Tonight I received your loving and glorious letter of 6th December 1942 and it is grand and fine to know that you were keeping cheery and well. It was very pleasing and cheerful to me to know that Phil Hermon had written you about me and the others. Your letter was so newsy and for it I thank you. I wish we were able to write as much as you are allowed to. We haven't been able to write you since 30/9/43 but when the next repatriates go, we are hopeful of being allowed to write again.
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Raid at 12.45 pm
Bl.out
Fuses drawn
Ground rice for Eve.
Another raid at 12.45pm.
Choir practice 5-6pm.
With Steve pm.
Black-out, dusk to dawn.
The following report was written on the 16th, but printed in the Hong Kong News on the 18th:
OBJECTIVE: Attack shipping in Victoria Harbor
TIME OVER TARGET: ~10:50 a.m.
AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Two B-25s from the 11th Bomb Squadron (341st Medium Bomb Group)
AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:
OBJECTIVE: Bomb Kowloon docks
TIME OVER TARGET: ~10:50 a.m.
AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT:
- Eleven B-24s from the 308th Bomb Group
- Thirteen P-40s from the 74th Fighter Squadron (23rd Fighter Group)
- Eight P-40s from the 75th Fighter Squadron (23rd Fighter Group)
AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:
OBJECTIVE: Take reconnaissance photographs of Kowloon
TIME OVER TARGET: ~9:15 a.m.
AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: One F-4 or F-5 (photo-recon version of the P-38)
AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Unknown
ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None
RESULTS: Recon photos of Kowloon show no evidence of damage from the B-24 raid the previous evening (Nov. 15). Numerous ships are at the HK & Whampoa dockyard.
JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None
AIRCRAFT LOSSES: None
Issue 3 ½ oz. peanut butter
B.O.
Washed blanket.
Jap reports of last two raids as expected, "blind bombing, driven off, no damage". Received message from mother “Anxious for news”, dispatched 16-July-1942. Some speed! Took 14 days to come from HK anyway.
With Steve pm.
Cold wind sprang up 9pm.
Camp dogs taken away by Jap Military. “Case of Howie” & their dog.
Wood for Steve am.
List of Camp cats (4 legged) required by Japs.
Much colder.
With Steve pm.
Black-out in town cancelled.
Birth of Katherine Fiona Kinlock.
She's the daughter of policeman Wallace Kinlock/Kinloch and his wife Joan.
Source:
China Mail, September 15, 1943, 3
Note: Constance Murrays's diary gives the 17th. for the birth of 'Fiona K. K. K.'.
To Mrs. Joan A.M. King, a daughter Fiona Katherine King. (f. Kinloch)
Cold 52’ ((11 degrees celcius)).
Choir practice 6-7pm & then with Steve. Black-out cancelled.
Murphy broadcast from Port. E. re getting us out? 25,000 Japs wiped out 40 klmts from HK?
Last night raid accounted for many Japs & Indians & unfortunately Chinese too.
The list ((of people to be repatriated)) is published and Maudie is going!! It was so unexpected. Last Friday week, Nov 12th, I had gone to the garden to do some watering and Yvonne had arranged to join me after she had been to the BCC, for we heard the list was to be published at about 2.30 p.m. Some time elapsed and there was no sign of Y and it just crossed my mind that perhaps she had seen Maudie’s name on the list and had gone off to tell her about it.
Fine, cold. No cigs.
Japs combing out the list of next repatriates.
With Steve pm.
Demand by Blkhd’s for torches exposed failure of Supt’s to carry out roll-calls. H.Qs screw up in consequence. ((That's a bit cryptic. Can anyone explain what it means please?
2013 update: Martin and Barbara note that "Blkhd's" were the Block Heads, the camp name for the internee appointed to be nominally in charge for a particular block.))
T.V. Harmon died. He might have lived had a proper cystoscope arrived in camp.
Death of Thomas Victor Harmon, a 46 year old civil servant. He is survived by his wife, Mary (39), a pharmacist, who is also interned. Before being sent to Stanley he'd been held at Hong Kong University - presumably as a 'refugee', perhaps because he'd joined Mary, who was working at the University Relief Hospital.
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