Andrew Salmon Personal Diary Pacific 1939-1945: View pages

Introduction

HONG KONG ••• December 1941 was a city lulled into a false sense of security, its people living in the way they had lived for years, under the extreme conditions so typical of the Far East – on the one hand dire poverty among the refugees and peasants, and on the other, luxury enjoyed by the Europeans in their midst. True, there were continual threats of a Japanese invasion and minor incidents did occur on the border between China and Hong Kong, on the other side of which was manned by large bodies of Japanese troops, but these had been present so long that few took the possible danger really seriously. There had always been such scares - why let them interfere with the normal run of life?

It was not until mid-November 1941 that any indication was given that something was about to happen, when two battalions of Canadian troops landed in Hong Kong. The population was vaguely disturbed but still continued to take life fairly easily.

On the 7th December 1941, a move was made which really did point to the shape of things to come. All troops and service personnel were ordered (through messages flashed on cinema screens, broadcasts, announcements in restaurants, etc.) to return to their units. The Hong Kong Volunteer Regiment composed mainly of local civilians, who had given their own time for part-time training, were mobilised. 

At 2.15 a.m. on the 8th December (Hong Kong time) a message was received that war was imminent. Battle plans were at once put into operation, troops deployed, while Government Emergency Laws called up civilians for air raid precautions and other essential work. Hong Kong was now on a definite wartime footing. At 3.1 5 a.m. on the 8th December 1941 the message came through: "WE ARE AT WAR WITH JAPAN".

At that time, I was with 965th Beach Defence Battery, R.A. of the East Brigade at Stanley Fort, at the east end of the Island, the East Brigade consisted of a mixed force of about 2,000 troops. The main armament of the Island comprised two Regiments of Coast Artillery (mainly 9.2” and 6” Guns), a Regiment of the Hong Kong Singapore Royal Artillery (Medium and Mountain Artillery), an A.A. Regiment (3.7”, 3” and Bofors 40mm) and an Independent Defence Battery.

These regular forces were supplemented by units of the H.K. Volunteer Regiment. Infantry troops consisted of units of the Royal Scots and the Middlesex Regiment, the recently arrived Canadian troops, the 5/7th Rajputs, and 2/14 Punjabis.

The Naval forces consisted of one destroyer (HMS Thracian), 2 gunboats, a number of motor torpedo boats (MTB's) and a few small patrol boats, while the only aircraft we possessed comprised of three obsolete 'Vildebeest' torpedo bombers, and two 'Walrus' fleet spotting aircraft.

The first attack by the Japanese came in the form of a lightning bombing raid on KAI TAK aerodrome, destroying practically all our aircraft, with a simultaneous bombing raid on SHAM SHUI PO Barracks in Kowloon. Fortunately, these barracks were empty of troops who had already been deployed to their respective battle locations. These bombing raids coincided with a two-pronged attack by the Japanese forces across the border in the New Territories. Advancing through SHUM CHUN and SHA TAU KOK and infiltrating along the general direction of the Castle Peak and Tai Po Roads. Our troops fighting a rearguard action, retreated to our main defence line along the ridge called the 'GIN DRINKERS LINE', roughly a line along the ridge of the Kowloon Hills stretching from CASTLE PEAK to TOLO HARBOUR. The main area of defence being the redoubt at SHING MUN near the JUBILEE reservoir, manned by the Royal Scots. The rearguard action was fought by the Royal Scots, Rajputs, and 'Volunteers', supported by Medium and Mountain Batteries of the HKSRA.
 

The enemy were held by these positions until the night of the 11th December, when they broke through the thinly held line in the vicinity of SHING MUN REDOUBT. STONECUTTERS ISLAND was evacuated, the Coast Defence guns at MOUNT DAVIS, BELCHERS FORT, PAK SHA WAN, and STANLEY being used to shell the advancing Japanese.

The Castle Peak Road also came under fire from the R.N. Gunboat 'Cicala', operating along the coastline. Kowloon Railway tunnel and the New Territories roads were demolished at strategic points, culminating in the complete evacuation of the mainland on the 12th December 1941. The Rajputs were the last to leave and fought a very valiant rearguard action in the CLEARWATER BAY and DEVILS PEAK area, finally crossing to the Island in the vicinity of LYEMUN PASS.

