Tuesday, July 15, 2014

72 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

72 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

16 Jul 1942, Barbara Anslow's diary

Posted: 19 Feb 2012 05:20 AM PST

Book / Document: 
Barbara Anslow's diary
Date of events described: 
Thu, 1942-07-16

An old man of the sea died today - Anton Munze.  He was tattooed almost from head to foot, and was known as 'Canaker Dick.'

Tony came to say Mr Murphy will swap his mattress for our teapot.  ((Mum had a real bed, but no mattresss so she slept on the springs.  There had originally been a mattress but it was alive with bugs so had to be dumped.))

Mabel's parcel arrived - grand: included 1 lb  bacon, 2 lbs biscuits, 5 lb tin jam, 8 oz coffee, 3 lbs raisins, 5 lbs. 7 ozs wong tong and 1 lb butter to come.

We wrote 25-word  Red Cross letters (in pencil), stamped Red Cross, Shanghai, 27487.

Mum wrote to Aunt Lilian in Gillingham, Kent:-
'Girls and myself all well and together.  Future movements uncertain.  Will write when able.  Probably see Bess and Hilda.  Don't worry.  Love Mab and Girls.' ((I still have this letter and have attached a copy though I doubt if it is legible. The reference to Mum's sisters Bess and Hilda, who lived in Rhodesia, was to imply that we might get repatriated via Lourenco Marques and could maybe get to them from there))

16 Jul 1942, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 10:33 PM PDT

Book / Document: 
Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp
Date of events described: 
Thu, 1942-07-16

Death of Anton Munze - aka Canaker Dick - aged 58. He was a former seaman of American nationality with a wife and family in Hong Kong (presumably Chinese or third national).

 

Walter Donald D'Evan Twidale (or Twiddle), a soldier, marries Mrs Beatrice Rose Cullen.

Sources:

Munze: Geoffrey Emerson, Hong Kong Internment, 1973, 271; http://gwulo.com/node/10376; Maryknoll Diary, July 16/17, 1942

Marriage: Greg Leck, Captives of Empire, 2006, 622

16 Jul 1942, R. E. Jones Wartime diary

Posted: 26 Jun 2012 02:05 AM PDT

Book / Document: 
R. E. Jones Wartime diary
Date of events described: 
Thu, 1942-07-16

Heavy rain all day.

$75 parcel arrived so am fixed for cigs. etc for a while.

News good re Hawaii, Russian front & Sid. Barrami [?]

16 Jul 1942, Ella Buuck's wartime diary

Posted: 03 Jul 2012 02:11 AM PDT

Book / Document: 
Ella Buuck's wartime diary
Date of events described: 
Thu, 1942-07-16

Lorenz's birthday. No presents to give so Elaine gave him her orange and Leonard a pocket comb which he had found.

We played pinochle in the evening and Mrs. Dunnett ((Was she in Stanley?)) and I had arranged a lunch in her room at 10 o'clock. It was a pleasant surprise and a tasty one, too. The first sandwiches for ages.
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