We may write to Shamshuipo Camp - 50 words, but only 1 card per family, but Mr Fantham says I may use his.
Finished Chapter 2 of story ((written in shorthand)).
Barbara Anslow's diary: View pages
Repat. rumours in the air again.
In evening, to St Stephens to hear Mrs. Drown play piano with Miss Bicheno - wonderful music.
Baby Ogley (Olivia) born today, Baby Cautherley (George) yesterday.
Olive has bad cold. She despatched $5 to Topper (in Shamshuipo Camp)
We each received HK$5 from the Vatican. Olive has already sent hers to Topper, Mabel and I intend to send ours to the boys tomorrow. (('The boys' were Arthur Alsey and Harry (Sid) Hale, Royal Scots, also in Shamshuipo Camp.))
We were all inoculated against cholera.
Got enamel plate from Welfare, and some white material. ((No crockery, cutlery or bedding was supplied by the Japs - you just used whatever you were able to bring in to camp, or improvised.))
Olive had one big row with Miss D. Geen (Assistant Matron at hospital), ended with tears and apologies, and Miss Geen saying what a wonderful girl Olive was.
Notice on pros and cons of repatriation came round. The gist was (among other things) that Mr Gimson had laid before the Japs a scheme of repatriating 1,000 (women, children, aged and infirm); that any scheme the Japs would consider would embrace the large majority of us.
Most people here think it means we won't be going.
Had 4th injection.
Joyce Shaw's father died (Joyce was a friend of Mabel's, she was in Australia).
Further warning about taking too much notice of repatriation (prospects) came round today.
Optimist's Concert good, especially Vi Evans and Mr Garton. ((Vivian Garton, PWD. Vi Evans had been a neighbour of us Redwoods in Gap Road, Happy Valley. She died later in camp.))
Played around with 'planchette' gadget this evening by Una's room - I always was incredulous... never believed in it.
Mabel had been saving her bread slice for afternoon when she and friends were going to have a picnic. She said she felt sick and dizzy in church. Later on in morning, she flopped down in the room, it turned my heart over. Dr Tomlinson came and said it was only through not eating things; but now the lids have been taken off the Bovril and Vitamalt ((our iron ratons)) just as well to have it inside us, I suppose. How dreadful that Mabel should faint from hunger.
Wrote small poem:-
'Give us this day our daily bread
And take from us our daily dread
That we and ours may not be fed,
Nor stumble weakly on the bed
And faint, because of lack of bread.'
No lights in evening – blackout for about a week expected.
Electricity came on again today - we've ((in Married Q)) been off about 4 days, and most of camp about a week.
To French conversation class this afternoon, with Frieda Salmon and Pauline Beck. ((Pauline played piano accompaniment to many of our children's plays.))
I can't imagine us being out of here by Christmas.
Tony (Cole) called and gave me a small empty 1936 diary, and some cumquots ((small Chinese hard fruit which sometimes fruited within camp precincts.))
Finished Chap 3.
Yesterday was Dad's 50th birthday.
I had 5th injection.
We stopped having tea to drink at the hospital, supply has run out at last.
Madame le Bon came.
Mum Mabel and I watched Ball Game in evening.
French lesson, between American Blocks 2 and 3, with Dorothy and Frieda Salmon and Pauline Beck. Then went to 'chapel' in American Block and said a Rosary for Peace, rosary given me by one of the Sisters. ((The chapel was curtained-off half of a small room)).
Too hot to go swimming. ((It was a long walk))
Post cards from the Troops etc. are materialising at last. We have to pay 8 cents each ((to get a post card to send)).
Mabel went to Dr Talbot ('Harry') who sent her to hospital. She has got thin again, says she often feels dizzy. It makes me rather frightened to look at her. Dr Erooga said he considered the goitre he'd said Mabel had, was larger.*
Father Moore came over and gave us some cocoa and sugar and milk. He and the other young Maryknoll Fathers are going out tomorrow ((into town, with the hope of eventually being allowed to go to their Missions or USA)).
((* Comment from Mabel in 2012: "I don’t think I ever realised the seriousness of my illness at the time. But I have had to take Thyroxine every day of my life since the examination at a hospital in Birmingham (when we were in Coventry) after we were in England. For many years the medication was 3 drops of iodine in milk every day......now just pills. And I have a blood test for it every year."))
