Fine. E wind & nimbus clouds.
Ground rice for bread & chopped wood.
No more serving to be done in kitchen due to complaint re extras. Complainants, women & tired men as usual.
Supper was the lousiest meal ever, bare rice for meal. Lorry eventually arrived 8pm.
Paper has no European news whatever. (Camp news, Outside news excellent. Attack on Phillipines commenced. Hitler definitely dead)
Letter from Shanghai tells us the internees there rec.1 parcel Sept.43 3 Dec.43 & 6 in Mar. this year.
Mrs. Dora ('Lannie') Lanchester, wife of Jack Lanchester, one of the two Camp dentists, receives a letter from Mrs. Frank Thornwaite, of Derrinallum, Australia, dated July 31, 1943.
The letter gives news of her son Bill, who has been evacuated into Mrs. Thornwaite's care. Bill has done well at school and arrangements are being made to send him to university.
Source:
John Lanchester, Family Romance, 2007, 194-195
Goodwin found easy going along a beach that took him past Shatau and onto a long stretch of sand with surf breaking from the sea. He walked easily along this until it ended in a rocky headland. There was no shelter there so he lay down to escape the gusting wind, and to await daylight, feeling absolutely exhausted.
Showery am. E.S.E. wind, nimbus.
It is understood that we have a change of Administration to come.
Rec. 2 letters May & Sept.43 from Hilda & 1 from Bob Apr.43. May from Hilda indicates that Alf is dead. Bobs indicates conflicting reports made about our Camp conditions in England.
Camp Commandant – Col. Takanada
Jap. Military Officer to be stationed at Stanley in place of Mr Maejima
Mr. Makimara, of Jap. Consular Service, to be Liaison Officer between Jap. Military authorities and Foreign Affairs Department. - “Full ration for children over 6; and under 6 receive 300 grammes of rice” As from 1.8.44
A beautiful day. The bad weather seems to have exhausted itself.
Coal issued in lieu of firewood.
H.Qs and godown preparing for change of administration.
Ground bread rice.
OBJECTIVE: Single-aircraft night raid to harass Canton airfields and prevent JAAF from flying night bombing missions
RESULTS: Bombs are dropped on Tien Ho, White Cloud, and White Cloud satellite fields, but damage is unknown.
TIME OVER TARGET: ~7:53 to 9:15 p.m.
AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: One B-25J from 11th Bomb Squadron (341st Medium Bomb Group)
Classical concert
[Issue of Y12.50]
Fine up to 7pm then heavy rain squall.
Bit of sunbathing aft.
Drew back tea order for Steve and self.
Godown & H.Qs emptied of private effects, soap etc.
Y12.50 issued.
Russians captured Lublin. US 300 plane raid on Palau Isles 26th. News of Biak indicates preparation of report of its loss to us.
Mary in Hosp so Steve having hell of a time with the kids.
Black-out ordered.
Salt ration to be doubled 1st Aug. & children under 6 10.5oz rice. Children over six to rec. full ration.
OBJECTIVE: Single-aircraft night raid to harass Canton airfields and prevent JAAF from flying night bombing missions
RESULTS: Bombs are dropped on Tien Ho, Tien Ho satellite, and White Cloud fields, but damage is unknown.
TIME OVER TARGET: ~7:40-8:40 p.m.
AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: One B-25J from 11th Bomb Squadron (341st Medium Bomb Group)
Red Cross Delegate Rudolf Zindel visits Stanley. He has discussions with Franklin Gimson, inspects 'various premises' and pays 'Pocket Allowances' to the British and 18 Americans as well as making his usual monthly donation of M.Y.3,000 to the Camp Relief Fund.
This will be the last of his regular monthly visits. From now on he will have to apply to the War Office in Tokyo for permission to inspect the two civilian camps in the same way he's already doing for the POW camps. (See tomorrow's entry).
I have been very fortunate and lucky this week in receiving loving and glorious letters from you for on Monday 24th July I received your two letters from Montreal when you were on your way home dated 23rd August 1942 and 6th September 1942, both of which were splendid and I am very grateful for them even tho' they were nearly 2 years old.
Brown / Ream
Jenner / Mace
Well the typhoon turned up alright on my birthday. It blew up during the night and was going quite hard in the morning, though it had more or less abated by the evening. It was not a severe one as typhoons go, but it played havoc with many of the precious gardens, flattening the sweet corn, blasting the pumpkin creepers and uprooting many plants. Our string beans were blown all of a heap. Fortunately they were nearly finished anyway.
Fine day. W. wind. Alt.Com. ((Not sure what "Alt.Com." refers to - clouds maybe?))
Ground rice for bread & chopped wood.
News good. Germans evac. Lemberg, Brest, Litovsk, Bialystok & Drinsk & retire in Galicia. US troops making headway. Allies still pushing in Normandy & Italy 27th. Thai Cabinet resigned yesterday. Japs expect attack on Island N. of Japan.
Have developed rotten cold.
Zindel inspected Camp.
Today is a significant one in the history of the Camp: the switch to control by the Japanese military is completed by a final morning roll call.
This passes off well, but Franklin Gimson, who has spent much time and effort building harmonious relationships with the civilian administrators is anxious:
Full roll call of camp from 8 am to 11 am
Fine hot day. W. Alt. Com.
Roll Call went off OK this am all over by 10.45am.
No papers today, but yesterdays Chinese paper had some most excellent news in it. Kurile Isles N. of Jap being bombed. Japs expect US landing there from Aleutians. Allies expected to land at Genoa & Spezia in Italy.
With Steve & Mary pm. Winnie’s birthday. ((Winnie was the daughter of Steve & Mary.))
Saw Dr re cold. Temp 101.(A.P.C.)
HK$ fetching 11 Yen in Camp.
OBJECTIVE: Staggered single-aircraft night raids to harass Canton airfields and prevent JAAF from flying night bombing missions
RESULTS: Due to cloud cover, B-25 #405 fails to find the target and does not release its bombs. B-25 #403 bombs Tien Ho and White Cloud airbases, but damage is unknown.
TIME OVER TARGET: ~7:55 to 10:20 p.m.
AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Two B-25s from 11th Bomb Squadron (341st Medium Bomb Group)
AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:
