72 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries |
- 11 Aug 1942, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp
- 11 Aug 1942, Barbara Anslow's diary
- 11 Aug 1942, Rev. Buuck's autobiographical notes
- 11 Aug 1942, R. E. Jones Wartime diary
- 11 Aug 1942, Ella Buuck's wartime diary
- 11 Aug 1942, Eric MacNider's wartime diary
| 11 Aug 1942, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp Posted: 01 Feb 2012 07:42 AM PST Book / Document: Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp Date of events described: Tue, 1942-08-11 Death of Col. Walter Roy Dockrill, aged 65. Dockrill was a Canadian who worked his way up in the lumber business. In 1915 he went off to the war: Col. Dockrill's return to civilian life was marred by his exclusion from the board of directors of the company,and after a year or two in Vancouver, he sold his remaining control to Captain Crawford and moved to Shanghai. It's not known how he found himself in Hong Kong.
Chester Bennett, the American Council Chairman, and three Britishers are 'guaranteed out' and leave camp. Bennett was asked by Franklin Gimson to decline repatriation to continue to help the internees (he's the person who organised the food parcels from Habade) and he soon adds illegal money raising and smuggling into camp to his legitimate activities. Eventually he becomes an agent for the British Army Aid Group, working with Charles Hyde and Marcus da Silva.
R. E. Stott, a land bailiff, puts his carefully prepared escape plan into operation. He takes advantage of a gardener's shed to get over the rear wall of the French Hospital - 'just as dusk fell when people's eyes had not got used to the dark'. Although he sprains both heels landing, after a short rest he crawls along the nullah running past the hospital and finds some rope hidden there by friends. He crawls through some barbed wire and loops the rope round a support so that he can reach the bottom of the nullah: With feet so painful I had to sit and drag myself inch by inch along the slimy slippery bottom towards the typhoon shelter into which the nullah emptied...The tide was low and I had to hobble as best I could to the waiting sampan... which takes him to a shrimp boat in which he lies until 4 a.m. before setting off. Passing between Shampshuipo and Stonecutters Island, they anchor for the night at a point opposite Castle Peak. The next morning they set off at dawn for Macao.
Kowloon's St Teresa's Hospital is closed to British patients, who are sent to Bowen Road Military Hospital, where they are the last people suffering from war wounds to be admitted.
The Gripsholm arrives in Rio de Janeiro - 'We had twenty-four hours in Rio, and it was all too short'. Although for two men who show up at 4.05, five minutes after it's pulled away from shore, the stop-over comes close to being greatly extended. In the end, to the accompaniment of much mockery, they get onboard via a tug and the pilot boat. Sources: Dockrill: Geoffrey Emerson, Hong Kong Internment, 1973, 271 Stott: Tony Banham, We Shall Suffer There, 2009, entry for Friday, August 14 Hospitals: D. C. Bowie, Captive Surgeon in Hong Kong, 268 Gripsholm: Carol Brigg Waites, Taken in Hong Kong, 2006, Kindle Edition, Location 3850 See also: Chronology, February 20, 1942 Anslow Diary, August 14, 1942 |
| 11 Aug 1942, Barbara Anslow's diary Posted: 22 Feb 2012 05:15 AM PST Book / Document: Barbara Anslow's diary Date of events described: Tue, 1942-08-11 Mum and I to lecture on Philosophy by Rev. Short - on bank by hospital. Little Brian and Mrs Gill came to tea in afternoon. ((Our family had known Billie Gill's husband Paddy before they were married. Paddy was in the Army and was drafted to UK before Jap attack.)) |
| 11 Aug 1942, Rev. Buuck's autobiographical notes Posted: 20 Jun 2012 03:31 AM PDT Book / Document: Rev. Buuck's autobiographical notes Date of events described: Tue, 1942-08-11 The following day ((ie the 11th)) after food supplies had been taken aboard we were again under way. |
| 11 Aug 1942, R. E. Jones Wartime diary Posted: 09 Jul 2012 06:29 AM PDT Book / Document: R. E. Jones Wartime diary Date of events described: Tue, 1942-08-11 Einige neues kam, aber ich noch nicht hörte. ((Some news came, but I haven't heard it.)) Wir neu kũchen haben und sie heute mittag starten. ((We have a new cake - does he mean cook? -, and they start at noon today.)) |
| 11 Aug 1942, Ella Buuck's wartime diary Posted: 20 Jul 2012 04:55 AM PDT Book / Document: Ella Buuck's wartime diary Date of events described: Tue, 1942-08-11 We were up early and right after breakfast we went downtown to do shopping. Had a nice time looking around and bought quite a few things. At noon we were back on ship, turned in our passes and that ended our shore leave. I got busy right away washing clothes, also did some ironing, then rested and at 4p.m. we were all on deck to see the ship make ready to leave. They lifted the gangplank and slowly moved away from shore. About 45 minutes later 3 men passengers appeared who had failed to make the ship. A motor boat picked them up and brought them alongside, but they were afraid to try the rope ladder so they were put into the tug and later when the pilot boat arrived they were put on that and finally got into the ship. We had grand views as we were leaving Rio. The climax was as the sun was just behind the statue and it made a perfect picture to see it that way. The sunset was grand with all the mountains around. |
| 11 Aug 1942, Eric MacNider's wartime diary Posted: 17 Jul 2014 12:11 AM PDT Book / Document: Eric MacNider's wartime diary Date of events described: Tue, 1942-08-11 4 persons left camp (Chester Bennett, Mrs. Owens) Death of Walter Roy Dockrill (65) [Prof. W. Brown - "Spitzbergen"] |
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