'In the Footsteps of George Hogg': Through war-torn China during WWII

In 1938, a young British Oxford graduate called George Hogg went to China. There he witnessed a country being destroyed by Japanese invaders, people who were suffering from the war crimes and yet struggling to rebuild. Many men might have fled – but he stayed, fought alongside with the Chinese people, and eventually, died there on July 22, 1945.

The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, as well as the 110th anniversary of George Hogg's birth. In London on Saturday, a memorial event called 'In the Footsteps of George Hogg' brought together family members, scholars and representatives from both Chinese and English organizations gathering to mark his contribution – not only to the Chinese people's war of resistance, but also to the mutual understanding of the two nations.

The event was jointly held by the Chinese Embassy in the UK, CGTN Europe and the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding (SACU). 

Earlier this year, a SACU delegation traveled across China, following Hogg's footsteps eight decades ago. Among the delegation members were Hogg's family members Mark Aylwin Thomas and Peter Jarvis. After traveling through Shanghai, Nanjing, Xi'an and Baoji, the delegation attended an event in Gansu Province, marking his 110th birthday. They also visited Shandan County, his final destination, where he worked as the headmaster of the Bailie School.

The delegation shared their experience through the trip, saying that it was a touching and epiphanic trip through China. The warm welcome and hospitality helped them to better understand Hogg's decision of staying with the people there.

CGTN Europe journalists also shared their experience of producing a documentary about Hogg. The news organization's Digital team members Gleb Burashov and Kris Craven talked about the filming and editing of the production. 

Without much archive video of Hogg, it is mainly through his writing that readers today can imagine his life and work in China – so applying AI-generated content helped to fill in the gaps.

Based on Hogg's writings, alongside a biography authored by his nephew Mark Thomas, the AI technology recreated scenes of Hogg's tour, work and life among the Chinese people back in the 1930s and 1940s, providing an immersive experience for the audience, especially the younger generation.

"It was a good way of engaging the younger generation with the history," said Burashov, the project's executive producer.

Also premiered at the event was a trailer of the film Witness to War: George Hogg in China. The documentary is expected to be released in August.

Michael Wood, president of SACU as well as British historian, said it brought the war-torn Shanghai to life.

He said it reminded him of a poem by Chinese poet Du Fu.

"I can remember a Chinese guy who belonged to a book club in America, he'd lived through that Japanese destruction of Shanghai," Wood said. 

"And he said, 'I remember when I was a child, the buildings were all burning, and the great factories were burning, and across the wall, somebody had painted in paint, 国破山河在: "The state is destroyed, but the people remain,"' which is a line from Du Fu. 

"And I'll never forget that. You just watch those pictures in that film and that's exactly what I saw. I saw the Du Fu poem come alive again. So I'm very impressed."

He said Hogg's story provides Western audiences with a good angle of China's role in World War II.

"You can tell people that China was so important in World War II, and you can give them facts and figures, but this is a real personal story of somebody who was so moved by the sufferings of the Chinese people," he said. 

"He could have gone home at any time, but he decided to stay and help the Chinese people, and in the end he died. So that's a very human story, a very powerful story."

SACU vice-president Frances Wood, a renowned British sinologist and historian, said that Hogg's story is very important to inform more people in the UK about China's role as the "forgotten fourth ally" in World War II.

"The role of China has been downplayed recently by historians and we must bring it up," said Wood. "China contributed hugely. If you think about the Burma Road and the resistance to Japan, that was fantastic."

An event will also be held on July 22 in Harpenden, Hogg's hometown, to mark his life and contribution – and to make his story widely known by the people in his home country.