At this time Hong Kong, covering an area roughly 12 miles by 3, housed about one million Chinese, plus the British, Canadian and Indian forces. There was very little organised protection from the frequent Japanese air raids as the nearest Japanese base was only about ninety miles northwest at CANTON. There were some air raid shelters, but these were hopelessly inadequate for the majority of the population. Water was a tremendous problem, as the main supply had previously been brought through a cross-harbour pipeline from Jubilee Reservoir on the mainland.

On the evacuation of the mainland by our forces, this, the chief supply for Hong Kong was cut off, so that we had to rely on water supplied from small reservoirs on the Island. The continual air raids were an added difficulty, disorganising much of the already depleted water supply. On top of all this, came the great problem of food distribution for the Chinese population. The incessant bombing was, of course, creating havoc among the civilian population and it was not very surprising when this, combined with the difficulty of obtaining food and water, resulted in frequent looting and hoarding of food stores. Hong Kong was now an easy target for an organised attack. At the outbreak of war, there were many ships, both large and small in the harbour and although many were sunk by gunfire to prevent their falling into the hands of the enemy, quite a number of the smaller craft were eventually captured intact by the Japanese.

After the mainland had been evacuated, the next few days were spent in feverish activity, preparing for the inevitable onslaught against the Island. Ammo dumps, supply depots, and workshops were shifted, as far as possible, from the vulnerable waterfront to safer spots behind the hills to the south. By now, we knew we were completely cut off from all outside help, although rumours were circulating that a large Chinese army would attack the Japanese from China.

We had no air or sea forces, our equipment was mostly obsolete, while the majority of our forces were new to the Colony. For instance, the two Canadian battalions had only arrived on 16th November 1941 and had no previous experience of the terrain on which they were soon to be fighting and were still without their own transport, which was still on board a ship in Manila Bay.

Owing to the great influx of Chinese refugees into Hong Kong during the previous few years because of the Japanese invasion of South China, the Japanese had considerable information regarding our defences as many of these refugees were employed as labourers on the building of military defences and some of them were reporting back to the Japanese. Also, there was a very active fifth column operating in the Colony after hostilities had started, signalling to the Japanese information of military interest. We were now bombed or shelled day and night and although the percentage of "Duds" was high, the shelling, on the whole was remarkably accurate.

On the 13th December the Japanese, under a flag of truce, demanded the surrender of the Colony, but the Governor, Sir Mark Young, summarily rejected this proposal. (This demand was repeated on the 17th with the same reply).
 

On the 16th, Coast Defence guns were turned on to what was left of our shipping in the harbour to prevent capture intact by the Japanese. By this time, most of the mountain and field guns, which had been brought over from the mainland, helped to boost our beach defence positions.

We were faced with daily attacks on forts and positions in Hong Kong, both by enemy aircraft and gunfire from the mainland, while our pillboxes along the waterfront as well as Belcher’s Fort, the Naval Dockyard, Taikoo Dockyard, Lyemun, and Sai Wan Forts, were targets for intensified bombardment. One troop of 18 pdr. guns at Braemar (Quarry Bay) were completely destroyed and most of the Indian gunners killed or injured. Daily bombardments were also being made on the Peak area and Mount Davis, a 9.2" gun position. Incidentally, a large calibre shell fired from the mainland, hit one of the ventilators leading to the "bombproof" plotting room at the 9.2" gun position on Mount Davis. It was deflected down the shaft, and after hitting the floor, rolled across the room and ended up between the legs of a very surprised telephonist - and failed to explode!

From about the 16th and 17th onwards, we were nightly waiting for the expected attack. These nights were incredibly peaceful, with only spasmodic shellfire, and the ships lying in the harbour appeared so ghostly and serene that it seemed fantastic that only a few hundred yards across the water was a large force of Japanese troops waiting to spring. 

