魂兮归來
　　仁安羌大捷纪念碑塔建成亦碑亦塔。
　　碑者，意在彰显中国军人抒忠赴难，浴血锋镝，攻歼奏捷，扬庥异域。
　　塔者，意在告慰先烈在天之灵，让忠魂长眠安息。
　　塔高七层，寓意佛语救人一命胜造七级浮屠。
　　碑塔坐南朝北，为英灵归乡之方向，矗立仁安羌古战场，正是当年伤亡最惨重的地方。
　　七十年前，我中华健儿，为国家，为民族，反侵略，反强权，抛妻弃子，背井离乡，义无反顾，迈向战场，不顾白发爹娘倚闾而望，用青春的生命，救盟军于覆亡。
　　我一一三团八百壮士，伤亡过半，二百零二忠魂，捐躯沙场，尸骨无存，客死他乡，朝朝暮暮，不知魂归何方。
　　先父生前每念及此，心中无限悲凉。
　　我刘家后人深体先父心愿，多年以来，念兹在兹，不敢或忘。
　　今碑塔建成，愿我前辈英灵，沿碑塔之所向，魂归故国，重返梓乡，领家人之祭祀，享骨肉之蒸尝。
　　碑塔矗立，赋英雄尊严，昭前辈荣光。碑上英名无法周详，忠魂伟绩，必随此役，光耀千秋，史册辉煌。中华儿女，后代子孙，永远铭记，万世景仰。

　　中国远征军一一三团团长刘放吾之子刘伟民敬志
　　公元二〇一三年一月十三日

民国三十一年春（公元一九四二年）日军大举侵缅，危及援华抗战物资运输线。
　　国民政府以十万中国远征军入缅协同盟军抗击日军，阻其侵占中国、联合德意屠戮亚欧之野心。
　　时战事风云变幻，四月十七日凌晨，日军抢占要道，围困英缅军第一师于仁安羌油田区，拟予全歼。
　　当日新三十八师一一三团团长刘放吾接获英缅军司令面交亲笔手令求援，经以无线电请示师长孙立人并获同意后，即刻率部驰援仁安羌，以不足一团仅八百余人与敌鏖战三昼夜，牺牲张琦、顾纪常、李耀林等二百零二位官兵，击溃数倍于己之敌，解救被围被俘英军及家眷、英美记者、传教士等七千五百余人，史称仁安羌大捷。
　　今立此碑，记我中国远征军一一三团英雄事迹，缅怀先烈，以为千秋史证。

　　中国远征军网　谨立
　　公元二零一二年十二月七日

 

In the spring of 1942 (the 31st year of the Republic of China), the Japanese military mounted a large scale invasion of Burma and threatened to cut off a key supply route used to transport war supplies into China.

In response, China’s Nationalist government deployed to Burma 100,000 soldiers from the Chinese Expeditionary Force to assist allies in the fight against the Japanese in order to prevent invasion and occupation of China and to curbthe Axis Powers’ ambitionto overtake all of Asia and Europe.

The situation on the battlefield was ever-changing and unpredictable.  On the early morning of April 17, 1942, the Japanese Army seized an important route and encircled the 1st Division of the British Army in the Yenangyaung oil fields with the intent of wiping them out.

That same day, Liu Fang-Wu, Commander of the 113th Regiment of the 38th Division of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, met with and received a handwritten order from the British Commander in Burma requesting that a rescue mission be carried out.  After receiving confirmation via radio from Division leader Sun Li-Jen to move forward with the mission, Liu Fang-Wu immediately led his men to Yenangyaung where his regiment, comprised of approximately 800 soldiers, fought the enemy for three days and lost 202 men, of which only the names of Chang Chi, Gu Chi-Chang, and Lee Yao-Lin are recorded.  Despite being greatly outnumbered, Liu Fang-Wu’s regiment defeated the enemy and rescued more than 7,500 people including British soldiers, their families, and British and American journalists and missionaries.  This battle is now known in history as the Great Victory of Yenangyaung. 

This monument is to commemorate the heroic deeds of the 113th Regiment of the Chinese Expeditionary Force in hopes of keeping those brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives in our memories and to serve as an everlasting testimony to this battle in history.

Erected by the Chinese Expeditionary Force Preservation Society (www.yuanzhengjun.cn) 
January 13, 2013

 

仁安羌大捷一一三团参战将士名录
长官：孙立人（新三十八师师长）　　作战指挥官：刘放吾（第一一三团团长）
参战：曾琪（副团长）、杨振汉（第一营营长）、鲁廷甲（第二营营长）、张琦（第三营营长）、胡德华、刘仲皇、刘烈鹏、郭立、顾纪常、唐宇戡、孙蔚民、蒋元、蒋永晖、符濡俊、邱光第、李敦进、李玉昆、李尚信、李耀林、欧阳章、欧阳美福、谭荣胜、郑子煊、张永乐及无名英雄们共八百余人

 

