Order of the Striped Tiger (Fifth Class Neck Badge), in silver-gilt and enamels, 60mm, awarded to “Dr FWS O’ Neill”, in its original lacquer box.
“My grandfather FWS O’ Neill, went to Manchuria in 1897 as a missionary of the Irish Presbyterian Church, at the age 27.
In 1900 he could speak fluent Chinese and was not molested during the Boxer Rising, which aimed at expelling foreign influence.
“His house was wrecked but later a Chinese dictionary was returned to him. Again in 1904 he assumed Chinese dress (blue cotton), during the Russo-Japanese war.
At one stage he was condemned to death by the Russians. He had blue eyes and did not expect to pass as Chinese.
“In 1917 he was attached by the YMCA to the Chinese Labour Corps in France and was awarded the Order of the Striped Tiger on his return to China.
“From 1928 to 1931 he lived through the taking over of Manchuria by the Japanese and was allowed to continue his work until 1941, when he and his wife were interned in Kobe.
They came home in 1942 in an exchange of diplomatic and religious prisoners. “He died in 1952 at the age of 82.”
FWS O’Neill was based in Fakumen, a town of about 15,000 people among foothills about two days walk from Mukden, the chief city of Manchuria, and the same from the Mongolian (indeterminate) frontier.
“He toured an area about equal to Northern Ireland taking about a month on foot for each journey. As far as I know the school and church he established in Fakumen still exist and he is still remembered in the area.”
The Chinese order of the striped tiger
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Subject: lunchtime lecture by Mark O’Neill on his book ‘Frederick: The Life of my Missionary Grandfather in Manchuria’
Lecture by Hong Kong-based academic and journalist, Mark O’Neill, in Iveagh House on Friday, 28 June at 12.30pm.
Mark O’Neill’s book entitled ‘Frederick: The Life of my Missionary Grandfather in Manchuria’ is based on the experiences of his grandfather, a Presbyterian missionary in China, whose career spanned the first half of the 20th century. The book provides a snapshot of a pivotal period in Chinese history. Additionally, O’Neill will share many rare photographs from the book, extracted from the archives of the Presbyterian Church that capture life in one of the most remote corners of China. Whilst in Iveagh House, Mark O’Neill will also be formally handing over to the Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland an Order of the Striped Tiger Medal awarded to his Grandfather by the Chinese government for his work with the Chinese Labour Corps of 96,000 people who assisted the Allied Forces in France and Belgium from 1917 to 1919.