Whampoa Military Academy and became the fourth cadet. He studied infantry first, then transferred to political subjects, and later participated in The Northern Expedition and the Anti-Japanese War.

I learned from my father’s diary that during the defense battle of Sihang Warehouse, he and Battalion Commander Yang Ruifu would patrol from the first floor to the top floor every morning and evening, visiting each post one by one. look. He wrote in his diary, "I am the machine gunner, bombardier, squad leader, platoon leader, and company commander." Meaning, at that time, he was teaching one by one how to shoot machine guns and how to drop bombs, because many soldiers had low military and cultural qualities and did not know how to fight.

My father was brave and resourceful. He made careful arrangements based on the geographical location of Sihang Warehouse. There are tens of thousands of bags of grain in the warehouse, all of which are soybeans, corn, and wheat. A layer of cowhide should be sandwiched between several large bags of soybeans so that when bullets are fired, the soybeans will not splash everywhere. Use grain to block the doors and windows on the first floor, block half of the windows on the second and third floors, and send people to guard them day and night; cut off the power supply to facilitate concealment and prevent fires.

Yangcheng Evening News: How did you learn about your father’s anti-Japanese deeds?

Xie Jimin: After finally anticipating the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, in 1946, my mother took the four of us children back to Shanghai from Guangdong. After the newspaper published the news about our return to Shanghai, a lone soldier came to our door the next day. At that time, there were fifty or sixty lone soldiers in various districts of Shanghai. Most of these lone warriors' lives and jobs are uncertain. I remember my mother said, "The regiment leader died. As the regiment leader's wife, I have to shoulder the burden." My mother used many of my father's connections during his lifetime to entrust people to introduce jobs to these lone soldiers.

At the beginning of 1948, my mother thought of some ways to give them a certain monthly living allowance. When these lonely soldiers came to my house, I would chat with them. They told me many stories about their fathers, all of whom are now deceased.

I really hope to record this history. Many people told me that your father was great. I think my father has fulfilled his duties as a Chinese soldier.

"At most one regiment is left", but in fact only one battalion is left

Yangcheng Evening News: What do you think of the battle to defend the Sixing Warehouse?

Xie Jimin: After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937, the Japanese army continued to cause trouble in Shanghai. When the Battle of Songhu broke out on August 13, the Japanese army's rampant slogan was "Occupy Shanghai in three days, occupy China in three months." At the cost of heavy sacrifices, the Chinese army wiped out tens of thousands of Japanese troops and shattered the Japanese army's dream of "occupying Shanghai in three days." At that time, there was a huge gap in national strength, weapons, equipment, etc. between the two countries. Under the enemy's fire offensive, the Chinese army's defense line was breached. On October 26, the Chinese army had to withdraw westward across the board.

The "Nine-Nation Pact" meeting will be held in Brussels on October 30, at which the Chinese government hopes to win sympathy and support from the West. The diplomat at the time, Gu Weijun, wanted to speak at the meeting. If all Chinese troops withdrew, the diplomat would not be tough in his speech at the meeting. Therefore, the large forces have withdrawn, and the 88th Division must hold on. Division commander Sun Yuanliang felt that it was not worth the sacrifice of so many people. He said that "at most one regiment would be left", but in fact only one battalion was left. In order to confuse the enemy and to get closer to the number of people in a regiment, my father told the outside world that there were 800 people. Many people now say that the "Eight Hundred Warriors" were too tragic in the end. In fact, they sacrificed themselves for the interests of the country and the nation. They endured humiliation and endured the heavy burden, and in the end they inspired the national spirit.

The location of Sihang Warehouse is very special. It is on the north bank of Suzhou River, the south bank is the public concession, and the east side is also the concession after Tibet Road. The Japanese army mainly attacks from the west and north, just like a person Lean against the wall and fight with someone. The warehouse is very strong and the walls are very thick, about 30 to 50 centimeters. Some TV dramas talked about the Battle of Sihang Warehouse, in which Chinese troops rushed out of the warehouse to assassinate Japanese soldiers. This was wrong at first glance, because the battle was fought in a warehouse.

Yangcheng Evening News: What happened after the "Eight Hundred Warriors" withdrew from Sihang Warehouse?

Xie Jimin: The "Eight Hundred Warriors" severely damaged the Japanese army's arrogance, but it also attracted a more crazy attack. In order to prevent the war from spreading to the concession, the concession forced the Chinese government to withdraw its troops. My father repeatedly expressed his determination to hold on, but in the end he could not disobey the military order. After four days and four nights, he retreated to the concession. When the Japanese saw that the Chinese army had retreated, they asked the concession to hand over the "eight hundred warriors" to them. The concession did not dare to hand over the soldiers, but they also did not dare to release them, so they locked the soldiers in a solitary camp.

The lone camp was surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by Belarusian soldiers. The conditions were very harsh. However, his father still strictly required the soldiers to perform exercises every day and teach them production skills, such as making soap, weaving rattan utensils, and carpentry, so that the soldiers could make a living in society with their skills in the future. Later, many veterans told me that they did not understand at the time and thought it would be better to spend money on food. They only thought about living one day at a time, which was very short-sighted. My father started keeping a diary in 1938. He repeatedly tried to free the lone soldiers and return to the anti-Japanese battlefield, but the replies he received were all about "patience", "perseverance, self-respect, and perseverance to the end." After four years in the camp alone, military morale gradually weakened. In 1941, his father was assassinated by a traitor in the camp.

Yangcheng Evening News: Have you watched the movie "Eight Hundred"? How do you rate the movie?

The Battle of Sihang Warehouse

The Battle of Sihang Warehouse was a major battle in the "August 13" Battle of Songhu. On October 26, 1937, at the Sihang Warehouse on the north bank of the Suzhou River in Shanghai, Xie Jinyuan led more than 400 soldiers. With a small number of enemies and a large number of enemies, they fought bloody battles with the Japanese army for four days and four nights. They defended the Sihang Warehouse and revitalized the cause. The morale of the Chinese military and civilians dropped due to the setback in the Battle of Songhu.

Xie Jinyuan

Zi Zhongmin, a native of Jiankeng Village, Tongfu Township, Jiaoling County, Guangdong Province, was born on April 26, 1905. He graduated from the fourth phase of Huangpu Military Academy. Famous anti-Japanese hero. In the Battle of Songhu in 1937, he led the "Eight Hundred Heroes" to defend the Sihang Warehouse in Shanghai and fight against the Japanese army, inspiring the people's anti-Japanese enthusiasm. On April 24, 1941, he died for his country in Shanghai. In 2014, Xie Jinyuan was included in the first batch of 300 famous anti-Japanese heroes and heroes published by the Ministry of Civil Affairs.