R. E. Jones Wartime diary: View pages

Dull & little rain.

Hold-all finished & returned 6PM.

List “A” Canadians checked & told of arrangements that have been made.

((G))

((G))

Choir practice 11-12am.

Painted initials for I.B. ((Who was "I.B."?))

Bon for walk till 4.30pm.

Talk with Steve pm. 

Dull & muggy & rain.

Cloudy & cool.

((G))

Allowance arrived.

Rumours ? re repatriation by end of Sept.

Sang in Welsh Choir in concert at St Stephens. Well received.

Fine, warmer.

Ground rice for Mary.

Took Bonnie for swim aft. with O.B. ((Who/what is "O.B."? Barbara Anslow suggests it may have been Captain Oscar Basham, master mariner, aged 53, who is included in Greg Leck's list of internees.))

Choir went over very well again tonight. 

Wrote my 200 word letter.

20Y issued.

158 lbs.

Average total weight of food per head per day including bones, stalks etc. 20 ½ ozs.

Fine, cloudy.

Talk with Steve am.

¼ lb dirty brown sugar 70sen (3/6d).

1Pkt Cigs only issued.

((G))

Final night of concert & OK too.

Italy finished?

Some excitement caused by Ind. sentry firing on a supposed escapee. Supt’s commenced roll call of camp at 3am & finished at 8.30AM.

((G))

Swim pm with Bon. Cup of tea on return but Br. there too.

Talk with Steve pm.

Cig. shortage acute.

Fine day with occasional heavy cloud.

Initials for Dave Mann am.

Swim with Bonnie aft. Cup of tea but nothing to say on return.

Talk with Steve & Canteen list pm.

4 Pkts.Cig.

Rained heavily early am.

Heard women & children & men over military age to leave 17th Aug. Exchange post. God. Other men to leave shortly after. Canadians?

Initials for D. Mann am.

Much jubilation re resignation of Mussolini.

Choir practice 3pm.

Air raid on Colony at 5pm caused much excitement.

Talk with Steve pm.

(6 bombers with fighter escort).

Black-out 8.30pm.

Raid on Colony 9.30 AM. 6 planes. “No damage” reported re yesterday’s raid.

((G))

Swim aft.

Talk with Steve pm.

Permanent black-out.

Initials for Mrs Harrison (Pkt of cigs)

Raid on Colony at 2.50 PM. 18 planes.

((G))

Sun bath on roof.

Talk with Steve pm.

3 act play at St Stephen’s.

Mary ill.

Yesterday’s raid again futile according to paper.

Initials for Mrs Harrison.

((G))

Talk with Steve pm.

No raids, no news.

Yesterday’s raid caused slight damage per paper but hear that Taikoo area 40 houses damaged & Lai Chi Kok oil installation blown up; Kowloon docks & Holt’s wharf. Dropped leaflets warning Chinese to get out in 10 days for their own safety?

Cloudy day.

Blackout enforced from 7PM but all Jap lights on.

Chopped wood & little walk with Bon.

((G))

To tea at Ms Win’s birthday. ((Probably Winnie Stevens, see a similar entry for this date in 1944.))

((G))

Steve to Concert pm. 

((G))

Cloudy & humid. Blackout cancelled.

((G))

Made stencil for Willcocks.

Talk with Steve pm.

Cloudy & warm.

Kai-tak 7 bombs. Kowloon dock with s/m being built, dckyd. residences in Tai-wan, Kennedy Town abattoir (converted to barracks) & Fort St. Dcky’d residences bombed.

Deck-chair repairs for Willcocks.

Rec. letter from Bob 5th Oct.42.

Rained, cloudy all day. (Germany asks for terms & is referred by Churchill to Stalin. Large army US & Chinese around Canton)

Cool & cloudy.

Cutting stencils all day.

Choir practice 3-4 & 5-6pm.

((G))

Women receive orders to group themselves into 3s for cabin accommodation.

Cool & cloudy.

Writing music.

Bon came up 8.15am & I took her home at 9.45. ((G)).

Talk with Steve pm.

C.S. denies all knowledge of further repatriation orders.

5 cigs per man issued free.

New Moon.

Canadians took personal papers etc. to H.Qs to be passed.

Cholera inoculation.

Bon arrived with Mick but I sent them home again. ((Who is Mick?))

Rained.

Chopped wood.

Stores arrived.

((G))

Dull, humid & raining.

Wrote music for Steve.

((G))

Paper indicates Japs expect air-raids.

Steve altering camphor wood box pm.

Dull, humid, rain.

Scrubbed out.

Choir practice 5-6pm.

Talk with Steve & Mary pm.

(Meijima came to camp. No more meat available, no more news of repatriation & electric consumption to be cut down)

Squally rain & clouds. Hot & humid pm.

Did nothing all day.

Talk with Steve pm.

(Dutch rec’d telegrams re a few berths being available in case of repatriation. Much speculation in consequence)