Exhibition honors heroic British journalist for supporting Chinese against Japanese aggression

HARPENDEN, Britain, July 22 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition commemorating George Hogg, a British journalist who dedicated his life to supporting China's war against Japanese aggression decades ago, kicked off Tuesday in Harpenden, a town in Hertfordshire County of England.

"George Hogg became a true friend, noble and wise friend of China," said Mark Aylwin Thomas, nephew of the late Hogg and author of the biography "Blades of Grass: The Story of George Aylwin Hogg."

The exhibition would help more students learn about this part of China's history during the World Anti-Fascist War, said Tim Fleming, chief operating officer of St. George's School, Hogg's alma mater.

The school's motto, aiming higher, might well have inspired Hogg in his university studies and later heroic experiences in China, said Fleming.

"He (Hogg) was an incredible young man who achieved a great deal in a tragically short life. But the way in which the Chinese revealed his memory brought it home to us what an important figure he is," said David Kendall, trustee of the Harpenden History Society.

After travelling to China to trace Hogg's life, Kendall decided to organize this special exhibition to "educate the people in England and particularly in Harpenden about George Hogg's achievements in China."

Tuesday also marked the 80th anniversary of Hogg's death. According to the Harpenden History Society, Hogg's global tour after graduation led him to China during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and he "assimilated with the local people, sharing their hardships, but writing home or writing for newspapers, and stayed (in China) for the last seven years of his life."

One of Hogg's most remarkable acts was saving the lives of 60 children by leading them out of a war zone and trekking with them 700 miles to the edge of the Gobi Desert, where he re-established their school in a safer location.