Office of the Historian

Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270: Telegram

Major General S. L. Howard, U. S. M. C.,71 to the Commander of the Seventh Fleet (Cooke)

[Tientsin,] 23 October 1946.

210711Z.72 This amplifies my 210307Z.73 Now develops that hunting party consisting 1 American UNRRA74 employee, 4 Russians and 4 Marines were surrounded and disarmed by forces strongly believed to be Communists about 0830H 20 October approx 3 miles north division Asp Hsinho. This party additional to personnel mentioned in reference. All party permitted return to Tientsin p.m. 20 October except Staff Sgt. Robert H. Fellows USMC and Tech Sgt. Jack Lane USMC still detained by Chinese who stated they were taking Marines northward. Promised return them uninjured in 2 or 3 days. Chinese retained 1 Marine jeep, all weapons and gear belonging to 4 Marines but returned most personal gear and all weapons of other 5 hunters.

Propose requesting Executive Hq. Peiping institute measures without delay to effect recovery of 2 missing as done in Liu Shou Ying incident 13 July.

  1. Commanding General, Marine Forces, China, and Commanding General, 1st Marine Division.↩
  2. This telegram was transmitted as No. 220300Z by Admiral Cooke to General Marshall.↩

  3. Telegram of October 21; it reported two incidents on October 20; (1) at 1230H a recreation party of 3 naval personnel were ambushed one mile from Marine ammunition dump at Hsinho by group of about 50 armed Chinese dissidents or bandits and no casualties were suffered by U. S. personnel but 6 or 7 of the ambushers were killed or wounded; (2) in another incident near Chinwangtao at 1735H, a hunting party of 9 marines was fired on by several dissidents or bandits, the marines did not return the fire, and they did not suffer any casualties.

    In telegram No. 190943, October 21, General Howard reported another attack by 2 unidentified persons on sentries on 2 posts at the ammunition supply point Tangku; he indicated the marines returned the fire, the ammunition dump was not penetrated, and there were no marine nor known dissident-element casualties.

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  4. United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration.↩