24 Dec 1941, Report of the P.M.O. of the R.N. Hospital

Submitted by Alan Ho on Fri, 02/16/2024 - 17:38

Shelling continued and the hospital received a great deal of further damage . For example : 

( 1 ) A shell burst just outside the west end of No. 5 Ward . A fragment of shrapnel pierced the ' typhoon shutter ' , and wounded one of the bed casualties .

( 2 ) A shell exploded outside the wall of the side - cabin of No. 5 Ward . A large fragment passed through the ' typhoon shutters ' of the cabin , cut the electric light flex , traversed the substantial door of the cabin , passed across a corridor and came to rest buried in the door of the operating theatre There were two bed patients in the cabin itself and people were standing on either side of the door of the theatre Nevertheless , no person was hit ! 

On this day the Commodore , R.N. , who himself had visited the hospital almost daily , brought H.E. The Governor of Hong Kong on a tour of inspection . 

Later on this day , the Royal Naval Hospital , Hong Kong , found itself so much in the centre of the battle raging outside , that the P.M.O. frequently had to order off the premises groups of British soldiers who were attempting to take up strategic positions there . Also , having now been warned that the enemy might filter into the hospital at any time , the P.M.O. ordered all the valuables taken from patients for safe custody to be returned to them .

 

Date(s) of events described