Diary pages from this date

Typhoon blowing up.

Flags of Allies are being made in workshop ready for raising ceremony, lamp posts and railing stanchions have already been converted into flag staffs.

Weather far too rough for sampans to come selling.  Much rain and wind, I hope that men don't come in from camps - dangerous: the conveyances are old and ricketty (and only one of the two that set off from here last night had lights, then only one solitary headlight.)
 
6.30pm. No lorries of troops came.

Started to type new story on Mr Fantham's typewriter, because feel the need of taking on a job which will be a fight against time in these days when time seems to go so slowly.

Maria Connolly has had bad news about her Mexican friends and relatives. H. Sequeira (whom I knew through ARP) was among those released from gaol yesterday.
 
The Peace is to be signed aboard U.S.'Missouri' and H.M.S. 'King George V'. 700 miles of sea have to be mine-swept first.

Bulletin says that arrangements are being made for surrender of Hong Kong to be taken by a British Commander and for a British administration to take over.

Also that S.S.Queen Mary; has arrived in New York with 1,000 U.S. prisoners ((presumably from Germany?)); and arrangements are ready at Manila to receive 35,000 pows from Japan.

Heard radio in Clifton's room - gramophone records from Radio (ZBW) Hong Kong!

((Apart from her diary, Barbara also wrote a longer piece today, titled "Is it really true?". She says:

You will see that 'Is it really true' was written on August 24th 1945, 6 days before Admiral Harcourt liberated us. Although I was still writing my diary then, I had this urge to record how things were during the period when we knew the war was over but had no contact with the outside world.

You can read the full text of "Is it really true?" at http://gwulo.com/node/28070.))

Franklin Gimson ended yesterday in cautious mood, determined to do nothing to provoke the Japanese Government into abdicationg responsibility. But this morning he's swung in the opposite direction and decided to try to implement the instructions in the message he rceived yesterday from Y. C. Liang to the full. In his meeting with the Japanese he tells them they must arrange his office in town as a matter of urgency, that he will be taking over government of Hong Kong and that the Japanese army should withdraw to designated areas - they will still control these areas, but the rest of Hong Kong will be under British administration.

This is a highly risky scheme, and by the end of the day Gimson has changed his mind at least enough to allow R. A. C. North to send out a much more cautious message at a meeting of the people who are in discussion with their Japanese counterparts about taking over the running of Hong Kong's infrastructure.

If the Japanese responded to the plan for a troop withdrawal, no record remains, and from tomorrow until the arrival of Harcourt's fleet Gimson will operate his previous plan of taking symbolic control but only carrying out such actions as will not encroach on Japanese authority.

Nineteen people from Stanley, including two children, visit Bowen Road Hospital. They are forced to stay the night because of stormy weather in  the harbour.

Sources:

Gimson and North: MInutes of meetings with the Japanese and with the British departmental heads, August 24th (Hong Kong Public Records Office)

Hospital: Donald C. Bowie, Captive Surgeon In Hong Kong, 1975, 259

Typhoon rain. To town alone. Rumour fleet entering Sunday. Everyone now polite, want to talk and amiable. Battered by kindness and courtesy and hard to keep up hate.

The bankers came back to camp today. Cruikshank, Foy, Camage and Leiper. The Japs had taken them to Canton 2 months ago. Leiper said he would rather spend a year in his cell at Stanley Police Station than those two months at Canton. Col Simon-White of the Sham Shui Po camp demanded their release and Col Takanada made haste to comply. Col Simon-White is taking a strong line and it is evidently paying. Leiper said they were made to squat on their haunches, directly facing a wall, and 18” from it and stay there for 14 hours per day. They were beaten if they turned their heads to left or right.

Squalls for Norly direction.

Odd jobs in workshop.  

7 flagstaffs rigged beside the British one.

C of P took over administration of Camp from C.S. yesterday. ((C of P could be "Commissioner of Prisons"? C.S. was the Colonial Secretary, Mr Gimson.))

1 Pkt. Gold Leaf from B.A.T. issued.

Some visitors in but bad weather stopped many others it seems.

Walk SE corner of Prison Wall und wir sind sehr froh ⨳ trotz der Regen [and we are very happy in spite of the rain?]