Diary pages from this date

What a day - didn't even get time to write about it (it's 30th now).

A fighter zoomed over us very low several times - frightened me.

Men arrived from Shamshuipo about 11 am, Messrs Kirman, Gill and Jenkins - all Naval Dockyard  friends of Mum and Dad.  Heard that Topper nearly died in Shamshuipo but recovered and was very fit when sent to Japan; he received Olive's cards in Shamshuipo. ((But he died in Japan))

Also came my Army friends Pat Twitchett, Busty Harris, and Hugill. Rain began to pour down soon after they arrived. ((Pat had been my first boyfriend)). He's 31 now; said that at one time in camp they all had to shave their heads and remain thus.
 
About 1.30pm a big plane came over very low, and started dropping parcels by parachute! The best sight in our lives. The plane flew very slowly and carefully above the Americn Block and the Indian Quarters. The parcels were pushed out - 13 or 14 in all, we were so excited we lost count; mostly 2 at a time, sometimes 3.  The parachutes were enormous, and billowed and swayed gracefully - several white ones, two shades of green, and one scarlet one.

One landed on American Block roof, one in front of the Mosque, and one on Block 13 roof, and several on the white cross on the Indian Quarters green.

One parachute didn't open, its parcel hit the Dutch Block corner (the de Vleeschouwers' room) and most of its contents were smashed.. a yard one way and it would have fallen on the roof where crowds of people were gathered.

The parcels were big tin canisters, greenish like steel cabinets; mostly contained medical supplies, but also cigarettes, sweets and chocolate.  When all parcels were dropped, the plane came back again 3 times, flying even lower than before, almost hedge-hopping over the Indian Quarters, and hardly any higher than we were ((on Married Q plateau)).  The side door was open and a fellow standing up there looking as if he might fall out any minute. It was so rainy and dull that we were surprised the plane came.

Later, we were issued with 'fandushis' (for underpants), matches & cigarettes, and toilet paper.

I had to rush off at 2 o'clock to work at CSO (in Block 2 of Married Q.), so nice to use a decent typewriter again ((the ones in the hospital office were ancient and keys inclined to stick.))

The parachutes were brought in - glorious-looking things.

The boys in the office said they heard Mr Gimson's broadcast Home very plainly, and that he represented the situation here well, saying we want some sort of reassurance from the Allies. We certainly got it today.  Had tea with the boys in office - they provided the cake.

In afternoon, the Fleet came into sight – some of it anyway.  I couldn't see anything but specks against the hills.  

Later, Peggy (Barton) and I helped Audrey (Barton, 19) and Irene Drewery (12) take cooked rice to the Carmelite Convent (a little way beyond camp gate).  It was in a container on a make-do two-wheeled cart, we had to bend down to push it along.   (Father Hessler and other men brought the heavier loads of food). It was quite a long way.

The Convent was lovely - red, waxy-looking tiles, sweet Sisters in black and brown; 14 or 15 little Chinese girl orphans playing around.  Chapel peaceful, the orphans went in and said their night prayers (in Chinese), then to the little room where they eat, sleep and play; it had French windows opening on to a small garden; there was little furniture - 2 large cupboards, a few shelves. All the little pairs of shoes lined one shelf; all the little tin plates on top of one of the cupboards.  The only light was a small blackout bulb.  They sat and slept on wooden boards on trestles, no pillows.  There was a Shanghai tub in another room.  

Most of the children were very thin; 2 had their hair shaved off, the youngest were 5 or 6 years old.   One very sickly little soul called Rosa was almost transparently thin, she wouldn't smile at us. They all - except Rosa - were sucking meat bones with great relish.

We were marooned there for some time because rain coming down in torrents. Came home about 8pm, Father Hessler looking like a typical American lad, in ordinary clothes, his long-trouser-legs rolled up, and a sack over his head.

Back home, Mr. Kelly there with food he'd brought from town - real bread, cake, jam, sweets.. arrangements had been made to have a birthday party for Mabel on 30th.

