Diary pages from this date
Everybody else is out so I have peace. We had Council again yesterday and I had a walk afterwards with Gimson. He is still in on the C.S. business and has very little use for Fraser. ((Harry / Henry)) Butters says he has a claim. I am rather surprised that he puts it forward - perhaps he thinks Fraser is to act. If Harry puts it forward against me I'll be very disappointed in him. I know you'll be thinking that I'll get away on leave. I hope however you'll come back stay a little with me and then go home with the bairns perhaps ahead of me if I can't get leave. I must find out when Gimson had leave. Sir Mark Young is still here and we hear he has been moved to Barker Road - in the Socony house where Tracy lived, Altadena, but Gimson is quite sure he will not resume duty and never come back. So Gimson will act until a new Governor arrives - I should get on leave then. We'll have to think then whether I'm going to come back again - we have lost so much that I feel I'll have to come back to make up a little. We may get compensation of course but you never can tell.
Well cheero again Darling - I think of you all the time and wish I knew where you are and how you are. All my love always B
Some Police escaped from camp last night. Lots of good news about - re American planes over Kowloon Dock; Hainan recaptured. I'm very tired again.
SUMMARY OF RECENT DAYS
Mrs G was in hospital and since her return she's been very sweet and kind to us, particularly in bringing extra soup for Mum (Mrs G worked in the kitchen), and for Mrs. K too who has just come back from hospital.
During the past fortnight a kind of diarrhoea and dysentery has swept through the camp, the hospital has had to discharge patients on stretchers.
There is enough porridge left for one more meal.
On 20th March we learned that some people had escaped from the camp - along them Elsie Cholmondeley - the girl in National Stabilization Board of China where I might have had a job; also Van Ess, and others. Since then Roll Calls twice daily have been instituted.
I don't think there's much chance of Mabel coming in from Bowen Road Hosp.
Mum has lost 27 lbs, she's only 161 lbs.
More flour is coming in (but less bread), and sweet potatoes have been coming in regularly for the past fortnight.
Rumours too good to be true: Russians round Danzig; Germans and Japan have not much longer to go; various buildings in town have been sabotaged.
Yesterday's four escapers spend the day in hiding, and then make their way to Chi Wan village near Lei Mun, arriving at about 2.30 a.m. on the morning of April 10.
Source:
George Wright-Nooth, Prisoner of the Turnip Heads, 1994, 105
Russians in Danzig & Warsaw.
Hainan (?) captured by Allied troops.
Churchill says Allied attention willl be directed to the East in one month.
Guards increased around the Camp.