The book tells, in Mr Gunning's own style, of his early life and his life in the Hong Kong Police.

Mr Gunning was born in 1914 and initially worked in the City of London while being a member of the City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders). At the age of 22 he enlisted in the Hong Kong Police and sailed for Hong Kong in 1936.

After training Mr Gunning worked on anti-piracy duties in the South China Sea as well as working in the Special Branch. He was a Sergeant when the Japanese invaded Hong Kong in December 1941.

Following the desperate struggles before the fall of Hong Kong, Mr Gunning was interned for four and a half years in the Stanley Internment Camp on Hong Kong Island with his wife and young son. Following the Liberation, he returned to the post-war police force, but took early retirement on health grounds in 1948. Mr Gunning now lives in Wallington, Surrey.

Mr Gunning's book is primarily printed for the generations of Gunnings to come as a family history book, but a limited number of copies are available from the author for general sale.

Enquiries could be made with Mr Gunning's son, Richard Gunning at: richardgunning@blueyonder.co.uk

• English version only