Dick Cloake called, Olive and I and Elliott Purves went with him to Dick's billet (for a little party). Dick gave me a little taste of some rather nice wine.  

A 'rainy, leaden, steamy day'.

At noon Harcourt's fleet catches its first sight of the 'storm-clouded island of Hong Kong'. Planes ('hell cats') are making regular sorties to protect the ships, but there is no opposition.

Commander Phillip 'Percy' Gick flies a reconnaissance plane over Hong Kong. He passes above the Camps twice; the first time they seem empty, but the second time large crowds wave at him.

The Canadian ship Prince Robert, part of Harcourt's fleet, anchors off Tamkan Island at about 1 p.m.

The US Air Force drop food and medical supplies into Stanley:

On the third run of the plane a package came down and a parachute opened. Everybody was dancing up and down. There was a great rush to Block 13 to open it. It contained medical supplies...People stated to fight over the parachute...15 parachutes came down...there were 40 cases.

American missionary Beth Nance had volunteered to  forego the repatriation of June 29/30, 1942, hoping to be of service. Today is Mrs Nance's birthday:

In the week of August 26, some friends of mine in Hong Kong who had not been interned, including Mrs. Koeppen, decided they were going to come celebrate my birthday, which was on the 29th. We were at the home of another family internee hosting this celebration....

During this friendly celebration reuniting with our Hong Kong friends, we heard the roar of a plane, and here came parachutes of treats landing on the lawn in front of our building. Of course, first they had to be opened and investigated to see what they were. The initial distribution took place, and it added quite a lot to the refreshments we were having.

Mrs Koeppen was a Russian refugee of German origin, and she and her husband had not been interned by the Japanese.

Telephone engineer Les Fisher leaves Shamshuipo to visit friends in Stanley:

The first thing which struck me was the gay colours of the women, and not having seen a female for nearly four years I was a little shy at their dress, or rather undress, which was very scanty, no doubt partly because it was a hot day. I thought they looked fairly well, but thin, likewise the children. Many of the men I hardly knew, and greying hair was much in evidence.

One of the friends he speaks to is his former room-mate James Anderson, who's recently returned from Canton where he was imprisoned for the last few months of the war:

He had lost 20 lbs and looked very thin but his humour was just the same.

R.A.O.C. man James O'Toole makes his second visit from Shamshuipo to Stanley ((see entry for August 22)):

Visit to Stanley saw Pilkington & some police friends. Parcels dropped by parachute, medical supplies and meal units, chocolate etc.....Saw Jim and Nan Moody also Mrs. Lancaster. Bill saw old Smyth. Saw ships on the horizon.

An Australian mine-sweeper is anchored just off Stanley Peninsula. A female internee swims out to it, and others follow. One of their number is horrified by the behaviour of some of these people:

They acted like a mob....(like a cloud of locusts) they gorged everything in sight. And what they couldn't stuff into themselves, they carried away.

This 'flock of vultures' breaks open the sailors' lockers and steals clothes, boots and personal possessions.

Sources:

First sight, hell cats: The Times, August 30, 4 

Glick, Minesweeper: Russell S. Clark, An End To Tears, 1946, 14, 16, 17, 18

Parachutes: George Wright-Nooth, Prisoner of the Turnip Heads, 1994, 250

Nance: http://bethnance.com/

Fisher: Les Fisher, I Will Remember, 1996, 239

O'Toole:  Diary of Staff-Sergeant James O'Toole:

http://www.far-eastern-heroes.org.uk/James_OToole/html/dairy_1945.htm

Note: 'Percy' Gick was later put in charge of suppressing the pirates who preyed on the ships bringing vital rice supplies to Hong Kong.

Supplies dropped by parachute

Can't find Third National pass. Sad. My bosom friend many months and wanted it for souvenir.

To town alone. Met Franklin at Pasco's. Thanked me for Christmas Eve phone. Neighbours told him when he returned wounded. With him to inspect office. Japs there very subdued.

I weighed myself the other day and find I have already put on 10 lbs.

