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¾ lb salt at ¥1.35 issued

Heather

Rained nearly all day.

Cigs, salt, ¾ lb 1.80 & 1.35.

Oil, tea, sugar & curry powder issued.

With Steve pm.

No news. 

Wrote my monthly 25 word postcard to you today. Wish we were allowed to write a proper letter and say exactly what we would like to say but of course as 'dogs bodies' we must conform to the Jap Military regulations. 

The weather this month has been horribly wet and damp and last night there must have been a cloudburst, the rain falling in buckets.

Sandbach / Martin (St. George’s Day)

Jenner 

Rained nearly all day.

Humid.

Became God-father to Christine. The other 4 christened too. Have tea after.

With Steve pm.

Cleared up enough to indicate a fine day tomorrow.

New Moon.

As a seemingly endless occupation drags on, half a dozen Hong Kong miles divide families and friends as effectively as the Atlantic. Mrs Agnes Hopwar writes to her daughter, Florence Robinson (Block 4, Room 4), from Rosary Hill Red Cross Home at 44, Stubbs Road:

Received letter. Glad all well.

7 a.m. upstairs say urgent telephone call. Feared worse re Dick ((nephew Dick Wong)) and was so. Died early morning.

To Kowloon. Raining. Long walk to ferry which crowded. Met Charlie ((Dick’s brother)) and Dot Lo going Hongkong to arrange.

At house George Ahwee, Benny Randall and other friends. Funeral 4.30 p.m. next day. Dot Lo and Bertie Guest very helpful.

Cloudy, rain, bright periods.

Ground rice for bread.

Crutwell willing but unable.

Steve & Mary had row re Canteen purchases so he and I had a walk around the boundary.

No news. 

Nice day but humid.

6 days firewood, heavy work.

Steve to practice pm. Talked with Mary till he returned.

(Hatori not to come back. Food ship on its way here, & all of us to be out by end of May).

Notes:

Ballet “Temujin” (7 acts) from book “Earth is the Lord’s” by Taylor Caldwell (p. Carol Bateman; costumes, Dick Olive; Stage, EMB Dyson; Music, Betty Drown) (Harry Tyler, Lydia Hutchinson, Peggy Hunter, Hugh Goldie, Johnny Martin, Al((??

Overcast, drizzly & humid.

Ground rice for bread.

With Steve pm.

Food & repat. rumours still rife.

Ballet “Temujin” ((for details see 26th))

Plane on display. Yarn pilot killed. One broke leg and one injured. Blindfolded taken to hospital. Americans with Chinese flag on back of jackets. But seventeen gloves. What happened to others? 

Overcast. Squally.

Repaired camp bed for I.B. ((Who or what was I.B.?))

Steve to concert pm.

Made out Canteen lists for M.

Ballet “Temujin” ((for details see 26th))

Rec’d ¥ 1.12.

Cloudy, rained.

Ground rice for bread.

Crutwell gave it up, couldn’t go on. ((Crutwell had been teaching German to Jones, see his diary entry for 11 Jan 1944. This might mark the end of those lessons.))

Camp stores arrived, rice, beans & flour.

Canteen almost sold out (101) [?]

Changed books for Steve. With him pm.

Excellent congee by M tasted like chocolate.

(Drying flour, 20mins)

The final draft of Prisoners of War leaves Hong Kong to labour in Japan. The Naura Maru sails with 220 men. They will arrive, after 15 days enduring cramped, filthy and noisome conditions in the hold, to be hosed down with icy water in spite of the cold weather.

Source:

Tony Banham, We Shall Suffer There, Kindle Edition, Location 2312 ff.

Ballet “Temujin” ((for details see 26th))

((Following text not dated:))

Alert about 4 p.m. one day. High flyers but nothing happened. Reportedly man near Dockyard ran on signal and was shot. Must not run.