A little cooler. Showery. W wind.
Outside roll-call.
Repairs to A. Bungalow.
St. Johns Is. evacuated by Japs.
Splendid abend mit G und netting stitch. [Splendid evening with G and netting stitch?] ∴
Some Canteen gear arrived.
Inspection of Camp by locals.
Showery, cooler.
“A” Bungalow repairs.
Camp inspected by high Jap officials & Zindel aft.
Grew in Ocinawa awaiting Jap answer. ((Jones is probably referring to Joseph Grew, Acting Secretary of State for the USA))
To Evening Service & lecture by Prof. Forster with G. ∴
(Number of Jap? Chinese landed from Junks at Pier.
Cost Y60 to wash overall & pr. of shorts.
Lorry with veg & salt & fish.
Overcast, E wind, cool.
(Adml. Mountbatten 1/c British Fleet, Manila)
Heavy showers pm.
Salt fish (lousy)
Awfully fed up all day. G noticed. ∴
Heavy rain early am. Cooler, stronger E wind, cloudy showery.
G little while forenoon after repairs to windows in “A” Bung.
Rec. letter from Marj Nov.1942.
Talk with Steve re dancebands & music.
∴X Nicht mehr [No more]
(Large Task Force off Japan. Tokio bombarded from Tokio Bay. 5,000,000 men on Okinawa awaiting the word to go?)
Cooler, E wind, squally.
Odd jobs.
Dr. Smalley ill so could not see him today.
14crt. fountain pen nib Y500, Cigs Y41.
C & D Groups for Salt & Tea.
Birthday present to G.
(Babbitt says “Although we hold several China Coast Ports nothing much can be done due to lack of roads etc. Russia at war with Japan?) ∴
Cool, overcast. SE wind, squally.
Dismantled Sisters’ Qrts. chatty.
Formosans doing plenty of exercises lately, bayonet fighting etc.
(landing on 10 ml. Front nr. Tokio. Germany to pay 2,000 million US$. 56% to Russia, 22% US & 22% to Britain. All Germans to return to Germany)
To lecture with G. Phycology. ∴
New Moon.
Cool, showery, S wind.
Outside roll-call.
Dismantling chatty.
Letter R. Address book for G.
Saw Dr. more med. but OK.
100 & some technicians with their families left Camp to work in HK 2.30pm. Rice, oil & Y50 supplied? Left Pier around 10pm.
Russia invaded Manchuria with 3 armies yesterday.
A & B groups for bran ¼ lb Y8.50. ∴
Some aerial activity early am. Cool, overcast, SE wind. Fine pm.
Outside roll-call 8am.
(Guesses re reason for yesterday’s move of technicians. Repatriation, hostages, to take over all HK works from Japs in prep. for Wang Ching Wei-ites when they take charge of Colony & going to Formosa or Japan)
Chopped wood for G till 9am.
Finished Hosp. chatty.
60 drops Shark’s liver oil issued & 1.03 oz tea & .9 oz sugar. C & D groups for bran.[105 ?]
Lorry with meat & veg 8pm.
Camp raffle for odds & ends. ∴
plõlzlich, [? then Chinese character for moon followed by question mark,] nein. [no]
((Jill Fell: "plötzlich" means "suddenly".))
Fine, hazy, light E wind.
Chopped wood for V.
(Japs packed up in Manchuria?)
Sunbath on roof.
2 meat meals today. Lots of rumours re war being over & of more people to go to HK this week. Med. Sanitary Dept. & some Police. People who went Frid. now in Precious Blood Hosp. All banks & gold shops shut in town & no more transactions can take place between Internees & Formosans. Gear returned, gold, watch-works etc. All Camp very happy at the moment. ∴x
Fine, low cloud, light E wind.
Lousy night for sleep, tossing, turning & dreaming.
Odd jobs & Clinic lock.
Decided to try change rooms. G upset & me too. Lovely evening on roof. Cup of tea & bite 9-9.30pm & then G’s lovely generous heart showed itself ∴ ⨳ [actually a new symbol, a big X with 4 little x’s in the gaps]
Fine, light E wind.
Peace rumours very strong. Many people preparing their gear ready for packing up.
US plane came over 10am & after 4 attacks sank a small auxiliary vessel working on the boom at the entrance of Stanley Bay. Guards fired from Camp again. A/r alarm till noon.
(Emp. Po Yi [Pu Yi] of Manchuria asked Japs for Peace).
G mit HK ∴ und sie ist sehr hold. [G with HK ∴? and it is very?]
