In Kowloon some of the civilians are still in hiding, but most are prisoners.
Arthur Hamson writes to his wife Edith at 4.10 p.m.:
Beloved mine,
I understand young Barton will probably be shifted up to the hospital as he is unwell. I'm giving him this note to deliver it to you if possible. Where we are quartered is past the Police Training School at the junction of the Shalin ((sic - presumably Shatin)) and Castle Peak Rd.
Morning saw our nearest meeting with bombs – one landing outside our flat and opening the roadway half across but luckily doing no damage apart from shattered glass, the retaining wall taking the blast. Our next job was detailed – sinking another ship and lighter at West Point. After the Taikoo job this appeared easy as no activity had been seen on board and the ship was well removed from both shores. The H.D. were arranging a motor boat and we anticipated no great difficulty.
| ((Original text)) | ((Jill Fell's translation)) |
| Notre téléphone ne marche plus. D’autre part les autos particulières ne peuvent plus circuler. Nous sommes ainsi coupés de toute communication. Aujourd’hui de nombreux raids d’avions. Le principal -27 appareils- a déversé d’un seul coup sur la pente du Mount Davis qui nous fait face, une pluie de bombes. Bruit effroyable : toute la maison en a tremblé. |
Heavy shelling again in the softening up of our waterfront. I am local stringer for The Times, London. We correspondents have religiously filed daily throughout the first week, but the pressure was heavy and few messages have reached our newspapers. A trying day, with a continuous showering of shells and bombs. Anxiety deepening by the hour; but morale still holding. Some of the cinema theatres are carrying on, with shows at noon and 2 p.m. subject to abandonment without notice.
Quiet early. Got ropes ashore and warped ship in as close as possible. Beattie pulled over in skiff for paint.
Up early the dawn promised a beautiful day - not a cloud in the sky. Spent morning in the office - heard from the E.O. No. 11 due off the slip about noon, so pushed off down to the dock to prepare for hoisting. Finally hoisted about 1 p.m. - inspected damage with E.O. - bent propeller shaft - shouldn't take long - on the slip for a day should do the trick. E.O. pushed off to tiffin and I likewise having mine in the shelter - we had decided that with “Thracian” in dock it would be a wise move.
For the past three days the Japs have been shelling us very heavily indeed. Mt. Davis have had the worst of it. One of the A.A guns has been knocked out. About 11 men were killed when the enemy scored a direct hit on one of the shelters. A dud shell hit the muzzle of the upper 9.2” gun and it appears to be slightly bent. The plug gauge bore will no longer pass through it. A shell (9”) came in through the old canteen along the passage into the plotting room and came to rest under the command exchange.
A number of casualties was admitted at about 1500 hours . From then until 0500 hours the next day , the P.M.O. was operating continuously . The cases included one amputation through the left shoulder , one amputation through the left thigh and an officer with severe multiple gunshot wounds and a spinal paralysis .
We hear that the Japs have started shelling the waterfront by Causeway Bay and North Point, also we know that the Royal Artillery gun positions at Lyeemun, Pakshawan and Collinson are being heavily shelled. The distance across the harbour varies between a mile and a half and three miles at its widest point so it is quite easy for the Japs to get the range, now that they are in full control of Kowloon and the Mainland. We have some more air raids.
6.15am.
I left my pen in office yesterday and am writing this with a new one I got. Amah has got me up early – O.K. I have a lot to do still - and of course the car has gone back on me – the battery is dead. Well I’ll just have to get somebody to push it.
Raids began at 9.15AM & increased in number during the afternoon. Targets are still the north side of HK. A squadron of Spitfires would clear them out in half a minute.
Clouds of white & brown smoke over Repulse Bay way due to bombing. Big column of black smoke over Shau Kei Wan way.
Quiet night.
The next day (17th) I was informed I was to have a rest and would change places with Capt. Davis who was in charge of the vehicle park. Capt. Davis seemed somewhat put out and as I knew the ropes and had been working with my little team throughout, I asked Major Dewer’s ((probably A J Dewar)) permission to carry on to which he agreed.
On the 17th December, the Japanese laid a heavy barrage down on the waterfront, especially targeting the numerous pillboxes. Some oil storage tanks at North Point were hit and set on fire, covering the area in dense black smoke.
Met Olive, she said Mr. Cole had been killed at Aberdeen. ((Not Tony Cole of ARP staff, but George Cole, a Naval Dockyard colleague of my Dad's)).
On way back to Macdonnell Road, a great crater had been made directly across it. The only damage to Peggy's flat was a window pane broken, and the bathroom door broken off, but that was the end of the electric light and the water and telephone. Gas had been turned off previously when a fire threatened the gas mains.
Chan Shui, Chinese, Male, age about 50 years, Carpenter, Taikoo Dockyard, ((was killed at the refugee camp above Quarry Bay by Japanese shelling.))
Edith Hamson and her family, with others at the Kowloon Hospital, are ordered to gather in the hallway. They are told they are to be sent to the YMCA. As they listen to the guard, an unknown man slips a note from her husband Arthur into her hand. Later in the day the prisoners gather in small groups waiting to be taken to their new internment facility; a young doctor passes Mrs. Hamson another note.
Feeling that the contact with the Shataukok guerrillas was now hopeless and after discussion with the C.P., Mike decided to contact the official Chinese Gov’t. representative S.K. Yee and this morning we paid him a visit to ascertain if he had established contact with any of the supposed advance guerrillas who were attacking Shumchun and Shataukok.
A domestic problem presented itself. With my sister's family of six, our household already numbered fifteen. Now my wife's sister-in-law telephoned. Her district (Tai Hang) has been heavily shelled and she and her son wished to join us. We agreed; but a large party of her neighbours came too, and our flat is crowded, with a total of about thirty people. They sleep where they can, in the hall and on the stairs; but they have brought their own food and give no trouble.
Took over the "French" on orders from my C.O. and S.N.O.A. Fueled, checked engines and had her all ready.
Received orders during the night to be ready to proceed to Round Island at 0900 hours to embark Capt. and Salvage party from "Thracian" (it was decided after yesterday's bombing to move her out of the dock) which had been beached there. Carried out this order successfully returning to base.
