T. Knox died suddenly, leaving his little wife (who used to live in room adjacent to ours for the first year), and sons in other camps.
Mr A.E. Carey died; he'd hung on for a long time - got over the typhus, but developed gangrene of arm.
Barbara Anslow's diary: View pages
We (RC young ladies) gave Marie Barton a shower in honour of her engagement to Vincent Marcus Morrison (HK Police, who, with Randall, Bidmead and Fay had escaped from Stanley in 1942, but were caught and put in Stanley Gaol; released back into camp this June.) ((Marie and Vincent eventually had a very large family; when in 1963 my eldest son went to Winslade School, Clyst St Mary in Exeter as a weekly boarder, we found that one of the Morrison boys, Peter, was also a pupil there. There were many other Morrisons then - Michael, Anthony, Frances, Bernadette, Margaret, and Angela The family lived in Sidmouth.))
That night I wrote most of 'A child's Christmas'. ((A nostalgic memory of Christmas as a child in UK too long to include here.))
Xmas play The Other Wise Man. Little Fleur Cheape ( 4 ) played the small child. Air raid alarms made performance difficult, had to start late; also, half the would-be audience wasn't there because they thought the play would be cancelled because of alarms. Doreen Leonard played her part very seriously and well.
((Doreen, a Eurasian teenager, was one of the girls in the Girls' Study Group. I gave her shorthand lessons. Her English father, and one of her sisters who was married with small children, were in camp. Doreen and I became great friends. After internment, like we Redwoods, she and her father went to England, and we exchanged frequent letters. She wanted to be a air hostess. I returned to Hong Kong in June 1946, and on arrival was shocked to receive news that Doreen had passed away. When her Dad returned to Hong Kong a few months later, he sought me out where I was working, and handed me a little brooch of Doreen's, saying he thought she loved me best of all her friends.. so touching. She was only 17.))
Draw for two 10 lb. iced cakes made by Father B. Meyer. Won by Mrs. V. Murrell and Mrs. B. Doering. Air raid during proceedings.
(During this wek, I got Yen 230 from Ivy Denton - some time ago I'd given her a tin of parcel Cowbell milk power to sell for us to get canteen money to get extras for Mum when she was in hospital.)
There was a draw for a cockerel - from surplus cockerels owned by an enterprising internee who somehow had a few chickens. Sheila Haines won one.
Extension of evening curfew tonight.
Walked round camp with Mabel and Clifton while the United Churches choir sang deep-throated harmonising carols. The Fortescues let us peep in on Adrian after 'Father Christmas' had been and left presents, and he was fast asleep. A lovely night.
Stayed to 2 Masses. Visited Leprosarium ((now our TB wards)). They had a 'Christmas tree'.
Japs had sent flat duck in rations - hospital kitchen put out a terrific meal of beans, pumpkin, 'ragout of duck', greens, and a pudding with wong tong syrup. Married Quarters had pasties and rissoles.
Mr. Cochrane and son Graham visited us. ((Alexander Cochrane of HK Police was married to Ena Penney who had been a neighbour of ours in 1929 when we lived at 98 Kennedy Road.)) Graham was born in Stanley.
Gladys Johnson gave me a handkerchief, June Cheape a home-made calendar. Beryl Goldenberg gave me a nice card.
Spent morning with Sheila, Peggy, Audrey etc. at St Stephens arranging the toys we'd made for RC social and labelling them. Social went off very well, with tableaux, a choir in which Mabel sang; and the great cake, baked by Father Meyer and to which all RCs had contributed tiny amounts of ingredients.
In evening, Mabel, Yvonne Blackmore, George Sanders, Eric MacNider, Clifton and myself had a party in Clifton's room ((he shared an amah's room with another fellow)). We had too much to eat - a terrific chow-fan, George's special congee, and a pudding with sauce. I couldn't move for ages after the meal.
Mr Anderson died.
Marie married to Vincent Morrison who is now a RC. They had a very lovely Nuptial Mass. Reception couldn't be in afternoon because of an inspection was planned (which however didn't come off.)
Wrote 'The Last Meeting'.
To Marie & Vincent's reception.
SUMMARY OF 1944
Mabel's accident in January, and 'Peter Pan' were the dominating features of my year.
Other notable events included:
- We had cards from Aunt Lily, Topper's sister and mother, Margaret Smith and Mrs. Brown (all in UK).
- But no news of Topper, Arthur or Sid ((our Army boyfriends)).
- We were driven to the conclusion that we were NOT going to be repatriated.
- Food got worse, not much light, little water, no meat, some fish mainly whitebait.
- Invasion of Euope started in June, and by early autumn we were expecting European war to end, and sweepstakes thereon were rampant.
- Wrote 'The Last Meeting' , 'The Princess Who Wasn't' – not performed; poem A Child's Christmas, and started to write Balancing Jean which is unfinished.
Just before 12, some people went out in courtyard and clanged Block 5's bell. Several people knocked on our door and first-footed us and wished us Happy New Year - don't know who they all were! Clifton came along and kissed us (except for Mum who was asleep in bed). People were noisy for about half an hour after.
Mabel had a meal ! - Half a rissole etc. We each slept on a crumb of wedding cake from Vincent & Marie's reception yesterday.
This morning to Mass, big crowd there. Brought Annie (Van Der Lely - Dutch) back for hot 'pancakes' and lime juice.
Worked in afternoon.
