Diary pages from this date

((Following text dated from other accounts of arriving at Colombo:))

On reaching Colombo we were billeted with such a lovely young couple in their beautiful home, which we almost felt afraid to enter!  Our bedroom was so pretty, and I couldn't get over the fact that we would be sleeping in beds that night.  On the dressing table were all the cosmetics we could wish for, and in the wardrobe two dainty dresses that fitted perfectly.  (I had not worn a dress since before camp days.)  I cried over such kindness.  We spent about a week in Colombo before being put on the P&O Chitral bound for London.

As for yesterday. Nil sighted. Noon distance 321 mls. 3 Pkts Camel issued & some odds & ends of clothing.

Out on deck early to see hazy coastline of Ceylon, lots of small catamarans bobbing up and down. The harbour choc-a-block with ships.  We're anchored rather far out.

Clifton got one of officers to signal Block House re 'Empress of Australia', to find it is due here tonight or tomorrow - but whether or not the original passengers from HK (including Mum and Mabel) have been dumped elsewhere we don't know.

At 2pm we were standing by. Fyffe ((believed to be David Robert Fyffe Canadian, repatriated from Stanley in 1943 though wife Dorothy (British) and baby daughter stayed in camp)), turned up on board.

We went ashore in landing barge, thence into Red Cross buses, taken to Echelon Barracks, to a sort of marquee and sat down in comfortable chairs drinking tea or lemonade and eating biscuits.  Red Cross workers, very smart in uniform, were buzzing round doing all they could.  There were magazines, books etc.  Red, white and blue bunting draped the ceilings.  There was a corner roped off, made like a toyshop for the kids, and they had a wonderful time. ((This was probably the creche mentioned in link with IWM))

At different venues in Echelon, we received toilet things, underclothes, shoes, secondhand summer dress and skirt and blouse.   We had HOT BATHS (with bath salts) and some folk had hairsets and face massage!  Everything was taken care of.  ((Heaps of released pow's around, looking pale and ill, hair in tufts.  We found we people had a name, RAPWI, I think it stands for Returned Allied Prisoners of War and Internees.))
 
((There were no billets for us at Echelon, we were siphoned off to various places to sleep.)) Olive and I learned that a Mr & Mrs Best had invited us to stay with them.  ((We had met the Bests in 1938 as they travelled on the 'Kaisar-I-Hind' to Ceylon when we were aboard on our way to Hong Kong.)) She and I were put in a bus driven by an Indian, with among others the Mills family, the Buddens, Mr Megarry, Mr. J. Pennefather-Evans (Commissioner of Police, HK), and a Wren who was in charge of us.

Some were dropped at Kent House, we were taken to the Bests' house, Mrs. B came out to receive us. ((Although the Bests are asked just for Olive and I, we airily took with us our best friend Nan Grady, who was happily welcomed too.)) They gave us a lovely bedroom, they are so very very kind, and have 3 other lodgers. We want to stay here for a while – it's all so grand – and I hope we never forget to thank God for it.

The clock on the Kowloon-Canton Railway Tower, the only public timepiece on the Peninsula, starts to tell the time again after almost 4 years.

 

The China Mail reports that Mr E. D. Robbins of the Health Department has returned to Hong Kong. He left on the repatriation ship Tei-a Maru on September 23, 1943 and found conditions worse than Stanley, with the Japanese trying to make as much money out of the passengers as possible. There was not enough to eat, and he had to buy supplementary food. People being repatriated from Shanghai were given 5,000 yen, but those from Hong Kong only had a monthly allowance of 29 yen. He found the Canadians very helpful, but nobody knew the truth about life in Stanley.

 

A commission is set up to examine cases of civilians suspected of collaboration with the Japanese - an Associated Press report to this effect will be cited in tomorrow's Daily Mirror (page 8) which will also note that a British Major is being held on suspicion of the same charge. This is Major Cecil Boon, who spent the war in Shamshuipo. Some of his associates have also been arrested by the incoming troops. Boon's case will come to trial in London and acquitted of all charges.