((Jill Fell: RE Jones has used "hold" before of G. "Sie ist sehr hold" means "she is very sweet". Can't remember if HK is one of the Kews who sometimes escorts her.))
Fine, light SE wind, showery.
Odd jobs.
Rec. Sept.43 from Marj.
(Russians penetrated Manchuria to a depth of 150 mls by 10th. New bombs use [sic] by US on Jap. caused Japs to appeal to Geneva & US against their use. The reply they got was, “There are plenty more, we have only used them twice”)
Lorry at 4pm with cigs & toilet paper, wong tong & soap. 34 cigs 5Y10 issued. ∴
Showery.
Rained so didn’t go to work till 10am. With G instead.
Final clear up of Hosp. chatties.
1 Roll Toilet paper issued free. 28 workers cigs.
Camp very excited - many couldn’t eat – re peace rumours. A crowd of delegates US. Brit. etc is supposed to be in Tokyo discussing terms. There seems to be something in it this time. Brit. & US Fleet left Manila & units thereof will arrive HK Sun am.
Gov. of HK warned all nationalities that any saboteurs would be ruthlessly shot. Emp. of Jap. signed
Peace 1.30 14th inst. ∴ sehr shõne. [so beautiful] ((Jill Fell: "sehr schön" is best translated as "wonderful".))
Fine. E wind.
No roll-call. all Camp control by Japs eased. 8 Formosans left by sampan early am.
Delegate expected today from Macases [?Macassar?]
Kadawaki issued official statement this forenoon re Rescript.
Inundated with food now, what with reserve rations & what people cannot eat. ¼ lb Mutton, bran, rice & biscuits issued.
Attended Thanksgiving Service pm with V & G. Prepared U.J. [Union Jack] and staff for hoisting. Electricity on pm. HK Police on guard duty. ∴
Cloudy, light NE wind.
Camp all excitement & expectancy.
Some Fire Brigade people called with fire engine & Blumenthal on motor cycle & 3 officers from Argyll St. Camp.
Oil & salt issued.
US planes over 4.45pm dropping leaflets.
Lights allowed 7-10pm & hot-plates 7am-7pm. ∴
2 Radios arrived
Cloudy, NE wind.
Visitors allowed from HK. 2 ce per day. [Twice?]
Contents of leaflets made known. They are instructions to Internees & P of W & info re duties of Delegate.
Multi Vit. capsules issued. Basic rations increase. All male internees weighed to complete final statement of physical condition. 156 lbs.
Lights allowed till 11pm. Final negotiations expected to be signed in Manila today.
Petains death sentence reprieved to L. by de Gaulle. Jap Premier (Kanoye ?) exhorts people to play the game & stand by Potsdam rulings. Nanking Govt. disbanded.
4 oz Sugar issued.
G sehr hold den ganzen Tag. [G very sweet all day] Supper & Sit with G & V. No G. lousy finish to a nice day. Slept on roof.
Fine. NE wind.
Odd jobs.
Felt lousy.
S.S.P. [Shamshuipo] Camp seem to have procured everything worthwhile in the eats & drinks line. 130 Ps of W visited. Many wives happy now.
Clinic hot plate.
Dug spuds for G.
Blumenthal arrested.
Everyone very happy & excited.
Prison Inds trying to curry favour with C of Pr S of P.
Still on Camp food damn it, surely something will be done soon in the way of milk & tinned stuff, mail etc.
1st Camp Radio Bulletin issued.
Concert at St. Stephens 7.30pm. ∴
G roof 1am. ⨳ A mixture of contradictions difficult to interpret.
Very little work in the shop now.
Visitor from town & Camps.
Camp officials to town for conference with R.C. Rep. Zindel.
Camp Radio Press indicates we shall be all moved to Manila shortly.
1 Box matches. 2oz Oil. 8oz Soy & 38 Siege biscuits issued.
Dance at St. Stephens 8-10.30pm.
US bombers dropped cigs & chocolate on S.S.P. Camp yesterday.
Lorry load of Salt, Coffee, Milk, Cigs & butter.
G came back 10pm. ∴ hold ins Saal. [sweet in hall]
Fine, sharp blow 2.30am.
Negs. complete for the taking over of HK. R.N. on its way.
Rep’rd camp-bed.
G & V busy with their visitor friends.
25 cubes of sugar, 10 Pkts. Jap cigs, 3 ½ oz tinned milk, margarine & 1.3 oz Coffee issued.
Looked for Tommy’s gun but no luck. ∴
Stroll around around Prison wall till 10pm with G & V