((The KWIZ reports come to an end:))
KWIZ #87
KWIZ stands down. It has been directed by higher authority that as from 1st March the Kweilin Weekly Intelligence Summary compiled and produced by the British Army Aid Group in China shall contain no information derived from secret sources. For reasons beyond our control it is found impracticable to continue production of this Summary without such information, and publication in its present form therefore ceases with this issue
Went to Mr Ryan's funeral with Mum, only about 2 dozen there.
Meeting in afternoon, washed hair.
Blasting still going on.
Japs fussing re issues of dry rice. ((You could have some of your rice ration uncooked - to do yourself - instead of having all your ration cooked; many people then ground the dry rice on the grinders and made little cakes etc. with it for a change of meals.))
German lesson in afternoon, only Mr Cautherley and me.
Your wonderful letter of 24th March 1944 arrived on Saturday 24th February '45 for which many thanks. This is the latest one from you and I'm so glad you were well when you wrote. Also I received a postcard from Kate and Walter of 29th June '44 on the 19th February in it they said you were well which is just grand.
Things are moving now at such a rate that our time of confinement as prisoners should not be delayed very much longer. It wouldn't be so bad if we had good and plenty of food but when one considers the niggardly and poor quality muck we get it's a wonder we are as well as we are. We are absolute vegetarians now having received no fish for over four weeks and yet the sea is teeming with fish. The marvellous thing is that the people in the kitchen turn out as attractive chow as is possible under the circumstances. We however live in hope that the American parcels and relief supplies will come our way very soon.
A ship with white crosses which we take to be the relief ship Eva Mara arrived off Stanley on Thursday morning 22nd February and proceeded up the harbour to Hong Kong and again left on Friday morning 23rd February and of course rumours flow round the camp like wildfire. However I have cleared out our store in preparation and we live in hope that the supplies will come our way soon. A few tins of bully beef will be very acceptable. We conjure up pictures of the foods we will have when we get our hands on the stuff and we also say the same when we are released. Strange thing every book one reads mentions marvellous feeds, our teeth water.
The weather has been lousy and as cold as charity and with the water only on every third day and always wet on that day, washing of clothes has been very difficult in fact bathing is no pleasure and a cold shower is out of the question. The weather has affected grass cutting and as there is no grass to boil water we just have to do without, however we have been boiling up a pot of tea on our chatty and using the floor boards in the room to do so. The floor boards with care should last us a month or two. We are all fairly well in our room and each does a spot of cooking to supplement our rations making pancakes of rice flour, egg yolk, salt and water and so on.
The block election of committee took place on Monday and the result was announced on Tuesday morning. That morning I had to go and see Dr Grooga and have another injection and I'm evidently still suffering from pellagra and beri-beri. When I got back to this block I found that the voting showed I had been ousted, my popularity had evidently dropped as I lost my seat by six votes to McKie of all people. I have found out that there was a set against me by a certain section who because of my long stay in hospital wanted me out and McKie in. It is of course difficult to say all one wants to say and it is not polite to make public our antipathy to McKie. I was a wee bit disappointed as I had hoped to finish the spell in here still in office but after 3 years of service to the block I'm out, so why worry.
Still no news of the food though multitudinous rumours! The most popular one is that it is due here on Friday (two days time) though if that were true I think an official announcement would have been made by now. Another is that the invoices have not yet arrived and that nothing can be done until they do. It is most tantalising for we cannot even be certain that this ship was the Awa Maru and that the food has arrived at all and consequently we do not know whether we can open and eat up the remaining tins of food that we have or whether we must continue to eke them out. The ship was in HK for 24 hours (during which period it rained most of the time) and left next morning, headed in a southerly direction. I hope 24 hours gave them enough time to unload a large quantity of stores.
There has been a great deal of Japanese activity about here of late: continual blasting which carries on through the nights; pretty active air patrol and a good deal of shipping movement. Last night another cargo vessel and a small destroyer anchored in Tytam Bay. This is rather too near the camp to be comfortable! Numerous supplies have been arriving by junk and lorry for Stanley Fort and the other day four small mobile guns were taken up. I imagine the blasting is caused by preparations for gun emplacements round about here.
At the beginning of this year a new Japanese Military Governor replaced the Civil Governor and soon after he arrived he stated that the intended to convert HK into an impregnable fortress. “What, again?” said we. We thought we British had done that in 1941! Well, it remains to be seen if the Japs can make a better job of it. It is evident, however, that they are making hasty preparations for an attack on this Colony. This is the last day of Feb. something might happen next month; if not I hope it will be the month after.
For the last three days we have been revelling in the beneficence of warm sunshine. The temperature has risen quite a bit and what a difference it makes to life. Today is cloudy again but still fairly warm. Yvonne, who is now feeling fairly alright, has gone to sit out on the hillside. Her attack of chicken-pox has been pretty mild and she has not got a great many spots. The danger in this place is that some of the spots may go septic, but I don’t think this will happen in her case. In fact we have both been fairly free from that sort of thing. The others in this room have had quite a lot of trouble in that way. Elsie has, of late, developed signs of this ‘central blindness’ and has gone to the hospital this p.m. to be examined by Harry Talbot again. It is due, mainly, to malnutrition. I hope Elsie’s is nothing serious.
Fresh fish came in yesterday the first time for weeks! It was only a small amount but better than nothing. People are losing weight again after the good effects of the Canadian parcels.
Cloudy, warm, brightened later.
Workers oil & sugar issued.
Hosp. roof & roll-call boards.
Felt lousy all day, hungry.
Trying to sell binocs but nothing doing it seems.
Vessels left Bay this am.
Blasting still.
34 towns & villages captured on W. Front, 8,000 tons of bombs dropped on German industrial areas in 36 hrs. Hitler’s “speech” read by someone else, Hitler was too busy. Ha ha! Russians take Gubin & Arirswalde [?] & advance in other sectors. US Chinese army advancing towards Canton to meet US landing.
Lorry brought nil.