Diary pages from this date

Feel awful, so am in hospital; had some real powdered milk.

Eddie Greenwood and Mr. A. Brailsford drove into camp on fire engine! ((Presumably the only transport they could get, Eddie's prewar job was with the Fire Brigade; he and Brailsford were among the technicians removed from camp some days ago.)) They told us they had to do (physical) work, but otherwise 'did more or less what they liked.' They saw our flags up over Shamshuipo Camp.

We are allowed to write to military camps. I just have to Arthur, Harry Chalcraft, Pat Twitchett, and Charles Pike.

7pm. Still no sign of relieving Army, but this afternoon 3 fellows came to camp in a launch - An Army person, a member of HKVDC (a PWD engineer), a Mr Owens (Wavy Navy). They said the p.o.w. in Kowloon are free and hoisted the Union Jack this a.m. I had a letter from Charles Pike (Shamshuipo, RAMC) on blue paper and sealing wax!

It's said that the Chinese are starving, so as the entire camp can no longer eat rice, ((because better rations were coming into Stanley)), rice etc., contributions were collected and taken in to town. We Redwoods gave away all our iron ration biscuits, but it was no sacrifice at all. Promise of a big sugar ration tomorrow, and an oil ration. 

Am still in hospital with little appetite, am longing for the day when I feel like fried bread, and potatoes.

RAF Plane came over this evening did Victory Roll and dropped pamphlets which fell over the Fort.

Just heard a bulletin saying the atomic bomb and Russia's entry into the war caused the end.

Mabel came to hospital with sugar for me from the Hamiltons, and pineapple  from Margery Fortescue.

Rumour that our men from Japan are on their way to Hong Kong.

It's said that Shamshuipo husbands won't be re-united to Stanley wives for a week.

Dr Kirk has just examined me and said 'no gallstones.'

Paul Reveley - a world class radio engineer - has left Ma Tau-wai Camp to inspect the wireless station at Hung Hom. He tells Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke that he is able to arrange for messages to be transmitted beyond Hong Kong. The former Director of Medical Services begins a campaign to persuade Franklin Gimson to re-assert British authority over Hong Kong. He wants to thwart any Chinese attempt to take over Hong Kong with American backing, and perhaps even more urgently he wants to resume his old work and start to deal with the appalling health conditions he sees all around him. But Gimson is more cautious: his policy for the next five days will be to engage in talks with the Japanese, hopefully leading to a gradual resumption of British control - he is aware that the British are nowhere near able to maintain law and order, and he fears that if he pushes the Japanese too hard they will abdicate responsibility and chaos and mayhem will ensue. His advisors in camp are even more cautious: he wishes to take the oath as Officer of Administering the Government, making him the theoretical Governor of Hong Kong, but he's told that even going this far is too risky.

About 11 a.m. Leon Blumenthal arrives in Stanley on a motorcycle, accompanied by Greenwood and Brailsford ((Two of the technicans removed from Stanley and eventualy placed in Ma Tau-wai)) in a fire-engine with a Chinese driver. There's huge excitement in camp. Blumenthal tells people there's plenty of food in town.

A British plane does a victory roll over camp. Lieutenant Owens brings a pile of cards from Shamshuipo. A union jack is seen flying over St. Stephens. Eric MacNider sees stew ((probably rice congee)) in the dustbins - some people are now refusing to eat the old diet.

Sir Robert Kotewall tries to visit the camp but is stopped by gendarmes ((presumably the Japanese Kempeitai.))

There's a Union Jack hidden in the house of Arthur May's parents on Hong Kong Island. With the agreement of Dr. Selwyn-Clarke, May slips out of Ma Tau-wai late last night or early this morning with his friend, the engineer J. C. Brown. They cross the harbour in a leaky boat, which nearly sinks half way over. They wake May's parents, retrieve the flag from the cushion where it's hidden and climb the Peak in the dark 'by unfrequented ways'. They create an impromptu flag pole with an abandoned plank, fix the flag to it and erect it ready for the dawn. Guards with fixed bayonets rush to the Peak and demand it be taken down. The flag remains until May has secured a promise from an officer that the Japanese won't sabotage public utlities before the arrival of British troops.

The flag was taken down at 1.30 p.m. It had flown for four and a half hours.

Donald Bowie, in charge of the hospital at the Central British School (formerly Bowen Road) receives a letter from Matron E. M. B. Dyson of Stanley's Tweed Bay Hospital saying that she wishes to bring her Queen Alexandra nurses to rejoin his staff - 'this gave us pleasure'. On August 22 Bowie completes arrangements for all the QA sisters to return. (See also entry for September 1, 1945.)

Sources:

Revely, Sewlyn-Clarke and Gimson: documents in the Selwyn-Clarke Papers, Weston Library, Oxford.

Blumenthal to Kotewall: MacNider Papers, 'Aug. 18, 1945'

May and flag: Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke, Footprints, 1975, 97; Arthur May Papers, University of Hong Kong

Bowie and the QA sisters: Donald Bowie, Captive Surgeon in Hong Kong, 1975, 258-9

Wedding - J.F. Channing & M. McCaw (Rose)

To town every day now. Everything haywire. Rumour Chinese troops in Kowloon. For some days Chinese flags furtively shown. To-day rash of them and cracker firing. 

