People acquainted with the author
Mubarak, Ismail, Head of Special Branch, Seremban, known as ‘Moby’, an ‘Ace’ operator
Rana, Ksatra Bikram, Lieutenant Colonel, Commanding Officer, The Mahindra Dal Nath, the only Nepalese Contingent unit the Maharaja allowed to operate outside India in WWII
Templer, Sir Gerald, General, High Commissioner and Director of Operations, Malaya
Theopulos, John, Manager, Bhutan Estate, near Seremban
Other real people
Chin Peng, Chairman, Malayan Communist Party
Mao Tse-tung, Chinese Communist leader
Marx, Karl, German founder of modern Communism
Stalin, J, Soviet leader
Stilwell, General Joseph W, United States Army, Northern Burma Combat Command, 1943-44
Too Chee Chew, a.k.a. Mr C C Too, brilliant propagandist, Special Branch, Malayan Police
Zhdanov, Andrei A, Soviet theoretician
Fictitious characters
Ah Fat, non-voting member of politburo and police agent
*Chakrabahadur Rai, Rifleman, 1/12 Gurkha Rifles
Clark, Ian, OCPD, Seremban
*Ganeshbahadur Rai, Rifleman, 1/12 Gurkha Rifles
Goh Ah Hok, fresh ration contractor for 1/12 Gurkha Rifles
Hinlea, Alan, Captain, 1/12 Gurkha Rifles
Honker, M CA, Brigadier, Commander 63 Gurkha Infantry Brigade
Hung Lo, ‘Bear’, nickname of Wang Ming, q.v.
Kenny, Richard, Lieutenant Colonel, General Staff Officer (GSO) 1, HQ Malaya Command
*Kulbahadur Limbu, Rifleman, 1/12 Gurkha Rifles, expert tracker
Kwek Leng Joo, barman at Yam Yam and senior Min Yuen (Masses Movement)
Lalman Limbu, Rifleman, 1/12 Gurkha Rifles
Lau Beng, Political Commissar, Negri Sembilan Regional Committee
Lee Kheng, ‘sleeper’ in Special Branch, Seremban
*Minbahadur Gurung, wireless operator, Rifleman, 1/12 Gurkha Rifles
*Padambahadur Rai, communist in Darjeeling
P’ing Yee, ‘Flat Ears’, nickname of Ah Fat, q.v.
Rance, Jason Percival Vere, Captain, 1/12 Gurkha Rifles
Shandung P’aau, ‘Shandung Cannon’, nickname of Captain Rance, q.v.
Sik Long, ‘Lustful Wolf’, nickname of Captain Hinlea, q.v.
Siu Tse, ‘Little Miss’, cabaret taxi girl in the Yam Yam
Vikas Bugga, secret Bengali communist
Wang Ming, Military Commander, Negri Sembilan Regional Committee
Wang Tao (f); OCPD’s table servant
Williams, Robert, Lieutenant Colonel, Commanding Officer, 1/12 Gurkha Rifles
Yap Cheng Wu, manager of Yam Yam nightclub
Yong Kwoh, second in seniority in Malayan Communist Party
* Names ending in ‘bahadur’ often use the ‘é’ ending instead, especially when talking.