Friday, February 14, 2014

72 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

72 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

15 Feb 1942, R. E. Jones Wartime diary

Posted: 31 Dec 2011 05:42 AM PST

Book / Document: 
R. E. Jones Wartime diary
Date of events described: 
Sun, 1942-02-15

Cold. Layed in till 9.30AM & talked of food & what we would do if we had plenty. Wrote to Tommy Edgar.

15 Feb 1942, Barbara Anslow's diary

Posted: 08 Jan 2012 05:59 PM PST

Book / Document: 
Barbara Anslow's diary
Date of events described: 
Sun, 1942-02-15

To 10.00am church, then to work.  Tiffin wonderful because there was suet roly-poly with apple afterwards.

To concert in P.O. Club in evening - good fun. Community singing.  Some good cracks - 'Who is the owner of this pair of shorts marked 'Windle'?'

Cold and constipated.

15 Feb 1942, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 08:54 AM PST

Book / Document: 
Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp
Date of events described: 
Sun, 1942-02-15

Today (or perhaps tomorrow) Jean Gittins enters Stanley.

Gittins, the daughter of Sir Robert and Lady Clara Ho Tung, is Eurasian and in a position to claim either British or Chinese nationality. So far she's stayed out of Camp, living alongside Gordon King and Arthur Bentley, in Hong Kong University.

She's coming to feel that she'll be better off with her sister Mabel in Stanley -more secure and more likely to be part of any any exchange of prisoners -  but meets opposition from the Director of Medical Services, Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke, who thinks she'll be more useful outside.

King escapes on February 10 (see that day's entry), asking Gittins to give him two day's start before informing the Japanese. She waits three days and tells some students, who are worried about her safety, urging her to inform the Japanese immediately.  She goes to Dr. Selwyn-Clarke the next morning, who at first tries to dissuade her from entering Stanley, but when he hears of King's escape, immediately changes her mind.

The next morning Arthur Bentley brings her a farewell breakfast of porridge, and Selwyn-Clarke gives her a large jar of malt and cod liver oil. The latter has arranged for her to enter Stanley by way of a period as a patient in Tweed Bay Hospital.

Source:

Jean Gittins, Stanley: Behind Barbed Wire, 1982, 38-40.

15 Feb 1942, Harry Ching's wartime diary

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 01:09 AM PST

Book / Document: 
Harry Ching's wartime diary
Date of events described: 
Sun, 1942-02-15

((Following text not dated:))

Household garbage again in streets, and fly nuisance increasingly hard to bear. Authorities becoming concerned, and newspaper published long list of areas set apart as rubbish dumps. These included Southorn Playground, Chinese Recreation Club, and in our district a vacant lot on Blue Pool Road.

But middle of February sweetest music was tinkle of rubbish cart bell, inviting us for first time in weeks to bring out our garbage.
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