Gimson issued an official statement at midday today. He stated that Lt Kadawakie had informed him that he had heard a wireless broadcast which stated that the Emperor had issued a rescript accepting the terms laid down by the allies at Potsdam. This meant that hostilities generally had ceased though as yet Col Takanada had received no official instructions and he had issued no orders regarding internees. Gimson said that during the next few days the situation would be very tense as the Japanese in the Colony were still retaining their arms and were still nominally in charge. He urged us, therefore, to exercise the utmost caution and to refrain from cheering or any kind of demonstration that might lead to incidents. He added that any attempt by any internee to leave the confines of the camp would lead to serious repercussions and that everyone was asked to “carry on as usual”. Well, no doubt he was right and wise and all that - but how tame! Fancy announcing the declaration of peace by a timid little notice like that stuck on the various block notice boards! ‘Cautious’ is certainly Gimson’s other name.

I can quite appreciate the danger of creating incidents here, for the Japanese in these circumstances think nothing of committing ‘Hari Kiri’ and if they think they are for it any way they are likely to be pretty reckless of consequences – and there are a good many men in this camp who have been beaten up by the Japs and whose fists must be itching to make contact with a Japanese or Formosan chin. But surely to goodness Gimson could have assembled everyone on (say) the Indian Quarters green, announced that peace had been declared, let us cheer our heads off and then asked us to be reasonable and carry on as usual. Now, we feel we have been cheated out of any feeling of excitement. Fancy putting up with this place for 3 ½ years and then not being allowed to cheer the news of peace! Miserable old idiot!!! Several people hung Union Jacks from their windows and he sent round an order that they be taken in.

We had our celebration lunch yesterday and another one today (also with Maudie) and much enjoyed ourselves. Anne Muir, whom we had asked, was unable to come but Marjorie Begdon was with Maudie when we arrived and we persuaded her to stay.

Yesterday evening we had a United Churches thanksgiving service to which everyone was invited. There was an enormous crowd of people and it could have been a most inspiring service but unfortunately the sermon was given by Revd Frank Short, who is a most worthy man and a very profound thinker; but in contradiction to his name he is often (as on this occasion) wearisomely long and is so lugubrious that I consider his efforts to be funeral orations. Still, it was worth going for the sake of singing the National Anthem at the end.

It is curious what a deflated feeling I have had about peace. I have not felt anything like so excited at the news of world peace as I was when Italy capitulated; and I think, generally, that that is true of a great many in camp. The Italian collapse was far more unexpected and less obvious than that of Germany and Japan. The news, as it has come, has been chiefly in the form of rumour and I have not dared believe it till it has been officially confirmed. I wish a squadron of planes had flown over the camp and done the Victory Roll. That would have given us a tremendous thrill! I just can’t realise that peace has been declared nor what it means. No doubt I shall feel excited about it soon.

I hear our own police are now in charge of the camp and will patrol it; what fun! There was quite a lot of excitement this morning when a European came roaring into camp on a powerful army motorcycle, followed fairly close by a fire engine manned by a European and a Chinese! The motorcyclist turned out to be Blumenthall, of all people! Eddie Greenwood of the HK Fire Brigade had come in with one of his Chinese firemen! These two had gone out of camp with the other technicians and when they had heard the news of peace they walked out of their camp, crossed to the island and asked the Japanese for vehicles which were promptly provided for them! Greenwood went to the Central Fire Station and took one of the engines. Blumenthall had been to the Sham Shui Po Camp and brought a case full of notes from the POWs there and he took back the replies with him when he left.

The Chinese fireman was given a terrific welcome by the crowd here. Yvonne saw him and said he was obviously rather overcome by the greeting but he could hardly raise a smile and she said he had the saddest eyes she had ever seen. The poor Chinese have obviously had a far worse time than we. He said that their ration of rice was 30 catties per month between four people, about 5½ ozs per day (we had 16 ozs per day) and a small sum of money which, as we know, would purchase hardly anything. He was taken straight off to our galley and given as much as he could eat.

In the afternoon K.S. Robertson of the HK Volunteers and Vernol (HK Wavy Navy) came over from Sham Shui Po. They were literally mobbed. I knew K.S. quite well and it was grand to see him. Vernol is an Architect in our P.W.D. office, but as he was mobilised in 1939 on the outbreak of war I had never got to know him. He had evidently commandeered a launch from the Japs, because they came all the way by launch. They had official business to see to and they were acting as liaison between Col Simon-White (now in command of the POW camp) and Gimson.

Anne, Winnie and Terrence had tea with us during the afternoon. It was a most exciting tea party. Notes and messages kept arriving from friends in Sham Shui Po. Yvonne went chasing all the way to the beach with a note for Isa from Kenneth. The POW husbands are hoping to get across soon to see their wives. Isa and Jean Mathers and the rest of them are so excited they just don’t know what to do with themselves.

During the afternoon a plane came roaring over the camp and we all rushed out to have a look – no taking cover now! It was a small fighter plane that seemed to shoot across at an incredible pace. It raced down the length of our peninsula, out to sea, then banked, turned and came racing back again. I was not in time to see it pass overhead, nor drop its leaflets, but some said unkindly that it must be a British plane because the pilot had carefully chosen the leeward side of the peninsula over which to drop his pamphlets so that they all blew out to sea! Not one settled on land! However, other planes were about so I expect other pamphlets were dropped over the Colony and when Vernol and Robertson went back we saw them change their course, stop and pick some out of the water, so we shall know soon what they said.

Cloudy, light NE wind.

Camp all excitement & expectancy.

Some Fire Brigade people called with fire engine & Blumenthal on motor cycle & 3 officers from Argyll St. Camp.

Oil & salt issued.

US planes over 4.45pm dropping leaflets.

Lights allowed 7-10pm & hot-plates 7am-7pm. ∴

2 Radios arrived