Visitors still come pouring into camp and we have seen a lot more friends: Cedric Brown is coming in today. Mr Ho of Cheong Hing Co. came and visited us and it was nice to see him again. He said that he had done no building work at all during the Japanese occupation but, in spite of that and in spite of the difficulty of raising money and the high cost of food, their firm had managed to maintain all their permanent staff which was a very creditable effort. Mr Ho said he had opened a small provisions shop!

R. Devaux also paid us a visit and we were glad to see him and thank him again for looking after our box of silver. He said that that box and our canteen of cutlery were quite safe. He had emptied the other box and had sent to us in camp the clothes it contained. He could not remember if Pop’s dress uniform was safe. We asked him eagerly and anxiously about Ho Kee ((their 'house boy')) and were horrified at what he told us.

We had known early on that Ho Kee had stayed on in our flat and had obtained employment with some Japanese reporters who had occupied the premises. At first things had been just possible and he had managed to subsist. Devaux said Ho Kee used periodically to turn up at the French Consulate and enquire after Yvonne and myself and although Devaux had not heard anything about us for some time he used to tell Ho Kee we were quite well and it seemed to cheer him up. Then as food conditions deteriorated his Japanese employers gave him less and less until in the end he was getting 8 catties of raw rice per month and nothing else – no money. This worked out at 5 ozs per day. Normally a Chinese coolie would eat 30 catties per month and Ho Kee would eat at least 20 in addition to the meat, fish and vegetables and oil that make up their diet. Devaux said he tried to help a little but was so hard put to it himself to find food for his household that he could really do nothing effective. Ho Kee had become more and more feeble, he had fallen ill and he had lost all his teeth. Finally, unable to bear his misery any longer, he made an end to his life. He hanged himself in his room just three months before the Japanese surrender.

Yvonne wrote:

Ho Kee had been in Shanghai when the Japs invaded. He had escaped and made his way down to Hong Kong. When he came to us I explained we were not wealthy and he must not be extravagant. When I queried two types of matches on his shopping account, he replied;
“Oh Missy! I put proper size matchbox in sitting room but in kitchen we use small one.”
After that I no longer checked. He was well over sixty and had witnessed Japanese atrocities in China and yet he had the courage to bring us hot porridge when we were first imprisoned ((in the Western district brothels)) and to stay in our flat in the hope we should return one day.

I cannot remember feeling a tragedy so keenly as the end of that poor lonely man. Yvonne and I felt we had sustained a personal loss and it quite stunned us for a while. In talking it over afterwards we realised how often we had thought of and looked forward to the day when we should greet him again and be able to repay him for all of his faithfull devotedness. If only we had known. We had not known for the last few years if Ho Kee had remained in the Colony or whether he had managed to get away to the country. Had we known he was in that plight we surely could have contrived somehow to get a message to Devaux and asked him to sell our silver plate and stuff and kept Ho Kee going with the proceeds. It has made us very sad and I feel ashamed of the way we have grumbled at our lot when our Chinese friends were having such a terrible time. Devaux (who is now French Representative in the Colony) said that at one time as many as 1,000 Chinese were dying per day and one day the figure reached 1,100.

Now Cedric Brown and his friend has arrived, both looking very fit and I must continue this later.
 

Showery, S wind.

Plane [draws little symbol of circle with line thro’ and dot in centre] white gave us a few thrills during am.

Rigged enclosure around flagstaffs.

Twin-engined bomber [another little symbol, a star with 2 lines] –white dropped supplies to us during the aft. Everyone thrilled to death almost.

Supply vessels anchored S. of us.

Japs supplied, 2 Fandosis [?], toilet paper, 5 boxes matches & a pencil.

Rained all evening.

Walked in the Hall with G & V. Conditions most inconvenient but ∴

Orders dropped by plane told Jap Surrender reps. to either board ship & make position E on Tamkow Is [?] or allow planes to land & take them off from Kai Tak to Harcourts rendezvous.

Hill & Fordham suspended. ((Probably fellow Prison Officers, F N Hill, and L J Fordham.))