Diary pages from this date

Lewis Bush, a Japanese-speaking Volunteer Naval Officer, leaves Camp for Shamshuipo after repeated protests that, as a uniformed Volunteer, he is in the wrong camp:

Lieut. Bush sent in from Stanley, Alan Barwell very fit. But there is some friction there with the families, only to be expected.

Bush's own account:

One morning...I was told to pack my kit. At the camp office a host of friends saw me off escorted by a Japanese major. I was sorry in many ways to leave the many good friends I had made at Stanley, but was eager to join my comrades, and looked forward to hearing how they had fared and being able to relay the tidings from Stanley to husbands, fathers, brothers, sweethearts and friends.

Sources:

Bush and Barwell: Diary of Staff-Sergeant James O'Toole: http://www.far-eastern-heroes.org.uk/James_OToole/html/dairy_1943.htm

Bush: Lewis Bush, The Road To Inamura, 1972, 162

Note:

Writing in the early 1970s, Lewis Bush dates his transfer to 'one morning, in April'. James O' Toole's wartime diary is almost certainly correct, and is supported by Bush's own post-war statement.

For the circumstances of his assignment to Stanley, see http://gwulo.com/node/9858

Went to church with J.F. at 4 o'clock I also went to the morning service for a wee while but owing to rations I usually have to leave before the sermon.

On Monday we received a whole egg for our meat ration didn't we live high and that for two meals. Fortunately we had a tin of sausages which tided us over the midday meal, rice and vegetables are not much use by themselves.

On Thursday evening we each received 25 Yen which is mighty welcome and will allow us to buy essential requirements from the canteen.

On Friday morning the British Community Council had a big meeting with Mayina and the Jap Superintendents on the question of food and some pretty straight talking was indulged in and we hope it will do a power of good and get us something better in the chow line than we have been receiving. Evidently it did for we had beef on Saturday for rations which was really a pleasant change from fish.

There is not much new to place on record this week except that the news we receive indicates that we are doing well on all fronts. No further word about repatriation but our hopes are high that a ship will come and take us out of this life so that we can be of use to the cause.

Some more letters have arrived Meffin and MacIntyre and Waller got ones so also did C.C.Roberts  but we others are still hoping that ours will be released soon. D.B.B. and I were at J.F's tonight for coffee and the usual yarn.

“Springtime for Henry”

5 pkts. May Blossom 75 sen. 

¼ lb. bacon 95 sen

¾ lb. lard Y 3.15

¾ flour. 85 s.

SHIELD FINAL SSH ((score invisible)) v SSA 1. (((Unclear word)) presentation made by Mansell)

Muggy.

Did nothing all day.

((G.))

Concert at St Stephens.

Well I have had a busy week. We had a special meeting of the B.C.C. at 9.30 on Wed and then we all went up in a body to see Maiyima, the representative of the Jap Foreign Office. He was coldly polite and told us we had no right to anything more than all the other inhabitants of H.K. have. They recognise a duty to feed prisoners of war but not civilian internees. As Newbigging said to him - then all we have to do is to die of slow starvation. We gave him graphs of our rations, showing how they have never reached the proper standard for calories or proteins and how bad they are now. 12oz of Rice a day are of no value when only a few people can digest more than 8oz. One day our ration of "meat" for 24 hours was one duck's egg!  Dean Smith showed him a graph of the incidence of nutritional diseases, how they fell off when we got the Red Cross Supplies and then how they have started to rise rapidly again. Five people have gone completely blind and some 21 more are nearly blind and I am told that in all cases it is likely to be permanent.

I think we impressed him so there may be an improvement but he admitted they have no ships to bring beans from Tsingtau or Tientsin where there must be tons.

He brought with him our allowance for March so I was busy all Thursday paying out 18,061 Yen - 5,500 to the Police in one sum and the rest to individuals 25 Yen to each adult, 18.25 to children between 5 and 12 (all over 12) and 12.50 to each infant under 5 - quite a big job.

I have been feeling quite fit lately - sometimes I notice climbing stairs and so I was rather amazed when the other day when Mrs "Mike" Turner ((probably Daisy Turner)) said I was doing too much, I looked tired. Well on Wednesday I didn't notice anything with my midday chow but in the evening it tasted as if it had been smothered in pepper. I looked at my tongue - pink and spruey! So now I had a blood count this morning and I am away back to what I was last October - this d----d anaemia Haemaglobin only 60% Red Corps Count 2,650,000. I haven't seen Smalley again - I will tomorrow. I saw him yesterday and he gave me a prescription for nicotinic acid. I still have a little Hepetex left and 1 ampoule of Pernaemon for injection, so I hope to get a boost up again soon and be able to carry on. I must take things a bit easier - but really I do very little that is tiring. I'm cross with myself for getting into this state again but it is very insidious - I never noticed it coming back again.

Churchill's speech last Sunday - that the war is going to last a long time yet - was interesting - I'm sure they will get us out of here soon.

So Cheero Darling.   B.

Bankers.

The following chit has been received from ALEC KENNEDY, the H.K. & S.B.C. Junior who is living with GRAYBURN. A reply can be delivered.

"Dear Duggie,

Yours 22/2/43 received. Much regret I cannot see my way to avail yourself of your kind offer. Situation changed since others left. Am now on parole. I have expressed desire to be repatriated. Other junior colleagues of mine of military age and experience would appreciate official view as to whether they should apply for repatriation despite pressure from seniors to remain here. Many thanks for your help.

Regards, Alec."

It is presumed that these young men possessing military training can do little to assist the War effort by remaining in Hong Kong presumably with the idea of re-opening the H.K. & Shanghai Bank when victory is won.

However, no reply will be despatched pending an official answer.