In an effort to demoralise our troops the Japanese used to play very sentimental and nostalgic tunes through loudspeakers, one of their favourites being "Home Sweet Home", sung by Deanna Durbin. It is easy to imagine how effective this would be under such conditions. It is hard to put our feelings at that time into words, but I think they are rather well expressed by the following poem, which was made up by one of our officers on the spot: it is probably a little out of place in this attempted record of events, but it is so indicative of our thoughts at the time that I feel this diary would be incomplete without it:

The ghostly ships at anchor lay 
Grey Phantoms of the night,
The soldiers gazed across the bay   
To where the foe in cover lay 
Preparing for the fight.
Behind the mountains grim and bare,               
Like a wounded lion, we lay.
O, that the mother lion were there  
To help defend her peaceful lair,    
And win the hard-fought day.
The soldiers strained their weary sight,  
Alert both eye and ear,
When through the mystic hush of night,
Beneath the tropic wan moonlight,
A sound came, low and clear.
Nay, 'twas not the sound of Death's patrol,         
Nor soldiers in array,
Nor screaming bomb with thunderous roll,
Nor shell to rend the shrinking soul  
From out its quivering clay.
No, not the sounds of battle rang,
But 'cross the waves smooth flow, 
The sweet Deana Durbin sang,
Ah me, it gave my heart a pang, 
This song of long ago.

On the 16th, I accompanied a mobile patrol to make a round trip of the Island to visit our beach defence positions. It may give an insight on general conditions to describe this trip:

Leaving Stanley Fort, where our artillery was firing on strategic points on the mainland, we arrived at Stanley Village to run straight into a dive-bombing attack on Chung Hom Kok (West Bay), a 6” gun position and an A.A. position. The weather was sunny and clear. We went on to visit other beach defence positions along the south side of the Island. Repulse Bay and Deepwater Bay were hives of activity, being screened by hills from Mainland gunfire, while R.E. workshops were under canvas in the vicinity of Bennett’s Hill, having been shifted from exposed positions in Victoria.

On arriving at the foot of Mount Davis we found heavy shelling in progress from Kowloon. Japanese planes were bombing Stonecutters Island in the harbour, in ignorance of the fact that the island had already been evacuated and the naval wireless installations destroyed. An air raid was also in progress on Western Market, a densely populated area, causing many casualties among the Chinese civilians. We went on to Belcher’s Fort where, from the 4.7”-gun position, it was possible to watch Japanese movements as they proceeded along the Castle Peak Road on the other side of the harbour. They were under fire from our artillery. The harbour was littered with sinking or sunken vessels with an anti-invasion net running from the western end of the harbour. Kowloon, itself, seemed to be hardly touched by air raids or the recent street fighting, as our rearguard action, before evacuation, had mainly taken place in the vicinity of Kai Tak aerodrome, but we who had friends among the civilian population shuddered to think of what was happening there, for we all knew that it was the policy of the Japanese Army to allow their soldiers, after capture of a town, to loot and run riot for a few hours.

Leaving Belcher’s Fort (fortunately, as a few hours later it was destroyed by heavy shelling), we ran the gauntlet of snipers and a light artillery gun firing from the warehouse at Holt’s Wharf in Kowloon onto the open stretch of road by the Naval Dockyard. The dockyard and the military barracks nearby were partly in ruins, as were the houses and shops facing the harbour.

At Braemar in the Quarry Bay area, a defence position, we found it under heavy bombardment with a large paint factory nearby in flames, endangering our 18 pdr. ammunition stored close by. We joined in the salvaging of the ammunition and transferred it to slit trenches but, unfortunately, this turned out to be a waste of time as the whole position was destroyed the next day. The thick smoke from the burning factory covered the eastern end of the harbour and made observation of the mainland most difficult. Tai Koo and Sai Wan Ho were also under shellfire as the mainland guns were ranging on the Island Road between Sai Wan Fort and Mount Parker. 

We completed our trip by visiting Beach Defence positions at Shek O, then returned to Stanley which was now being dive-bombed regularly by naval aircraft. One stick of bombs caught our Battery Headquarters, injuring some of the staff.
 

On the 17th December, the Japanese laid a heavy barrage down on the waterfront, especially targeting the numerous pillboxes. Some oil storage tanks at North Point were hit and set on fire, covering the area in dense black smoke.