My father kept this diary during his time as a Prisoner of War in Sham Shui Po POW Camp. He had fought the Japanese as part of the 1st Battery of the HKVDC. The diary may be important for anyone researching that period of HK history.
What is in the diary is also the story of Hong Kong people, like brave Nancy Yip - how the Japanese held her in jail for bringing food to the fences. HK was starving at the time, so for her to share her meagre rations was a selfless act. Then after her 17 days of torture by the Japanese, she went right back to supplying food for these people. She was the cashier at Jimmy's Kitchen, but after the war she disappeared.
Abbreviations used:
- C.C. - Camp Commandant, the Japanese officer in charge of the camp.
- V.B. - Volleyball
Names mentioned:
- Inoie - Leo says Inoie was the camp interpreter (see 9 Jun 1943), so I think this is Kanao Inouye, AKA The Kamloops Kid
Sample pages
We mobilized for war and by 10pm I was at D’Aguilar.
5AM. We are at war with Japan. I heard but did not see. For the first time Japanese planes were over us.
Had a ringside seat to the Bombing of S/S INDIRA.