Supposed to be an air raid in evening.
We opened our last tin of bully.
Talk in our room at night by Mr Gimson on 'Elephant Hunting in Ceylon.'
Went to see Mr Davis ((can't remember his initials)) to get date for our one-act plays. It might have to be after April.
Worked in afternoon.
Spent evening with Gladys Johnson in her corridor.
Newspaper says 'Neissei Maru' sails 4th January from Kobe, first instalment (food parcels) for U.S. p.o.ws and internees in Japan and China; next shipment to go to Philippines and southern regions. Father Meyer says we will all surely get some. Paper says Soviets refuse American military aircraft permission to land in Soviet territory.
F. M. von Runsted's offensive said to be building up for second phase.
United Press says American forces had pushed back German salient for 14 miles.
I cooked for Dr Hargreaves in morning. Visited Fleur (Cheape) in hospital.
Kristine said she'd rather help with production of plays than act.
Elsie Bidwell has to have a mastoid operation.
Barbara Fox had a daughter this morning - Maureen Patricia.
Fish cake for tiffin. We fried noodles this evening.
Dr Mark (Erooga) came for coffee.
Redwoods' turn for passage. ((The 26 residents of 'our' flat took turns in cleaning the communal passage and areas. Big problem about a mother and toddler who lived in a curtained off part of the landing between first and second floors as to which passage she should clean!))
Bulletin on board says there are no indications that we shall get parcels.
Miss Olive Jeffery died at 4.30pm. ((A Govt. nursing sister who was already a TB patient when our war started.))
Spent lovely afternoon outside Block 2 with Pat Lederhofer, Pat and Kristine Thoresen, Doreen Leonard and Tinneke Offenberg, reading plays with Sheila's help.
Captain Batty-Smith lectured (in our room) most interestingly on experiences in p.o.w. camp in Germany for almost 4 years in WWI.
Parcel ship supposed to leave Kobe.
Worked in afternoon. Typed for Dr H. Talbot.
Annie came to talk re wedding ((I was to be a bridesmaid)).
Got potatoes from Mr. Ingram ((A.W. I think) for cigarettes. We ate them in evening.
Mr Davis visited, we can have Feb 21, 22 and 23 for plays.
Peggy came over later, told us of her appendix operation in Stanley, then I visited Beryl Goldenberg who is in bed with a cold.
Ernst Mejia (4) has chickenpox and is in hospital. ((He was the youngest of a family of 9 children in camp with their mother, they lived in a room below us in the MQ)).
Air raid alarm, in afernoon, rehearsal of Her First Dance.
Rumour re German collapse.
Went to see Annie, who's quite philisophical about her postponed wedding.
Day off.
Saw Mr Davis, our plays now set for 15,16 & 17th Feb.
Several people in trouble with guards; one was slapped, some had stones thrown at them (over all-clear signal misunderstanding).
Buddens came and played bridge. ((Mrs. Maggie Budden, and daughter Barbara Budden who was a stenographer colleague of mine in HK Govt. Maggie's husband died in Shamshuipo pow camp, as did Barbara's brother Gilbert who was my age - as children Gilbert and I sat in adjoining desks at Garrison School.))
Visited Pat Cullinan (HK Police), he wants to put on trial scene from Merchant of Venice. ((Throughout internment Pat was hospitalised with TB))
To St.Agnes (older girls) meeting in morning, very few there.
Then confabbed with Pat Cullinan re Merchant of Venice play outside Leprosarium (Pat's billet).
Very lean meals.
Matriculation exams on. ((organised by teachers in camp for students of right age)).
News of landing of task force in West Luzon; rumours of repatriation; of men being sent to Formosa, and of bread supply at weekend.
Mr. de Martin's lecture on Words in our room very good. I was in bed for it. ((Thus made more room for others attending.))
Diana Hardoon's and Joan Critchett's 21st birthdays.
Ground some rice.
We had noodles in evening, then to Block 5 stairway and heard Miss E. M. Gibbins' first lecture on European History. ((A teacher by profession, also taught throughout camp)).
Adrian Fortescue (3) has chicken-pox (lived with parents Tim and Margery in kitchen next to our room).
Bitterly cold.
Got powdered egg yolk.
To St Stephens, talked with Concannon (T) re our plays. He suggests leaving one out.
Fish stew at tiffin - I couldn't eat it - saved the rice and fried it with egg yolk tonight.
Yesterday's paper said Philippine situation grave - U.S. attacking Japs there.
Worked in afternoon. Meeting in Grants' room, Millie (Thirlwell) ((likely M M Thirlwell)) and Audrey (Barton) and Annie came.
Cold again.
Went to German lesson.
Each given quarter pound of wong tong free (ex Red Cross) and soy suce.
Bulletin news not too good - German breakthrough on Maginot Line.
To lecture - Mr. H. L. Ascough ((of Cable & Wireless)) on 'Behind the Scenes at a radio broadcasting station.'
Outside roll call in am. Comment made on clogs - 'Have these people no shoes?'
Rumour - we may get electric current.
Went to work 10.30am – late because of roll call.
Mr. H.W. Page, aged 71, died.
Catholic Action Council meeting in quarry/grotto.
Talked with Pat Cullinan and Beryl re play, the rehearsal in P.O.Club. ((Beryl was to play Jessica in the Trial Scene of The Merchant of Venice.))
Rehearsal of plays.
Paper says Philippine battle going on.