Her husband was a Naval Dockyard Officer and is at present in Argyle Street Camp. Mrs Evans had a very cheerful nature and was well known and quite a favourite in the ‘Optimists’ shows, the variety concerts arranged by Cyril Brown – a pierrot and pierrette troupe. Dr Smalley had advised her to undergo an operation, though it was by no means urgent; but this camp seemed to be a good place in which to get it over.
Pages tagged:
Jacobus Van der Laan, a Dutch banker living at the Sun Wah Hotel, sends a message to his parents-in-law (who are looking after his young daughter):
Since September 1941 no news telegraphed different times. Hope you can manage otherwise apply Headoffice. We both good health no reply Sourabaya.
lovekisses
(punctuation and spacing sic; Van der Laan had been trying unsuccessfully to contact relatives in another camp, Soerabaja)
Source:
David Tett, Captives in Cathay, 2007, 318
Issue 1/4 lb. margarine
I told Bush I would be glad to help and we had a chat, during which I endeavoured to find out what experience he had of acting and what plays he had in mind. I gathered that his experience was limited to a few amateur theatrics with which he had been associated at a Japanese University. His choice of one act plays (which I read) I considered unsuitable for this camp - one was about the danger zone at sea during the last war - and gave him my opinion.
Lady Mary Grayburn, Mr. and Mrs Compton, Mrs Eva Pearce, Mrs Eileen Hyde and her son Michael (4) are sent to Stanley from the Sun Wah or the French Hospital. They are all billetted in Bungalow D.
Source:
David Tett, Captives of Cathay, 2007, 297
Note:
Mr. + Mrs. Compton, Mrs Pearce, Mrs Hyde, Lady Grayburn came into Camp.
In those days I had a moustache and a beard and it meant shaving all this camouflage off, as I had to resemble, as nearly as possible, the fair Viola, which part was being played by Nora Witchell. She and I are exactly the same height and are both of the slender variety of build (thin in my case), but there the likeness stopped. In ‘A Marriage’ – I had to appear as a middle aged Edwardian and I intended to have at least side-whiskers and a moustache, and John thought a beard too, as it would then be easier to age me.
Beach not opened today. Windy & wet.
((G))
Italy asked re separate peace & King V. Emm. abdicated. Aerial demonstration & leaflet raid over Rome.
Five more people arrived from French Hosp.
Full moon.
((The following document describes the events leading to the Japanese arresting a BAAG agent working in Hong Kong.))
Attached to RD/28 d/19.5.43.
MOST SECRET
AN ACCOUNT OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE ARREST OF 60.
"Taming of the Shrew" (Nora Witchell, Searle, Luscombe, Stutbury, Dormer, Nan Moodie, Eve Gray, Kennard, p. Colledge)
New electricity regulations - Lights out 10.30
M.B. bakery extension ((not sure if this refers to a project to extend the bakery, or that the bakery was allowed to keep the lights on later than 10.30))
Christine Corra designed the costumes and they were quite a triumph: they were made out of silk scarves, with silk under slips, old evening dresses and bits of curtain, dyed mosquito nets etc. I spent quite a time (with much protest!) cutting out, from empty meat and jam tins, crescent moons, stars, diamonds, circles etc. which Y sewed onto the little black jacket of her slave costume.
Wet & windy.
Asked to resign from kitchen. Apparently a series of complaints been made, quiet, “behind the back” ones of course. Don’t give two hoots so let it go.
((G))
Steve playing in “Taming of the Shrew” at St Stephens College.
I sincerely desire something to happen whereby I can settle my mind re G for good & all.
Goods from Fr. Hospital - (postponed)
No concert; bl.-out
We hear that Mejima, head of the Civil Administration in HK who has recently been on a visit from Tokyo, is due back today and is bringing with him good news for the internees. The guesses are that we shall hear either, that we are to be repatriated; that we are to receive more IRC food supplies or our allowances are to be given to us. I sincerely hope it is the first, but quite probably it will be none of them. Perhaps he hasn’t even been to Tokyo!
Windy but drier.
Find that public opinion did not want my resignation from kitchen. However some made observation that my squad’s cooking was not as good as others.
((G))
Blackout ordered.
Repat. rumours about.
No parcels have come in for a while. On Monday we received each 1/4lb of margarine from the International Welfare which is very welcome indeed as lard in the canteen is soaring to such a price as everything else that it is now nearly impossible to buy unless one has a good wad of Yen. Sugar is now one Yen (4 Hong Kong dollars) per lb., soya sauce one Yen per tin, bean curd 65 sei Wong Tong 240 Yen per lb. and so on. (one Hong Kong dollar = 1s.3d.)
No concert; bl.-out