Tainan Airfield(s) 1944-45 Part 4

Memories of 1 March 1945

Contributed by Wu Jung-Ming  

 

3/1/1945 - My grandfather's pharmaceutical company 榮安堂 caught fire from the incendiary bomb attack on the first day of Tainan city bombing (3/1/1945). We were told that it displayed brilliant color fireworks in succession as the different stock chemicals in the plant caught fire and burned over the next three days.

Bronze busts of Mr and Mrs Wu, founders of 榮安堂

疏開 [so-khai, evacuation] - We escaped the burning city that night on foot on pitch dark dirt road, headed for country side, i.e., so-khai. The river of fleeing refugees was overflowing the dark dirt road leading to the countryside villages.

On the road, there wasn't much voice conversation but the noise of foot steps and semi monotonic sounds of rolling steel wheels of ox drawn carts hitting the uneven dirt road. With the exception of a few lucky families with carts, most refugees, small children and all, were on foot carrying minimal luggage. The city was burning behind us. The dark sky was painted with orange and red by the burning city.

Partially melted bronze bust of Mr Wu

Silent witnesses to the war - My grandparents' bronze busts recovered from the rubble after the war show the intensity of the fire. The burning heat was so intense that it partially melted and deformed my grandfather's bust. The bronze bust of my grandfather survived WWII to tell the story of the Allied fire bombing of Tainan.