老将军，我听到过很多关于您的英勇故事，当年您不但救了七千多名英国人性命，同时也救了许多其他人性命。想想看，现在他们的家庭已经到了第三代、第四代，这些人的生命也都是您救的。我今天代表英国政府与人民，对您表示深深的感谢与敬佩，希望将来有时间，能坐下来听您详细述说当年怎么打赢仁安羌战役。

——英国首相撒切尔夫人面谢刘放吾时语

 

10th June 1992

Dear General Liu,
　　Mrs. Margaret Thatcher has written to me telling me of her meeting with you in New York in April and of your actions, and those of your regiment, in helping to extricate the British 1st Burma Division from encirclement by the Japanese at Yenangyaung in Burma in April 1942.
　　This year saw the fiftieth anniversary of the battle, which was clearly fought under the most testing and difficult of conditions during the darkest days of the war against the Japanese. May I therefore take this opportunity to express my warmest appreciation for the support you and your Regiment gave to the British Army, despite very considerable casualties. 

Malcolm Rifkind
Defense Secretary of the United Kingdom
——英国国防部长里佛金德致刘放吾感谢函

 

I personally witnessed the vital part the Chinese army played in the Battle at Yenangyaung in Burma on April 19th, 1942.

From the vantage point of the stone building on the small hillock, it was a relief to witness the Chinese assault. It was spectacular, and efficient beyond belief, absolutely suited for the rough terrain of the oilfield. I had a panoramic view of the whole disposition and action as the Chinese set to the task. To Western eyes, the disciplined automation was astonishing. 　　All hell broke loose as the Chinese troops swarmed forward. The movement was like poetry, or a form of pageantry, with these highly disciplined troops.

As the noise of firing on the oilfield became more distant, there was a realization; the Japanese might be the ones in danger of, “being annihilated at the oilfield in Central Burma”, contrary to the threat made by Tokio Rose from Radio Saigon, eight days earlier.

As the Chinese began to suffer casualties, Victor Stevens and I set up a reception point in the stone building, and did what we could to treat and dress the wounds of the soldiers, returning with holes in arms, legs and bodies. I did not speak Chinese, and the Chinese did not speak English. Victor Stevens ripped bedding sheets to bandage the wounded Chinese soldiers. Although I was only twenty-two years of age, I thought the Chinese soldiers to be very young; they had the ethereal look of good porcelain.

The Chinese troops came in, did their job and got out. The British at the time were short on food and water, short on ammunition, short on medical supplies, and stricken with malaria, and other diseases. I was the sole British officer, along with my men, privileged to observe this rare spectacle; it was basic, primitive and functional, the perfect fighting machine for the conditions of Central Burma. Indeed, I was a privileged officer. 　　This salutary action was undertaken on 19th of April. The damage done by the Chinese forces in this action destroyed the Japanese, to such extent that their rapid advance through Burma was halted, whilst awaiting reinforcements. Delaying the Japanese from their superbly planned advance was such that it became the single most action in allowing the remnants of the disheveled and starving British Army to escape northwards. 

At age 93, I tend to do things quickly. We were able to make arrangements for our visit to the U.S.A. on September 16, 2012. I told Margaret and her brother, Bob Liu, at the airport when we first met, that I could not wait another minute for this visit. After meeting the son and daughter of the late General Liu Fang-Wu, I can tell you I am SO satisfied with this visit! It nearly hurts to recall Yenangyaung, but recall I do. 

Captain Gerald Fitzpatrick
Yorkshire King's Own Light Infantry_GSO III(Operations) H.Q. B.A.O.R.
Survivor of the Battle of Yenangyaung in1942
Author of Chinese Save Brits—in Burma 

 

嗣奉召率部驰援缅甸仁安羌英军，攻歼奏捷，扬庥異域；复掩护撤离卡萨，见危受命，高义夙彰。旋於旁滨、南先庆诸地作殊死战，得使盟军成功撤退，枹鼓相应，蜚声国际。综其生平，驰骋四裔，击寇讎强弩之末；金戈铁马，开禦敌必胜之势，勋绩懋猷，史册聿昭。

——马英九颁刘放吾「总统褒扬令」

 

孙将军麾下：
　　谨代表我第一军及其他英帝国军队，对阁下热诚襄助，及贵师英勇部队援救比肩作战之盟军美德，深致谢忱。而本人奉英皇陛下命，赠阁下以“英帝国司令”勋章，尤感欣慰。因阁下受命掩护贵国友军之故，未得盘桓，殊以为憾。谨祝康泰百益。

——亚历山大（英缅军总司令）

 

勋章的授予，是全体官兵的光荣，尤其是死伤的同胞，以血肉之躯换来的光荣！它的意义不仅在于这是中国军官第一次以战功获得外国的勋章，而是表现了中国和盟军第一次并肩作战所付出的血汗和舍己救人、不背盟信的中国精神，这一精神已得到了公平的评价。

——孙立人（新三十八师师长）

 

我是军人，打仗是我的职责。英军是并肩作战的友军，友军遭遇危难，救援他们也是应该的。

——刘放吾（第一一三团团长）