The war is over at last!!! Our spirits rose yesterday afternoon, from a low to tops when the working parties came in with the report that Tokyo had made a broadcast of the Imperial Rescript announcing the surrender. All the Nip guards and others were lined up at 2 p.m. and, bowing to the loudspeaker on certain occasions, listened to the speech. In the meantime, our translators were busily engaged in translating the vernacular papers which we got in through our under cover channels. This morning, with no doubt any longer in our minds the crisis came when we assembled for early morning muster. When the Camp Commandant, Wada, an ugly little brute with a mouthful of teeth, arrived with his interpreter, Katayama, Simon and Col. "Freddie" Field together with our interpreter Cyril Owen, met them. Simon told Wada to let Katayama take the count because they wanted to talk to talk to him. Wada, completely off his guard allowed himself to be shepherded into the Camp Office, where he was told that we knew that the war was over and that we wanted to see Colonel Tokunaga, the "Pig" at once. Wada said that the peace stories were rumours, that he had no instructions from the Governor's Office, but that he would try!! to get hold of the "Pig" before evening. He was told that that was not good enough and we would expect him by 10 a.m. This fairly shook the little ape and he hurriedly went away. Field dismissed the parade which was only marred by Dickie Kerr forgetting himself by letting go a shrieking whistle. Of course the whole Camp was seething with excitement at this, our first act of defiance. Barriers between the two Camps went by the board, but there was one serious moment when one of the sentries loaded his rifle and threatened some of our chaps who were going through the gate to the next Camp. He was immediately taken in hand by our interpreter who told him that if he wanted to lose his life, he was going about it the right way! At 10 a.m., Wada returned. He still held out that these were only peace rumours whereon Simon, holding up a typewritten copy of the Imperial Rescript, started to read it to him. He was so amazed at our knowledge that he right there admitted that the war was over, and asked what we wanted. Among many demands we asked for sentries to be removed, all our "isolated" prisoners or those who were still alive such as Boxer, Young, Craven (sp.) Dickson etc, to be returned to us at once, and again we asked for Tokunaga. After he had been gone some time, a lorry came in with another filthy load of vegetables. Ashton-Rose, M.O. of the next camp told them to take the "bloody muck" out of it. The ration men begged to be allowed to leave it. It was chucked on the road and later taken over to the pig pen! In the meantime stories from the next camp tell of Chinese celebrations last night and bonfires. My little sentry Kong To (I have always called him Santa Claus in previous pages) came in to see me and brought me some cigarettes. He said that, although there had been rumours, they had not yet been officially notified of the end of the war and had been told that the broadcast might be a hoax. He worried for he thought that they were in for at least 7 years imprisonment "like the Germans". I explained the situation and said he would be looked after, I can now write freely in my diary without the fear of the searching and finding of it, with incriminating entries. I will always regret that I found it necessary to destroy Volume 1, of this diary because it contained condemning and defamatory statements about the "Jeeps". I can now say that we have used some of the sentries for our "under-cover" activities and have pumped propaganda into them. Dangerous but necessary and on occasions it has cost lives. The rest of today has been a maze to me. Everything has been unreal. One thing I do know, my darling, the war is over and your trials are over. Whatever the future holds in store for us, will be a great adventure for us. All will be new and there will be much pleasure for us in the simplest of things.
Diary pages from this date
Still tired and un-hungry.
Camp full of rumours and news of a truce, armistice and peace.
To choir practice to practise 'Te Deum'.
Fresh rumours have been coming in all day, viz:
- That news came on radio last night that armistice and cease fire was at 4pm yesterday.
- That Kadowaki smashed radio when he heard it.
- That Formosans were given iron rations last night.
- That there were various parties in camp last night (this last is definite - Brother Grimshaw was invited to one: there were 2 RC Brothers in camp, Bro. Grimshaw and Bro. Bonnici)
- That Jap officials have gone into town.
- That the Formosan gurds are running around in civilian clothes.
- That food ships are sailing from Manila as soon as peace is signed.
- That peace was actually made on Monday the 13th.
