Ate 2 eggs tonight.
Bishop Valtorta visited camp, blessed us in Prisoner Officers' Club.
H. Stainsfield died.
Diary pages from this date
Death at the age of 70 of Chief Engineer Officer Harry Stainfield. He'd worked for the Merchant Navy on the SS Shun Chih.
At this time, ((after the Bungalow C deaths)) the Japanese allowed the Roman Catholic Bishop of Hong Kong into camp to visit his flock for the first (and only) time. We gathered to greet this venerable figure with flowing beard. Although he was surrounded by armed Japanese officers, he spoke to us fearlesly about 'the day of victory' and gave us words of encouragement. We lay folk were not allowed to speak with him, but our senior priest Father Meyer was permitted to address him with the body-guards in attendance.
Sources:
Death: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=15287667
Bishop: Mabel Winifred Redwood, It Was Like This...2001, 178
Azalea presents "Fountain of Youth" (see 8th for details)
Death - Harry Stainfield (69)
p.m. Bishop Valtorta visited camp.
The canteen goods have come in at last and the canteen was opened last Wednesday. But what a change in prices! Salt now costs Y22 per 1 lb (pdv £200) and we can buy only ¼ lb at a time. Wong tong is Y19 per ½ lb (pdv £170)! No egg yolk powder has come in and this, the doctors say, is the best buy in the canteen. It is, apart from a few beans, practically our only protein supply. I hope more will come in though the cost may be inhibitive.
But news! The Philippines are almost in American hands and a food ship is leaving Japan on the 17th of this month with supplies for, amongst others, internees in HK! What excitement and jubilation. Also the Russians are almost in Berlin. So now it seems to be a race between the end of the war in Europe, the arrival of American forces in HK or the arrival of the food ship. Unless it is held up again, the food should be delivered to us by the middle of March by which time I think there is a very good chance that Germany will be finished and then anything might happen. It is just possible that the invasion of the China coast may have started by then and we would rather see the relieving forces than the food! So, in about 6 weeks’ time, things should begin to happen here!
Of course, looking on the blacker side of things, it is possible that the Americans may not choose HK as their jumping off ground, but somewhere fairly nearby, in which case their proximity may prevent the food ship arriving and they may take some months before they reach HK. But I hope not, because those months would be incredibly lean months for HK. Now the end seems so near, time goes incredibly slowly.
Overcast, cold.
Workshops.
Bishop Valtorta visited Camp & he told his bunch of R.C.s not to listen or to spread rumours & to pray for Peace.
Offensive being prepared on Western Front, ½ million US troops left for unknown destination . Manila obviously in US hands although Japs will not admit it in so many words. Anti-Axis conference reached complete agreement re final overthrow of Germany, occupation thereof etc. Burma Road opened.
Ind & Chinese police in town dis-armed. After 3 yrs the Jap Authorities have decided that the conduct of people in town does not warrant the carrying of arms. The real reason is, they know that the majority of the Police guards would turn guerrilla at the first opportunity & that may occur any day now.
Mary lent me Y50.