Legal Brief for October, 2022

The People You Meet

I have had the great pleasure of meeting many wonderful people during my years practicing law.  As the old saying goes, "everyone has a story", and that is certainly true in my corner of the legal world.  One of the most amazing personal histories comes from a fellow that I started providing legal services for more than 30 years ago, and for whom I still have the honour of acting.  Bob Tatz, now going on 92 years young, is the gentleman in question.

Bob's father was born in Hungary in 1893.  His mother was born in Siberia in 1904, her father having worked as a medical officer in the Tsar's army.  Both parents for various geopolitical reasons ended up in Harbin, China in the years after World War I.  Bob's father was an art instructor and his mother was one of his students.  They married in 1923.  Due to increasing violence in China during the 1920's and the beginnings of Japanese aggression the couple moved to Hong Kong, where Bob was born on October 11, 1931, as a British subject.  That all sounds quite worldly enough on its own, but Bob's life history would soon become very complicated indeed.

Bob's father died in November 1932 from tuberculosis when Bob was only a year old.  Bob's mother remarried in 1934 to a former Tsarist calvary officer.  Unfortunately Bob's step-father died in 1936 from a horse riding accident.  Further tragedy entered Bob's life when his mother passed away in September 1939.  Bob was left an orphan alone in Hong Kong at the age of 7.  He was placed in a boarding school, and began to contemplate a life ahead without any parental figures to support and guide him.

We all know what other significant event happened in September 1939 - the outbreak of World War II.  The Japanese army had been massing around the Hong Kong territory since 1937, and in December 1941 they made their move to attack the British colony.  The battle for Hong Kong began on December 7, 1941, the same day as the attack on Pearl Harbour.  This was shortly after Bob had turned 10.  With air raid sirens wailing throughout Hong Kong the boarding school abruptly closed up and Bob was left by himself on the sidewalk outside the school, amid a mass of people pushing their way towards the ferry docks.  Bob was initially thrilled to be able to have the Monday off of school, little realizing that he would not be able to resume his education for almost 4 years.

Not knowing any better and not having anyone else to turn to for help, Bob joined in with the crowd and made his way to the ferry terminal.  Fortunately he was able to make it onto one of the ferries.  As he was crushed against a railing on the upper level of the ferry, a man noticed him and asked:

• “What are you doing here, boy?”
• “I don't know, sir,” replied Bob.
• “Where are your parents?”
• “I don't have any parents,” Bob answered.
• “What's your name, son?”
• “My mother called my Robbie, but you can call me Robert,” Bob informed him.
• “You better follow me, Robert, as this is no time or place for a small boy to be left on his own.”

That man was William Sewell, and his intervention could have been a life-saving gesture for Bob as the battle for Hong Kong was going to intensify dramatically.  The surrender of Hong Kong occurred just a couple of weeks later, on Christmas Day.  Together with the Sewell family and other Allied POW's Bob found himself in an internment camp operated by the Japanese army.  Because of his orphan status and lack of mentorship he eventually was cared for in a refugee centre until the end of the war in August 1945 at which point he was evacuated to England to resume his much interrupted schooling.

Returning to Hong Kong after a year's stay in England he developed an interest in marine engineering.  Bob was able to forge a career as an engineer with Jardine, Matheson & Co. Ltd., a British firm which operated a fleet of cargo ships in the Far East.  After a distinguished career with Jardine Matheson, Bob and his new wife, Eilish moved to Vancouver in 1959.  Bob eventually made his way to Edmonton and was the principal shareholder for many years of RAE Engineering and Inspection Ltd., a well respected firm providing engineering and inspection services for the oil and gas industry.

Bob's amazing life story is contained in an autobiography that he published in 2019 - Lost in the Battle for Hong Kong - A Memoir of Survival, Identity and Success 1931 - 1959.  The book is both an informative history of the turbulent years in Hong Kong during which Bob grew up there and as noted in the Forward to the book:

• "It tells a story that will intrigue everybody interested in the response of the human spirit to circumstances of the utmost difficulty."

Bob closes his book with the words of an Irish blessing:

If you are interested in obtaining a copy of Bob's book a 2nd edition of it published in 2021 is available for order online from the Amazon, Kindle Store and Chapters/Indigo websites.

Thank you Bob for the pleasure and honour of working with you these many years!