 

In a speech of farewell before leaving for recuperation, former Secretary for Chinese Affairs R. A.C. North, takes the opportunity of naming two prominent Chinese citizens who should NOT be considered guilty of collaboration. He pays tribute to Hong Kong's Chinese population and says he understands that they suffered far worse than he did (in Stanley) because they were exposed to the full brutality of the Gendarmes. He tells his audience that he had hoped to stay uninterned to intercede for them, but had instead gone with Grenville Alabaster and (the late) John Fraser to the China Building to ask Sir Robert Kotewall, Sir Shouson Chow and their colleagues to take on 'what should have been my duty'. He hopes that his speech will put an end to the 'misunderstandings' that had arisen - Kotewall in particular had been unjustly accused of collaboration for obeying North's injunction to work with the Japanese for the sake of the Chinese masses.

 

The (London) Times publishes this notice in its page 1 Personal columns:

Mrs. L. A. NEWNHAM, civilian internee, Stanley Camp, Hong-kong: two letters received: safe and well.

Colonel Lanceray Arthur Newnham was executed on December 18, 1943 for his resistance activities in Argyle Street Camp. In January 1918 he had married Phyliss Edith Henderson at St. Mary's in Finchley .

Sources:

Clock: China Mail, October 3, 1945,1

Robbins: China Mail, October 1, 1945,1

North: China Mail, October 2, 1945, 4.

REPATRIATION NOTICE No. 11.

S.S. “HIGHLAND MONARCH”

With reference to Repratiation ((sic.)) Notice No. 9: No accommodation will be available in this ship for passengers for Australia.

REPATRIATION OFFICE.
1st Floor, Hong Kong &
Shanghai Sank Bldg.
1.10.45.

Published on p.2 of SCMP for 2 Oct 1945.

((An extension to the original Notice No. 8))

REPATRIATION LIST No. 8 (CONTINUED)

S.S. “HIGHLAND MONARCH”

Mr L. Guy,

Mr C. Dworjack,

Mr G. B. Shotton.

Mrs E. Westergaard,

Mr C. W. Tresise,

Mr and Mrs J. R. L. Stanton and Child,

Mrs F. C. Allison,

Miss P. A. Ayrton,

Miss D. M. Baker,

Miss M. N. Baxter,

Mrs M. C. Barber,

Mr W. D. Barker,

Mrs M. V. Blake,

Mr and Mrs F. E. E. Booker and daughter,

Miss M. L. Botelho,

Mrs C. Burgess and daughter,

Mrs Cheape and daughter,

Mr and Mrs A. G. Clark,

Mr G. G. Clarke,

Mr and Mrs R. F. Clark,

Mr and Mrs R. J. B. Clark,

Miss J. Critchett,

Mrs I. J. Cutler,

Mr and Mrs H. Dawson-Grove,

Mr G. Dawson-Grove,

Mr H. K. P. Den Boestad,

Mrs M. De Schipper and family,

Mrs K. K. Dobritsky,

Mrs O. K. Robinson.

