Fine.
Poor rations.
Saw “bricks”. ((What was that?))
Walk with Steve pm.
Black-out.
R. E. Jones Wartime diary: View pages
Fine, warm.
Saw Dr. Hargreaves re eyes.
Rec. letter (Aug 1942) & snap (Rae 1 Yr.old).
Choir practice 6.15pm. With Steve after.
Black-out cancelled.
Fine, warm.
Dr. Hargreaves prescribed 1.25 glasses for me through the Welfare.
Choir practice 5pm.
Steve to Cinderella rehearsal. Talk with Mary till he returned.
Paper OK.
Wrote music for “Elijah” (“Yet doth the Lord see not”)
Fine, warm.
Good paper news.
“Cinderella” at St. Stephens.
Earthquake 12.10-12.20pm?
With Steve pm.
Meijima living at G.Qs now.
Fine, warm.
Quiet day. Nothing doing.
German lesson aft.
With Steve pm.
Fine, warm. Bit of sunbathing on the roof aft.
Choir practice 5.30. With Steve after.
Getting damned hungry again. Sans food, sans smokes, sans hope, nearly.
& my little girl is 3 yrs old. Hope she is having a nice time bless her.
Fine, warm.
Paper news very hopeful.
Cigs issued.
With Steve pm. Talking of Devonport & the wonderful food that was procurable there. ((Devonport is a Royal Navy base. Jones served on submarines with the RN before becoming a prison officer in Hong Kong. Perhaps Stevens - 'Steve' - did too?))
Posted monthly card.
Fine, cloudy, colder.
Meatless day.
High altitude raid by our chaps this afternoon. No opposition. Heavy stuff dropped. Shook our buildings.
With Steve pm.
(More Jap naval officers visited camp, indicates that some warship or other is in the harbour. Accounts for today’s raid perhaps)
Fine, cold.
Y20 issued.
No news.
Choir practice 6.30pm. With Steve after.
(Parade on Friday pm?)
Fine, warmer.
Big rush on Canteen.
German lesson.
Choir practice 5pm. With Steve after.
No news.
Cloudy & cold.
Apparently no more meat coming in. Had none for more than a week, fish for ever.
Pr.sunglasses from Welfare.
Choir practice 5.30. With Steve after.
Cloudy & cold.
Wrote music.
German lesson pm.
Lousy rations.
With Steve pm.
(Chinese merchants in town request Japs to declare HK an open city?)
Rome, Warsaw, Rabusl [?] captured? ((The rumours aren't true this time: Rome won't be captured until 5th June, and Warsaw until almost one year later))
New moon.
Better weather.
No flour issued by Japs today.
A revision of ration scheme to come.
Cigs issued.
Choir practice 5.30pm. With Steve after.
Usual cleaning duties.
Fine, warm, cloudy.
Military have taken over rationing from F.As. which explains no flour or sugar. ((I think "F.A.s" means "Foreign Affairs", indicating the control of the camp is shifting from the Japanese civilian administration to their military.))
Didn’t see Steve tonight.
Concert in the Hall.
No news.
Colder, cloudy.
Detailed for “lunatic guard” today. ((He will be looking after A. Frain - see tomorrow's diary entry.))
New order re no light till 7.30AM enforced today in A.1, 2 & 3.
The hunger bogey appearing more & more.
With Steve pm.
Due to having a reserve of flour we got half bread ration. Most blocks made rice biscuits in lieu of bread. Poor substitute for bread.
Warmer.
All Internees mustered & were checked out by F.A. & taken over by Military.
First 3 hrs with A. Fraine 5-8pm. He is not so bad really.
8oz. rice issued in lieu of bread.
Hungry as hell.
Cold, windy & drizzly.
German lesson.
Hosp. 2 to 5pm.
Choir practice.
With Steve pm.
Formosans arrived?
Fine, cloudy, damp.
Hungry. Rations somewhat less.
5-8pm with Frain.
Bulletin contains hopes for a couple of RedX parcels, perhaps better food, free drugs & medicines, & monthly allowance.
Today paper deals chiefly with British & US atrocity stories, or rather, Jap comments thereon.
Humid, warmer.
New guards took over & they seem to be OK. young & self-conscious.
German lesson.
2-5pm Hosp.
With Steve pm.
Made up Canteen list.135.
Rumours of some improvements to come.
Tea & sugar issue perhaps.
Rain, muggy, cold later.
Ground rice for Mary.
Tasted real potatoes, first time in 2 yrs today.
Wrote music aft.
5-8pm hosp.
More instructions received re repatriation.