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Les Bird joined the Hong Kong Marine Police in 1976 during a period of rapid change in one of the British Empire’s few remaining colonies, and witnessed the last years of the hard-working, hard-drinking colonial policemen handing out rough justice in the World of Suzie Wong.
[Bob: I am in possession of a multi page document written by one of the younger Harris sons (Ted - his wartime memoirs written in 1997) which I am posting here. Ted's widow has given me permission to share Ted's memoirs.]
This is a valuable resource for anyone interested in Stanley Internment Camp, and Hong Kong during the Second World War.
It's a thick book, over 600 pages long, with the bulk of the content coming from John Charter's diary of events. Every new diary we read gives new viewpoints on events, but this diary also stands out for the level of detail recorded. John writes well, making it an easy read as well as an informative one.
John's family had known of the diary for many years, but despaired of ever being able to read it. His son Anthony explains:
A Memoir of Survival, Identity and Success
After hearing Barbara Anslow speak to the Hong Kong Society last year, I contacted Barbara to see if she remembered my grandfather, William (Billie) J Carrie and to let her know that I have his own wartime diary that he started on 08/12/1941 when Hong Kong Island was first shelled by the Japanese. I am happy to say she instantly remembered him from their days in Stanley Internment Camp.
Maclean's Magazine June and July 1942. In three parts. Part one is here The other two are at the bottom of the page that is referenced.
Here is the statement my father wrote about his life in China and Hong Kong and other points in Asia. I think it was written sometime between 1945-1947.
Personal History of F. King Paget
Both my parents were born in the United States of America of American lineage. My father, Charles Souders Paget, at Bridgeton, N.J. on Oct. 17, 1874 and my mother, Henrietta Augusta Mead, at Corona, Long Island, N.Y. on Aug. 27, 1878.
Colin McEwan Diary: 8.12.1941 – 20.1.1942
Brief notes: 1.7.1942 -14.11.1942 (sometimes illegible)
(Lawrence Tsui remarks in Red)
Pop’s Diary – last days inHK 1941
(Captain Colin McEwan was SOE & later BAAG Field Operations Group (FOGS) with Ronald Holmes, Maxwell Holroyd, Francis Lee, Vincent Yeung, Al Wong & Osler Thomas)
(There appear to be 10 pages missing from the original)
The diary was transcribed from the original by Alison Gerrard.
George Gerrard - Concise biography.
George Gerrard was born in Fraserburgh (Aberdeenshire) in 1894. He was the fifth child in a family of seven. His father was the Rev. George Gerrard and his mother Mrs Helen Gerrard. The family moved to Kirkwall in the Orkneys in 1896. In 1903 they moved to Greenock where George lived for the next eleven years, completing his education at Mearns Street School.
My Mother's relatives were her Polish Grandmother Banderzevska, a Widow with five daughters. After her husband's death, grandmother by law, was left without property and therefore her daughters had no dowries. They started to marry Russians, and were cursed by their Mother who was drinkin too much. The Catholic Church excommunicated them for 20 years because in Russia children have to be Orthodox Church.
Daughters: