Diary pages from this date

Notes:

15/11/43 "Chan pd ¥5.00 for 1 qt Yeast".

Supporting information:

• List of translations and abbreviations
• List of foods

Franklin Gimson notes in his diary that Lady Grayburn seems to have recovered her mental balance and can now see things more impartially.

Gimson also prepares a notice with today's date outlining arrangements for a hoped for repatriation of some of the aged, the sick, the young, the mothers of the young - and even of the women.

A committee including Ben Wylie,  J. Jolly and Doctors Ashton and Valentine will serve under him to select the lucky internees to be sent home in a prisoner swap - but in the end all hopes but will be dashed,

Source:

Franklin Gimson, Internment in Hong-Kong March 1942- August 1945, 21b

Note 1:

Vandeleur Grayburn died on August 21, 1943. Lady Mary was not called to the prison next door to see him at any stage in his last illness. Gimson seems surprised that she reacted strinly to her husband's death.

Note 2:

There's a typescript of Gimson's notice in the Red Cross Archives with 'Stanley, 12th. November, 1943'  unambiguously typed at the bottom - but R. E. Jones knew all this on November 2!

((Shows – see 11th Nov for details))

700 British repatriates + 8 Canadians announced

Shopping.  Tab 6/b [either a small ‘b’ or a 6]

Fine, cool.

List of names of those selected for repatriation displayed. Much happiness & sadness, disappointment etc about in consequence. ? of the day now is “Are you going?”

I rec. letter from Marj dated 27th Sept 1942. She was happy & well then & Rae too bless’em. (Although you seldom appear in this diary darling I think of you both just the same, daily & nightly, hoping, wishing & planning)

It's not quite 4pm - so not 7am with you yet and you can hardly be up yet. Alabaster came down specially to tell me I am on the list - what a relief! Now I know I'll be free before the end of the year and home sometime in January. What a reunion that will be - you'll be scared when you see me I'm sure - I'm so thin but I'll soon fatten up. I won't be a good bed companion for sometime however - all knobs!

I have stayed in bed all day today but I must get up tomorrow. I'm all right now and my herpes is clearing up. But the weather is bleak and cold so I was just as well in bed today. I think I'll stop this letter now as I can't take it out with me. It has been a little communion with you every little while.

All my love always. Billie.

Letter No 28 just arrived.