Mrs G. M. Dobson,

Miss B. Earner,

Mr C. O. Ellis,

Miss C. M. Fisher,

Miss M. V. Fisher,

Miss H. C. Fisher,

Mr R. FitzGerald,

Miss I. FitzGerald,

Mrs A. C. Flippance,

Mrs R. L. Fobbs,

Mr and Mrs L. J. Fordham,

Mr and Mrs J. A. Fox, 

Mrs M. J. Fowlie,

Mrs A. C. Franklin,

Mr and Mrs E. S. Franks,

Mr and Mrs H. W. Fraser,

Miss E. M. Gray,

Mrs M. R. Gerondal,

Miss M. F. D. Gemmel,

Miss W. I. Griffin,

Mr E. G. N. Grimble,

Mr and Mrs A. J. Hall,

Mr P. T. Hamlin,

Mr H. J. Hertwigsen,

Mrs F. Haughland and daughter

Mr W. A. Hawkes,

Mr and Mrs J. H. Hedley and family,

Miss E. M. Hicks,

Mr W. C. Higgs,

Mrs F. N. Hill and 2 daughters,

Mrs G. Howell,

Mrs H. James,

Miss S. James,

Miss F. James,

Mstr James,

Miss M. G. Lay,

Mr L. M. Lloyd,

Mrs J. G. Lloyd,

Miss K. Marley,

Mrs M. May,

Miss L. M. Metcalf,

Miss R. Milne,

Mr F. H. Mody,

Mrs L. J. Money,

Miss M. B, Newman,

Mr W. R. Parker,

Miss M. Parsons,

Mrs N. Passmore,

Mr D. Passmore,

Mr G. W. Pearson,

Mr H. V. Pemble,

Mr B. Plumb,

Miss B. M. Pope,

Miss A. L. Popham,

Miss N. Quin,

Mrs E. B. Redmond,

Mr M. Reiners,

Miss D. Revell,

Mrs M, Rich,

Mrs D. D. Richards,

Mr and Mrs W. W. Ritchie,

Mr J. L. Robinson,

Mrs A. M. Rowell,

Mrs E. K. Saunders,

Mr M. G. Saunders,

Mrs D. L. Simpson and daughter,

Mrs C. A. Sing and two sons,

Miss P. M, Slack,

Mrs C. Smith,

Mr F. Solhaug,

Miss L. Stops,

Mr J. S. B. B. Stuart,

Mrs E. A. Stuart,

Miss M. J. Stuart,

Mrs J. Taylor,

Mr J. D. Taylor,

Miss A. A. Thom,

Mr C. R. W. Thomson,

Miss M. M. Tyrrell,

Mr A. C. Venables,

Mr and Mrs J. H. Van Der Laan,

Miss C. I. Watson,

Mrs N. Wadeson,

Mr and Mrs F. C. Whitfield and family,

Miss W. Wickett,

Miss W. Williamson,

Mr D. Wilson,

Mr and Mrs W. R. Worrall and family,

Mrs C. M. Wyatt,

Mr A. J. Mackechenie,

Mrs H. H. Dubois and Son,

Mr. W. P. Clemow,

Miss E. Hall,

Mr C. R. Coles,

Mr R. A. Camidge,

Mr E. S. Jones,

Mrs E. Mack and child,

Mrs H. Kennedy-Skipton and daughters,

Mr W. E. Jones,

Mrs E. Monks,

Mrs J. Hill,

Mrs M. S. Bruce,

Mrs A. F. Paul,

Mrs Stainton,

Mrs B. C. Carter,

Mr and Mrs R. A. Button and 2 sons,

Mr and Mrs W. L. Ramsey and 2 sons,

Mrs L. Hutchison,

Mr and Mrs B. P. Fielder and daughter,

Miss L. M. Metcalf,

Miss N. G. Karmilova,

Mrs R. M. Gilbert and daughter,

Mr and Mrs J. W. Braga and family,

Mrs E. S. Longworth.

INDIAN PASSENGERS

Mr B. U. Mansukani,

Mr M. M. Khalhel,

Mr P. Satramdas,

Mr B. J. Chanchalani,

Mr T. D. Mirchandani,

Mr M. N. Hirarandani,

Mr H. Jethmal,

Mr R. D. Bukshani,

Mr C. L. Vasandani,

Mr K. H. Mohamed,

Mr H. Sedik,

Mrs A. Sadik,

Miss A. Sadik,

Miss S. Sadik,

Mstr M. Sadik,

Miss Hanifabai,

Mr H. F. Baxamusa,

Mr E. A. Ebrahim,

Mr A. D. Ebrahim,

Mr F. a. Ruawalla,

Mr A. A. Cader.

Repatriation Office, 1st Floor,
Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank
Bldg. 1.10.45.

Published on p.2 of SCMP for 2 Oct 1945.