I'm now at stage where I could eat more rice than I get.
Concert tonight, Irish history, grand: Eileen Grant is very clever. Mum and Olive are staying on to dance.
Diary pages from this date
St. Patrick's Day, and it's a day of some importance in Camp history. There's a 'well-organised' concert in the evening. Father Charles Murphy seems to have been the man mainly responsible for the whole event, and he also directs Father Madison in a skit on Irish history. It's the start of what is to be an important programme of amateur dramatics.
Camp supervisor Mr. Cheng is reported seriously ill and leaves. Mr. Yamashita, a former barber at the Hong Kong Hotel, replaces him.
At 10 a.m. Shanghai lawyer and camp legal advisor Norwood Allman, one of the American 'guards' is making his rounds. He sees Elsie Fairfax-Cholmondely 'in a state of high excitement'. Although the group's security has been tight, Allman has somehow got to know an escape is imminent; but he says nothing, and continues on his way.
Sources:
St. Patrick's Day: http://www.sloba.org/Fr%20Tohill%20with%20notes.pdf;
some details from Maryknoll Diary, March 17
Cheng and Yamashita: Maryknoll Diary, March 17
Allman: Norwood Allman, Shanghai Lawyer, 1943, 16-17
Note:
To the best of my knowledge Father Charles Murphy is the only internee whose wartime exploits turned him into a comic book hero:
http://capebretonsmagazine.com/modules/publisher/item.php?itemid=4328
Concert at S.S. ((St. Stephens)) Hall (St. Patrick’s Day)
Bowls matches reminded me of old times. No beer to call for now though.
Finished in kitchen 6.30PM.
Concert in St Stephen’s Hall.
On the 17th we still talked our plans over and thought it better to hang on for a bit for a better wind.