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Death – W.E. Kirby (54), Sec. China Coast Officers’ Guild (Cerebral Malaria)

Issue 6 ozs. Salt

Windy, showers, brightened pm.

Caen fell 9th. Russians broke into Vilna 9th. All other news good.

Rec. letter from Marj dated Aug.1943, all well with them both bless’em. Posted my monthly card to them.

With Steve pm.

OBJECTIVE: Reconnaissance flight over Canton airfields

RESULTS: No aircraft are observed on the ground at Tien Ho and White Cloud airbases

TIME OVER TARGET: ~5:25 p.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Two P-51s from 76^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)

AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Major Charles E. Griffith; Lt. Reeves

ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: Eight Ki-44 that likely belong to the 85^th Sentai attempt to intercept the P-51s without success.

AIRCRAFT LOSSES: None

Notes:

Windy, showery all day.

Kirby died last night, buried this evening.

Chopped firewood.

News good generally. Canton raided am 11th. Jap paper still reports resistance in Caen & Saipan.

With Steve pm.

OBJECTIVE: Fighter sweep over Canton airfields

RESULTS: Pilots spot Japanese bombers over White Cloud airbase, but are unable to close within firing range

TIME OVER TARGET: ~8:30 a.m.

AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Six P-51s from 76^th Fighter Squadron (23^rd Fighter Group)

Former Labour Officer H. R, Butters gives the Red Cross a gold-filled Sheaffer's pencil to sell on his behalf.

Windy, showery.

Ground rice for Steve am. Bread rice pm.

Jap paper has nothing of note in it except commencement of evacuation of people from Tokyo & some more dope on V1s on London. Chinese paper has better news, especially that dealing with Russian Northern front. Vilna captured and forces attacking N in Lithuania & S wd to Bialystok.

With Steve pm.

I. Chalmers died

Birth of Gerald Gwynne Ward to Reginald Gywnne Ward of the Chinese Maritime Customs and Elfrida Maria Ward (née Xavier).

Death of Isaac Chalmers, a master mariner in the Merchant Navy.

Sources: as in links

Birth of Gerald Gwynne Ward.

Death of Isaac Chalmers, of sudden heart failure five days after a hernia operation.

Two extracts from letters bearing today's date, authors unknown:

Letter of May 43 received. All cheery here. Garden small yield, too lazy. Only beacon - reunion.

Received letters June 42, November December 43. Many thanks. Both well here. Thankful for abnormally cool summer weather. Christopher enjoying Sunday school.

Sources:

Death – Capt. Issac Chalmers (70)

Birth – To Mr & Mrs R. G. Ward, a son, Gerald Gwynne 

Squally, overcast all day.

4 cigs issued.

Palmer aged 70 died & buried today. ((Probably refers to I Chalmers.))

Mrs Brown to hosp. ((MW Brown?))

Russians doing fine, all other news either covered or absent.

11am meal extremely lousy, rice & beans, pm meal a little better. 2 fried sprats, 2 pot & 2 taro chips, fish sauce (described as doubtful) fish water & rice.

With Steve pm. Rained heavily all the evening so plenty got wet shirts getting home by 8pm.

H. C. MacNamara died.

Henry  Charles Macnamara, of Hong Kong University, dies of typhus in Tweed Bay Hospital.

In Camp he'd given lectures on commercial law.

Source:

Peter Cunich, A History of the University of Hong Kong, 2012, 408, 540.

Note: Geoffrey Emerson states he was a barrister.

Rose / Alton

Death – H. C. Macnamara (55), Barrister-at-law

Jenner / Pearson

Ralph Goodwin, a New Zealand naval officer had been a PoW since Dec 25, 1941.  For two and a half years he always had escape in his mind, and in Sham Shui Po camp he had prepared for it.    He realized that the location of this camp was the best he had ever had to make an escape. The proximity of the camp to the sea, meant that he could swim from the seawall, to a little habited part of the coast from where he could climb into the hills and make his way northwards to freedom.

Wind veered to S. much rain in squalls. Warmer.

McNamara (KC) died.

Ground rice & chopped wood.

No paper today. Much optimism re position & progress of Russian front. Some fixing end of next month as time of collapse of German resistance.

Mary sent up a lovely tiffin for me. I must never forget the good turns they have done me.

With Steve pm.

Shortly after midnight, Goodwin quietly left the his bed and the hut in the camp with all the escape equipment he could carry, and in the darkness of a rainy moonless night, made his way to the fencepost, he had to climb.  This was the first of three electrified fences he had to pass.   With care he climbed up to a foothold on the top insulator.

Wind to SW. Better weather.

Shovel for Steve. With him aft. & pm.

Gandhi proves himself the opposite to what the Japs would have him according to their propaganda, ie British Quit India. He proposes to form a National Gov’t with the Viceroy & C in C i/c supported by a Cabinet chosen from Moslim & Hindu elements.

Vilna & Pinsk captured 12th. Gains made in Normandy & Italy.