Diary pages from this date

Bitterly cold night last night with a biting wind;  very difficult to get any sleep at all; wired bags and strapped clothes over windows but still the cold blew in. 

Went round the hospitals this a.m. with Brigadier and then were visited by a Jap Colonel, who told us that the dysentery was our fault and that we had to stop it at once.  We replied that we had nothing to stop it with and he said the Jap Army was very strict about these things and we had to do as we were told.  We had to put barbed wire around the dysentery hospitals but it just annoyed them when I said that that would not stop the flies.  We asked for fittings for the latrine pans, mag sulph, lime, creosote etc but they replied that the Jap army was very busy and they would give it to us when they could get it.  Lime was promised at 1 p.m. today.

Had long talk with Morley and Davis and they are inclined to have a shot at it.  Lee made contact with boat coming back at 9.30 pm. tonight.  Had to speak to Naval Cmdr for nearly spoiling Lee’s contact.  Boat for Lee turned up about 18.30 instead of 2100.  It was still very light and attracted a lot of attention.  Just after 1945 when it was just dark got Lee’s things out for him and then he waited his chance and called the boat across.  Another naval man nearly spoilt things by standing there and watching.  I had to ask him to come away as we were expecting a message through.  Everything went off successfully and Davis and I waited till 2020 when all was clear.  Then returned and packed.  Gave Morley the Red Cross Haversack. 

Had 2 ½  biscuits with butter and jam before turning in.  In bed by 2145.

Still carrying on as well as we can. We are to be interned but I heard today - perhaps on the Peak in which case I shall go back to 152. I was there again today - still o.k. - I brought the small box we used to have at the matshed. There has been a plague of flies here so we all have H.K. "dog" - but I m getting over it. I am having a more or less foodless day and taking [??? Sodi? Sulphi?] - your Bournvita is a godsend. I'll tell you some day what a boon these iron rations have been to us - and your candles. What a story I'll have to tell you when you come back - and I'm sure you will have too. I worry terribly about you at times but I try to think you are safe at Goodwood - there is no military objective anywhere near by. 

I know how you must worry about me. I am being as careful as I can but there is no doubt that many will die from disease before this is over. Dysentery is rife already. We can just hope for the best. So Darling you will realise that material possessions just can't matter at present - we'll all be lucky if we get out of this with our lives.

Gimson spent 24 hours in "jug" - and really so - for they put him in a cell at Central Police Station. He wrote a very strong letter to the Japanese Authorities so they shut him up and then let him go again without any explanation.

I still have my lovely car - I had a job to do taking B.I. reports up to the W. M. H. (2 dysentery cases) and I had a lovely drive - it was a beautiful day with the sun shining and everything. Glover came with me and it really was delightful and did me a world of good. The W.M.H. seems to be functioning quite o.k. and there are lots of refugees still there. We are all hoping we may be interned on the Peak - it would be almost too good to be true. 

Well I must stop again. All my love always - oh! To see you Darling!      BB.

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, including the policeman Norman Gunning, his wife Nan, a nurse, and baby son Richard, avoid internment in the hotels 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 (now defunct).

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 https://jonmarkgreville2.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/accusations-of-collab…

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.

Today moved to Nam King Hotel. Not allowed on or out or out of the Hotel.

Very dark, dirty and stinking.

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)

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 got on quite well, considering.

Because of toothache, my teeth were examined in hotel by one Dr Mullett who couldn't see much wrong.
 
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. ((They must have had contacts outside to get this bread, maybe one of their Chinese clerks.))

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.