🌟 Ever wondered how history goes from dusty textbooks to deeply personal? British vlogger Jack Forsdike certainly did. Growing up, his grandpa’s daring WWII RAF missions over Europe sounded like epic YouTube vlogs—complete with high-stakes takeoffs and near-death moments. But nothing prepared him for the next chapter of these war stories, unfolding thousands of miles away on the Chinese mainland.
This epic twist happened in Harbin’s Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731, tucked in Heilongjiang Province in the Chinese mainland's northeast. There, history’s haunting echoes met Jack’s own family saga. His wife shared that her grandfather, as a kid in occupied Shenyang, was forced to learn Japanese and bow to the Emperor each day.
Two family narratives—one from Europe’s bombers, another from an occupied Asian city—converged in one chilling place. Jack says, “This is history that is still very personal to us. And it’s still part of our daily lives.” And he’s right: 80 years on, the scars of WWII still ripple through generations, reminding us that the past isn’t just in books—it lives in our blood and our memories.
For young explorers, this journey is more than a history lesson. It’s a call to dive into stories that span continents and cultures, to see how global events shape our families—and ourselves. Ready to trace your own roots in the ruins of time? 🌏✨
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
