Diary pages from this date

Tonight I received two glorious and loving letters of 29th Nov and 13th Dec 1942 and its grand to know that you were fit and well and getting on all right. Letters a year old are the usual thing but I am fortunate in comparison with some internees who have either never received a letter or like G. Rodger who has only received one from his wife and that was dated over 18 months ago. Actually your 5th January letter I received on the 26th August, 2 1/2 months ago.

We received terrible news on Tuesday 2nd November when a bulletin was issued by Mr Gimson Camp Commandant that he had been officially informed by the Jap Authorities that the following internees who were arrested some time ago had been executed: Messers Fraser, Scott, Hall, Bradley, Rees, Waterton and Hyde and that prison sentences were given to W.J.Anderson (Andy), J.L.Anderson and F.Roberts 15 years each and Edmonston 10 years.

It was a terrific shock to everyone and the whole camp was depressed, we are not allowed to hold memorial services for these poor chaps. They were shot on the 29th October Friday not far from here.

No concert.

A talk by Miss P. A. Ayrton does NOT take place. It was to be called 'Confessions of A Militant Suffragette' but was banned by the Japanese authorities perhaps because of the word 'militant'.

Leslie Steyn reports from Port Elizabeth, South Africa, giving brief statements from some of the Gripsholm repatriates.

Emily Hahn says the Japanese are bad winners and worse losers, while Dr. Jim Henry, formerly of Lignan University and Hong Kong, says that the Chinese are dying like flies from starvation in the streets of Canton. Canadian F. F. Sullivan states that the prison camp in Hong Kong is 'the worst in the Far East'.

Steward Carl Morgan reveals that the passengers were never served rice and fish on the voyage as that was what they'd been living on for the previous two years.

Source:

Poster in M. L.Bevan's Album, Imperial War Museum 69/6/1

The Lowell Sun, November 4, 1943, page 13

Fine.

No news.

Japs report attempted air-raid on N.Ts. by 20 & then 40 planes.

Bungalows being searched?