Summary of events leading up to the Japanese invasion on 8 Dec 1941.
The journey from Liverpool to Hong Kong
- Sun 21 July 1940 – left for Gibraltar late at night from Liverpool – Viceroy of India
- 27 July 1940 – arrives Gibraltar – doesn’t think much to it
- 28 July 1940 – leaves Gib. Sees Ark Royal, Valiant and HMS Hood
Board St Vincent – holiday cruise, hide all uniform or anything suggesting army - 11 Aug 1940 – went to aid Ceramic – all women and children – have photos
- Tues 13 Aug - arrive Cape Town – out all day with Brenda’s relatives – Table Mountain – photo
- Wed 14 Aug – Leave Cape Town
- Thurs 20 Aug – Arrive Mombassa – out for day ‘lovely’
- Wed 21 Aug – Set sail 6am
- Wed 28 Aug – Arrive Bombay – ashore all day – back on board 6pm
- Sun 1 Sept – Arrived Colombo – had lovely time
- Thurs 5 Sept – Arrive Penang – private car to see the place – especially monkeys!
- Fri 6 Sept – Arrived Singapore – nurses for the new military hosp away
Arrival in Hong Kong, and initial experiences:
- Wed 11 Sep 1940 – Arrived Hong Kong – 6am
- Fri 13th Sep – On duty 7.30 – lots of malaria patients, in at deep end!
- Oct 1940 – Brenda rather ill – many malaria patients
- 15 Oct 1940 – off night duty – on days, called to matrons office instructed to give course of lectures to the orderlies – shaking in my shoes!
- 25 Oct 1940 – 1st lecture! About to start – S.M (?) all lectures cancelled for duration of war – relief!
- Nov 1940 – Brenda and Mickey engaged in his flat May Road (shared with John R Harris, Dickie Arrundell) Diary entry – Brenda became engaged the Sunday before she was killed.
Form this point on we read Joan's diary entries.
Book / Document
Date(s) of events described
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