Tuesday, January 7, 2014

72 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

72 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

8 Jan 1942: RE Jones Diary

Posted: 23 Dec 2011 09:50 PM PST

Book / Document: 
R. E. Jones Wartime diary
Date of events described: 
Thu, 1942-01-08

Brushwood on hillsides S of Prison set alight today. Heard ammunition exploding. Went up to G Block again & got some photos of Rae. Framed her big one & now I can look up on the whole family. (Where are you tonight sweetheart, God Bless you both)

8th/12th Jan 1942. Barbara Anslow's Diary

Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:14 PM PST

Book / Document: 
Barbara Anslow's diary
Date of events described: 
Thu, 1942-01-08 - Mon, 1942-01-12

Bad cold.  300 more internees sent in to our hotel.   The ARP men on 4th floor doubled up, and we ARP ladies left the 2nd floor for new arrivals and moved in with our men.   While this was happening, the 300 newcomers were squashed on the staircases waiting to get in to a billet.  I now shared a cubicle (and the bed) with Marjorie Cook.
 
We took it in turns helping with cooking chores,  peeling onions and carrots, etc.  The days seemed so long, it was one long wait from meal to meal.  Eric Himsworth and Tony (Cole) used to buy bread somehow, and invited me to share it with them at 4pm, plus either jam or butter - it was wonderful.
Mr Bailey suddenly presented me with a half-pound block of 'Star' chocolate which I haven't yet opened - hope it doesn't go musty.  It is the Iron Ration.  So kind of him, I don't know why he did.

8 Jan 1942, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp

Posted: 10 Jan 2012 10:48 PM PST

Book / Document: 
Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp
Date of events described: 
Thu, 1942-01-08

Phyllis Harrop writes in her diary:

There are still a large number of people living on the Peak who have not yet been interned...

 

Some of these, inluding the policeman Norman Gunning, his wife Nan, a nurse, and baby son Richard, avoid internment in the hotel-brothels completely and are sent straight to Stanley.

Also in this category are Quaker missionary William Sewell and his family. They're living in a group including the Refos and the Kennedy-Skiptons. George Kennedy-Skipton and Henry Refo will agree to do 'constructive work' for the Chinese in Hong Kong to avoid internment. Henry and the rest of his family will end up in Stanley, but Kennedy-Skipton will remain uninterned and eventually  face dismissal from his government post and suspicions of collaboration.

Sources :

Peak: Harrop, Hong Kong Incident, 1943, 108

Gunning: Norman Gunning, Passage to Hong Kong, 2009, 130

Sewells: William Sewell, Strange Harmony, 1948, 46-47

Refos, Kennedy-Skipton: Sally Refo's Letter, available to members of the Yahoo Stanley Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stanley_camp/messages

Note:

A post-war tribunal upheld Mr. Kennedy-Skipton's dismissal but cleared him of all charges of disloyalty to the Crown. See also entries for February 7 and February 11.

For a full account of the Kennedy-Skipton case see http://brianedgar.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/accusations-of-collaboration-1-george-stacy-kennedy-skipton-2/

8 Jan 1942, Harry Ching's wartime diary

Posted: 05 Jan 2013 06:13 AM PST

Book / Document: 
Harry Ching's wartime diary
Date of events described: 
Thu, 1942-01-08

The Commander-in-Chief of Japanese forces invites distinguished Chinese to banquet at Peninsula Hotel. Time being short, individual invitations not sent, but list of invitees published totalling 137. Followed list of Chinese Justices of the Peace. To my relief, I not included.
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