Latest (at 5.55pm) that Kadowaki is now with Gimson; and that the Formosan guards say the Emperor broadcast at 3 this afternoon and gave orders to prepare lists of internees etc. for embarkation - which we presume applies to those in Japan since it's said to be one of the peace terms.
We were each given a roll of U.S. toilet paper today. ((A very welcome 'first' for 3 & half years; the toilet paper supplied to camp came in large sheets of Chinese buff-coloured paper that had to be cut up)).
The Imperial Rescript bringing an end to the war is read outside the Hong Kong Hotel by a Japanese officer, first in Japanese and then in Chinese.
In Stanley nothing's official yet, but more and more internees believe that this time the rumours are true:
On Thursday, August 16, the Camp Council met in solemn assembly....While we argued, pondered and frowned, internees kept passing the window, holding up their thumbs and grinning. Prisoners in the gaol below us were dancing and waving. Even the harbingers of gloom conceded that something must have happened.
For some confirmation comes in an unexpected form:
(W)e were flabbergasted by a messenger charging through the corridors shouting 'The war's over: all go down for your Victory roll!'
Though convinced the whole thing was a joke, we hurried downstairs to investigate. A long queue had already formed, and a real toilet roll was being handed to each - the first ever during internment. Now we were ready to believe anything!
In Ma Tau-wai Camp the internees ask Dr. Selwyn-Clarke to take charge. He decides that the liberators should find the Union Jack flying 'in claim of status':
Arthur May produced a Union Jack which he had concealed, at considerable danger to himself, throughout the occupation. And Hilda, ((Selwyn-Clarke)) it was suggested, should have the honour of hoisting it on a long bamboo pole.
The moment the ceremony's over, the guards rush onto the scene and demand it be taken down. Selwyn-Clarke refuses to do so without a written order from the Japanese Military Governor.
Sources:
Rescript: G. B. Endacott and Alan Birch, Hong Kong Eclipse, 1978, 229
Meeting: John Stericker, A Tear For the Dragon, 1958, 208
Victory roll: Mabel Winifred Redwood, It Was Like This, 2001 184
May and flag: Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke, Footprints, 1975, 96
According to Chinese newspapers which have found their way into camp the war is over and the Japs have accepted our terms. Glory be if true.
Rumours rife of peace
Issue of toilet roll
Radio not so busy last night. To town. Heavy rain. No soldiers about. But in evening plenty in full kit moving somewhere. Nothing cheap yet. Japs buying up rice to pay staff. To office, wait hours to see Jap. Paper ((Hong Kong News)) closing tomorrow, but say continuing paper from our place. Hopes carry on after transfer. Coldly spurns my suggestion give me desk in office. Trying to write first leader.
((Following text undated:))
There were so many rumours about the ending of the war that in the end we didn't believe that it was true, until the Japanese gave us each a toilet roll! Henceforth it was called the Victory Roll! The next two weeks were quite extraordinary; the Japanese had surrendered, but there was no sign of the Allies. Dropping the Atom Bomb on Japan ended the war immediately, and our navy had to steam up from Australia to take over. In the meantime our police force took charge of running the Colony. It was absolutely wonderful when the sailors came into the camp...they looked so enormous to us who were so weak and lean! No sailor came empty handed; for the first time there was toothpaste, soap, etc. Carmen and I decided to walk up to the camp gates which we had not seen for the duration of the war. It was guarded by one of our own sailors, so we asked him if we could just walk out; and he replied: "You may walk wherever you please". Freedom at last, and what joy!
Lots of food was sent into the camp including meat, but our stomachs had become so weakened and small that the meat made us very sick.
Showery.
Rained so didn’t go to work till 10am. With G instead.
Final clear up of Hosp. chatties.
1 Roll Toilet paper issued free. 28 workers cigs.
Camp very excited - many couldn’t eat – re peace rumours. A crowd of delegates US. Brit. etc is supposed to be in Tokyo discussing terms. There seems to be something in it this time. Brit. & US Fleet left Manila & units thereof will arrive HK Sun am.
Gov. of HK warned all nationalities that any saboteurs would be ruthlessly shot. Emp. of Jap. signed
Peace 1.30 14th inst. ∴ sehr shõne. [so beautiful] ((Jill Fell: "sehr schön" is best translated as "wonderful".))