So worried about Mabel. Dr Yaroogsky-Erooga says Mabel will probably be in hospital for about a month; he will try to get extra food for her, but if she doesn't yield to treatment, they may have to operate. So terrible that we haven't anything extra or tempting to give her. Mum is looking so skinny and drawn too.
Fr Moore etc. left today, only Father Meyer and Father Hessler (Maryknollers) remain, plus Canadian Father Murphy and the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. To Confession.
Tony came in evening. We all went to concert, not bad but I had a heavy heart throughout because of Mabel. 'Pinafore' number arranged by Cheape was good. ((Probably George Cheape.))
Dr Y.E. has ordered Mabel to have 2 bottles of milk a day. ((A small number of little bottles of fresh milk were sent in from town daily to the camp hospital for patients specially in need, also for young children.))
We've got our post cards ((to write and send away via Japs)).
Bonnie Macklin had on a sweet little tussore dress & lovely red hair.
Sent our postcards today. Mabel to Sid but didn't say anything about being in hospital.
French lesson alone with Sister Mary, the Salmons didn't turn up.
Mabel is liking the hospital food, I'm afraid she'll find it a rotten change when she comes back on these.
Olive and I went to see Billie Gill and Brian ((aged 2)). Also there, Hugh Goldie ((Police, the first man who saw our tiger)) and Mr Matches whom Brian calls the Chinese version 'Foh Chi'.
More repat. rumours in the air.
Cholera and typhoid injections - in one from Dr Selby.
Got 1 lb sugar (Yen 1) for Mum, and one for Mabel from Medical Canteen.
Dug up some of our own sweet potatoes - enormous, but not really sweet. Fried them tonight - we had pork fat for tiffin luckily.
Finished writing Chapter 4.
Played bridge in evening. Mrs Franklin kindly gave me a piece of pastry crust.
Dr. Y-E thinks Mabel is in a pretty bad condition, but so far responding well. He says an operation will be necessary at some time – preferably not in the camp. He would like her to have a private room for rest, that she will need careful watching all her life, but that she MIGHT outgrow it.
Such a surprise - Father Moore sent us a parcel from Bethany House, Pokfulam: a lovely big tin of cocoa, a catty of sugar, and a tin of bully, so kind and thoughtful and generous of him. I'll NEVER forget it.
Fried our sweet potatoes tonight, in oil from Mr Anslow ((my father-in-law to be 6 years later!!)) in exchange for some of our potatoes.
Crisped burnt rice is ruining my teeth.. I keep meaning not to eat it, but never succeed. ((A lining of burnt rice collected on the rice boilers each day; it was prised off and distributed to a 'burnt rice queue' after the meals.))
'Gymkhana Water Sports' but I was too tired to go, also it was during hospital visiting hours.
Request Concert in evening. I liked Wilkinson girls (young Joan, Maureen & Marjorie) singing, and Irene Drewery (9). Japs taking flashlights, and every one crooked their fingers into V's. Japs apparently also photographed the Water Sports and the food queue.
Rumours that bread ration is going down, that money we sent to Shamshuipo has been returned.
Started Patients' Card Index system at office.
Dr says Mabel is progressing all right.
Nan Grady was 22 on the 18th.
Notice says International Red Cross are sponsoring a moving picture to be taken of life in the camp.
It was said that some planes which came over today (I'd heard them) made a 'V' formation, and that they exhaust-piped a 'V' in the sky, and that they dropped pamphlets. ((I hadn't seen any))
Spent rest of our money on tomato ketchup and sugar. I got rubber sandals from Welfare.
Mabel snowed under with re-knitting (unravelled) baby clothes ((for new camp babies.))
Lecture on 'Africa' by Dr McLeod ((whose little boy had been 'blown-up'))
My heart is so tired, dragging feeling most of today.
Mabel much better. Kind Mrs K took her a little wong tong.
Mr. ((Jimmy, PWD)) Bendall in hospital with septic foot, and Mr Skinner (Wally) with dysentery.
Olive and I went to choir practice on Maryknoll Sisters' verandah: Elsie Bidwell, Eileen and Kathleen Grant, 2 Bartons ((there were 11 Barton children in camp with their parents:- Alec, Marie, Peggy, Leo, Terence, John, Audrey, Wendy, Jacqueline, Rosemary and Daniel: another son Bernard was in Shamshuipo Camp.)) The Sister was so nice. Novena to Little Flower for Peace begins tomorrow.